The Impact of Common Epidemiological Factors on Gray and White Matter Volumes in Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Is Prevention of Brain Degeneration Possible?

Jacków-Nowicka, Jagoda; Podgórski, Przemysław; Bladowska, Joanna; Szczęśniak, Dorota; Rymaszewska, Joanna; Zatońska, Katarzyna; Połtyn–Zaradna, Katarzyna; Szuba, Andrzej; Siadek, Marek Sa; Zimny, Anna

doi:10.3389/fneur.2021.633619

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…26 It has also been reported that hypertension is associated with lower gray matter and white matter volumes, especially in subcortical regions despite blood pressure control. 27,28 Our findings further demonstrate that sex differences exist in the association between younger age at hypertension diagnosis and lower brain gray matter volume later in life, which was found only in hypertensive compared with normotensive males but not females.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Sex Differences in the Association of Age at Hypertension Diagnosis With Brain Structure

Kaur,

Angarita Fonseca,

Lissaman

et al. 2024

Hypertension

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BACKGROUND: Sex differences exist in the likelihood of cognitive decline. The age at hypertension diagnosis is a unique contributor to brain structural changes associated with cerebral small vessel disease. However, whether this relationship differs between sexes remains unclear. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate sex differences in the association between the age at hypertension diagnosis and cerebral small vessel disease–related brain structural changes. METHODS: We used data from the UK Biobank to select participants with a known age at hypertension diagnosis and brain magnetic resonance imaging (n=9430) and stratified them by sex and age at hypertension diagnosis. Control participants with magnetic resonance imaging scans but no hypertension were chosen at random matched by using propensity score matching. For morphological brain structural changes, generalized linear models were used while adjusting for other vascular risk factors. For the assessment of white matter microstructure, principal component analysis led to a reduction in the number of fractional anisotropy variables, followed by regression analysis with major principal components as outcomes. RESULTS: Males but not females with a younger age at hypertension diagnosis exhibited lower brain gray and white matter volume compared with normotensive controls. The volume of white matter hyperintensities was greater in both males and females with hypertension than normotensive controls, significantly higher in older females with hypertension. Compared with normotensive controls, white matter microstructural integrity was lower in individuals with hypertension, which became more prominent with increasing age. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that the effect of hypertension on cerebral small vessel disease–related brain structure differs by sex and by age at hypertension diagnosis.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Sex Differences in the Association of Age at Hypertension Diagnosis With Brain Structure

Kaur,

Angarita Fonseca,

Lissaman

et al. 2024

Hypertension

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“…Additional analyses of time-of-flight MRI measurements would benefit future studies. Moreover, previous studies pointed out that hypertension and alterations in brain vasculature relate to myelin loss and M1 pathology (Jacków-Nowicka et al 2021; Tsushima, et al 2003; Dobrynina et al 2018, Li et al 2023; Schreiber et al 2023). Here, 9/17 older adults showed global signs of vascular health risk (i.e., presence of hypertension and/or signs of cerebral small vessel diseases outside S1 and M1).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age-Related Differences in Human Cortical Microstructure Depend on the Distance to the Nearest Vein

Knoll,

Doehler,

Northall

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Age-related differences in cortical microstructure are used to understand the neuronal mechanisms that underlie human brain ageing. The cerebral vasculature contributes to cortical ageing, but its precise influence on age-related differences in cortical microstructure is poorly understood. In a cross-sectional study, we combine venous imaging with vessel distance mapping (VDM) to investigate the influence of venous distances on age-related differences in the microstructural architecture of the cortex. We focus on primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and primary motor cortex (M1) as both show age-related alterations linked to neurodegeneration and behavioural decline. We scanned 18 younger adults and 17 older adults at a 7T MRI scanner to measure age-related changes in quantitative T1 (qT1) values and positive QSM (pQSM) values at 0.5 mm isotropic resolution as proxies for cortical myelin and cortical iron content, respectively. We modelled different cortical depths using an equi-volume approach and assessed the distance of each voxel in each layer to its nearest vein using VDM. Our data reveal a dependence both of cortical qT1 and cortical pQSM values on venous distance. In addition, there is an interaction between venous distance and age on qT1 values, driven by lower myelination in older compared to younger adults in voxels that are farther away from a vein and higher myelination in older adults in voxels that are closer to a vein. This effect is particularly pronounced in M1 and indicates that the venous distance may act as a protective mechanism in healthy ageing. Together, our data show that the local venous architecture explains a significant amount of variance in standard measures of cortical microstructure, and should be considered in neurobiological models of human brain organisation and cortical ageing.

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“…Finally, post-hoc analyses showed that genetic predisposition to WMH was associated with larger WMHV in the risk-groups for older age, low educational attainment and hypercholesterolemia. A recent study 36 showed that hyperlipidemia was among the greatest modifiable risk factors affecting WMH. These results may highlight the role of abnormal lipid metabolism in the presence of WMH.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lipid-regulatory mechanisms drive cerebrovascular disease in asymptomatic individuals at low risk for late-life dementia

Genius,

Rodríguez-Fernández,

Minguillon

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Background: Cerebrovascular lesions, particularly white matter hyperintensities (WMH), are often found in middle-aged individuals with a low cardiovascular risk profile. Understanding modifiable mechanisms leading to cerebrovascular disease is fundamental for implementing preventive strategies. This study aimed to elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying the presence of WMH in cognitively unimpaired (CU) middle-aged individuals. Methods: We included 1,072 CU participants from the ALFA study with a low cardiovascular risk profile for late-life dementia based on the CAIDE score. We assessed genetic predisposition to WMH using polygenic scoring (PRSWMH). Covariate-adjusted Spearman's rank correlation tests evaluated the association between the PRSWMH and white matter hyperintensities volumes (WMHV). A logistic regression model was performed to explore the association between the PRSWMH and WMH severity, as measured with the Fazekas score. An enrichment analysis of the PRS-annotated genes unveiled the biological mechanisms leading to WMH burden. Group-specific effects were explored based on dementia-related cardiovascular risk factors. Results: Genetic predisposition to WMH was associated with larger WMHV, even after controlling for confounders, but was not associated with WMH severity. Lipid-related biological processes were driving WMH genetic risk. Individuals genetically predisposed to WMH, who displayed larger WMHV, were either hypercholesterolemic, older than 55 or with lower educational attainment. Interpretation: Lipid-related mechanisms contribute to WMH in individuals at low cardiovascular risk for late-life dementia. These individuals should be considered for lifestyle- and lipid-modifying therapies to prevent dementia later in life. Funding: 'La Caixa' Foundation, the TriBEKa Imaging Platform, the Universities and Research Secretariat of the Catalan Government, the Spanish Research Agency. Keywords: white matter hyperintensities, polygenic risk scores, risk factors, cerebrovascular disease, dementia.

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The Impact of Common Epidemiological Factors on Gray and White Matter Volumes in Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Is Prevention of Brain Degeneration Possible?

Cited by 10 publications

References 54 publications

Sex Differences in the Association of Age at Hypertension Diagnosis With Brain Structure

Sex Differences in the Association of Age at Hypertension Diagnosis With Brain Structure

Age-Related Differences in Human Cortical Microstructure Depend on the Distance to the Nearest Vein

Lipid-regulatory mechanisms drive cerebrovascular disease in asymptomatic individuals at low risk for late-life dementia

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