Methods of a Study to Assess the Contribution of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease and Dementia Risk Alleles to Racial Disparities in Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

Abstract

Background Non‐Hispanic Black adults have a higher proportion of vascular cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias compared with non‐Hispanic White adults that may be due to differences in the burden of cerebral small vessel disease and risk alleles for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. We describe here the methods of an ancillary study to the REGARDS (Reason for Geographic and and Racial Difference in Stroke) study, which will examine the role of magnetic resonance imaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease and vascular as well as genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in racial disparity in the prevalence and trajectory of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia in non‐Hispanic White and non‐Hispanic Black participants. Methods In participants with no prior history of stroke who had an incident stroke or transient ischemic attack after enrollment in the study, magnetic resonance imaging scans will be evaluated using the Standards for Reporting Vascular Changes on Neuroimaging international consensus criteria and automated analysis pipelines for quantification of cerebral small vessel disease. Participants will be genotyped for APOE ε4 and TREM2 risk alleles for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The 6‐item screener will define global cognitive function and be the primary cognitive outcome. Conclusions With at least 426 non‐Hispanic Black and 463 non‐Hispanic White participants who have at least 2 prior and 2 poststroke or transient ischemic attack cognitive assessments, we will have at least 80% power to detect a minimum effect size of 0.09 SD change in Z score, with correction for as many as 20 tests (ie, at P <0.0025, after adjusting for up to 20 covariates) for cognitive decline.