Microvascular and Macrovascular Cerebral Disease Profiles and Their Association With Cognitive Abilities: A...

Cerebrovascular disease is prevalent in older adults and is associated with cognitive impairment. Although the association between brain infarcts and cognition has been widely investigated, the contribution of vascular disease to cognitive impairment has been less studied, particularly in non-White populations. We investigated the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of vascular disease phenotypes and their association with cognitive abilities in a diverse population.

In a Brazilian population-based clinicopathological study (recruitment between 2004 and 2024), inclusion criteria were age at death ≥18 years and the availability of an informant. Clinical information and cognitive abilities were assessed through informant interviews. Hyaline arteriolosclerosis (HA) was evaluated in 13 brain areas and categorized as absent, mild, moderate, or severe. Moderate/severe HA defined microvascular disease (Micro[+]). Intracranial atherosclerosis in the circle of Willis was similarly classified, with moderate/severe cases defining macrovascular disease (Macro[+]). Four vascular profiles were compared: Micro[+]/Macro[+], Micro[-]/Macro[+], Micro[+]/Macro[-], and Micro[-]/Macro[-]. Linear regression models adjusted for sociodemographic, clinical, and cerebrovascular/neurodegenerative lesions evaluated the association of cognition with vascular profiles, and microvascular and macrovascular diseases separately.

Of 2418 participants, 834 with missing data were excluded, yielding a final sample of 1584 individuals (mean age, 74.3±13.4 years; 776 [49%] women; 982 [62%] White). Microvascular disease was slightly more frequent (31%) than macrovascular (29%). Regarding vascular profiles, 788 (50%) participants were Micro[-]/Macro[-], 334 (21%) Micro[+]/Macro[-], 301 (19%) Micro[-]/Macro[+], and 161 (10%) Micro[+]/Macro[+]. Micro[+] participants were older and more frequently women, and had worse cognitive abilities. Vascular groups were similar regarding most clinical comorbidities. HA (β, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.25-1.36]; P=0.004) and Micro[+]/Macro[+] phenotype (β, 1.25 [95% CI, 0.38-2.12]; P=0.005) were associated with worse cognitive abilities compared with HA-negative and Micro[-]/Macro[-] participants, respectively.

HA was as frequent as intracranial atherosclerosis. HA and the vascular phenotype with both microvascular and macrovascular diseases were associated with worse cognition.