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Published on: June 3, 2020
Relative Hypothermia and Gray Matter Atrophy in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study
Daiki Yamagiwa1, Osamu Katayama1, Ryo Yamaguchi1
1Department of Preventive Gerontology, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Aichi, Japan.
Objective:
Relative hypothermia is associated with tau accumulation. Furthermore, elucidating the association with changes in brain structure may be useful for the early detection and prevention of dementia. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between relative hypothermia and brain volume, especially gray matter and white matter, and to determine the cutoff point of relative hypothermia associated with brain structure.
Design:
Cross-sectional.
Setting And Participants:
The study included 101 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 to 90 years.
Methods:
Relative hypothermia was defined as the percentage of time during the daytime active phase when body skin temperature, measured by a wearable device, was below the 24-hour average. Brain volume was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging, with gray matter atrophy and total white matter volume quantified. Multiple linear regression analysis examined associations between relative hypothermia and brain volume, while receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves determined cutoff points.
Results:
Among 101 participants (mean age: 73.5 years; 48.5% female), relative hypothermia was significantly associated with gray matter atrophy (P < .05). The ROC analysis identified a significant cutoff point of ≥61.39% (area under the curve 0.763, P < .001). Relative hypothermia above this threshold (≥61.39%) was strongly associated with gray matter atrophy (OR, 3.98; 95% CI, 4.11-4.99; P < .001).
Conclusions And Implications:
Relative hypothermia is a strong marker of gray matter atrophy. A threshold of 61.39% or higher may serve as an early indicator of structural brain changes, contributing to dementia detection.
