Arterial calcification in the heart-brain axis and cognitive performance over time

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cardiovascular Health
• Aging Research

Background:

• Cross-sectional studies suggest a link between arteriosclerosis and cognitive impairment.
• Longitudinal data on arteriosclerosis and cognitive trajectories are limited.
• Investigating the heart-brain axis in relation to cognitive performance over time is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between arteriosclerosis in the heart-brain axis and cognitive performance trajectories.
• To determine if arterial calcification predicts longitudinal changes in cognition.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the population-based Rotterdam Study (n=2368).
• Assessed arterial calcification using noncontrast CT in five major heart-brain axis arteries.
• Analyzed the relationship between baseline calcification and repeated cognitive testing using mixed models.

Main Results:

• Higher arterial calcification correlated with poorer baseline cognitive performance across multiple domains.
• Significant association observed between intracranial carotid artery calcification and global cognition.
• Cognitive function demonstrated a faster decline over time, particularly linked to intracranial carotid artery calcification (p ≤ 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Arterial calcification is associated with accelerated cognitive decline in various domains.
• Calcification in arteries closer to the brain, like the intracranial carotid artery, has a more pronounced effect on cognitive decline.
• Hemodynamic changes and subsequent neurovascular damage likely mediate the impact of arteriosclerosis on cognitive function.