Spontaneous cerebrovascular reactivity at rest in older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment and memory deficits

  1. Allison C. Engstrom
  2. John Paul M. Alitin
  3. Arunima Kapoor
  4. Shubir Dutt
  5. Trevor Lohman
  6. Isabel J. Sible
  7. Anisa J. Marshall
  8. Fatemah Shenasa
  9. Aimée Gaubert
  10. Farrah Ferrer
  11. Amy Nguyen
  12. David Robert Bradford
  13. Kathleen Rodgers
  14. Lorena Sordo
  15. Elizabeth Head
  16. Xingfeng Shao
  17. Danny J. J. Wang
  18. Daniel A. Nation
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Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) exhibit deficits in cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), suggesting CVR is a biomarker for vascular contributions to MCI. This study examined if spontaneous CVR is associated with MCI and memory impairment.

METHODS

One hundred sixty‐one older adults free of dementia or major neurological/psychiatric disorders were recruited. Participants underwent clinical interviews, cognitive testing, venipuncture for Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers, and brain magnetic resonance imaging. Spontaneous CVR was quantified during 5 minutes of rest. Respiratory gases analyzed through nasal cannula to quantify end‐tidal carbon dioxide ( ET CO 2 ) levels were used to estimate CVR.

RESULTS

Whole brain CVR was negatively associated with age, but not MCI. Lower CVR in the parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) was found in participants with MCI and was linked to worse memory performance on memory tests. Results remained significant after adjusting for AD biomarkers and vascular risk factors.

DISCUSSION

Spontaneous CVR deficits in the PHG are observed in older adults with MCI and memory impairment, suggesting medial temporal microvascular dysfunction is observed in cognitive decline.

Highlights

  • Aging is associated with decline in whole brain spontaneous cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR).

  • Older adults with mild cognitive impairment exhibit deficits in spontaneous CVR in the parahippocampal gyrus (PHG).

  • Memory impairment is correlated with reduced spontaneous CVR in the PHG.

Article activity feed

  1. Version published to 10.1002/alz.14396
  2. Version published to 10.1101/2024.06.18.24309109 on medRxiv