Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2025
Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
Spontaneous cerebrovascular reactivity at rest in older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment and memory
Allison C Engstrom1, John Paul M Alitin2, Arunima Kapoor1
1Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
Introduction:
Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) exhibit deficits in cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), suggesting CVR is a biomarker for vascular contributions to MCI. This study examined if spontaneous CVR is associated with MCI and memory impairment.
Methods:
One hundred sixty-one older adults free of dementia or major neurological/psychiatric disorders were recruited. Participants underwent clinical interviews, cognitive testing, venipuncture for Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers, and brain magnetic resonance imaging. Spontaneous CVR was quantified during 5 minutes of rest. Respiratory gases analyzed through nasal cannula to quantify end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) levels were used to estimate CVR.
Results:
Whole brain CVR was negatively associated with age, but not MCI. Lower CVR in the parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) was found in participants with MCI and was linked to worse memory performance on memory tests. Results remained significant after adjusting for AD biomarkers and vascular risk factors.
Discussion:
Spontaneous CVR deficits in the PHG are observed in older adults with MCI and memory impairment, suggesting medial temporal microvascular dysfunction is observed in cognitive decline.
Highlights:
Aging is associated with decline in whole brain spontaneous cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR). Older adults with mild cognitive impairment exhibit deficits in spontaneous CVR in the parahippocampal gyrus (PHG). Memory impairment is correlated with reduced spontaneous CVR in the PHG.
