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CO2 cerebrovascular reactivity measured with CBF-MRI in older individuals: Association with cognition, physical
Sandeepa Sur1, Zixuan Lin1,2, Yang Li1
1Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Summary
Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) measured by MRI is lower in individuals with cognitive impairment. Higher CVR is linked to better cognitive and physical function, independent of Alzheimer's disease markers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Vascular Neurology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Vascular pathology significantly contributes to cognitive impairment and mixed dementia.
- Current biomarkers for vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) require further development.
- Cerebrovascular Reactivity (CVR) is a critical indicator of brain blood flow regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of CO2 Cerebrovascular Reactivity (CVR) using phase-contrast quantitative flow MRI in cognitive impairment and dementia.
- To assess the association between CBF-CVR and cognitive performance, physical function, and disease severity.
- To determine if CBF-CVR associations are independent of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathological markers.
Main Methods:
- Phase-contrast quantitative flow MRI was used to measure cerebral blood flow (CBF)-CVR in 45 impaired participants and 22 healthy controls (HC).
- Participants underwent cognitive assessments (MoCA, composite scores, language tests) and physical function tests (gait speed, chair stands).
- Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for AD pathology (Aβ42/40, tau, Aβ42/p-tau181) and hemoglobin A1C levels were measured.
Main Results:
- CBF-CVR was significantly lower in impaired individuals (3.70%/mmHg) compared to HC (4.28%/mmHg).
- Higher CBF-CVR correlated with better cognitive performance (MoCA, composite, language) and physical function (gait speed, chair stands), independent of AD markers.
- CBF-CVR was associated with Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scores and inversely correlated with hemoglobin A1C levels.
Conclusions:
- Phase-contrast MRI-derived CBF-CVR is a potential imaging biomarker for cognitive impairment and dementia.
- CBF-CVR is associated with cognitive and physical function, as well as disease severity, irrespective of AD pathology.
- Reduced CBF-CVR may indicate impaired cerebrovascular regulation contributing to cognitive decline.
Keywords:
Alzheimer’s diseaseCerebrovascular reactivitycarbon dioxidevascular cognitive impairment and dementiavasodilationMore Related Videos
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