Hypertension and obesity moderate the relationship between ß-amyloid and cognitive decline in midlife.

BACKGROUND: This study tested if central obesity, hypertension, or depressive symptoms moderated the relationship between ß-amyloid (Aß) and longitudinal cognitive performance in late middle-aged adults enriched for Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk. METHODS: Participants (n = 207; ages = 40-70 years; 73% parental AD) in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention study completed 3+ neuropsychological evaluations and a [11C]PiB positron emission tomography scan or lumbar puncture. Linear mixed-effects regression models tested interactions of risk factor × Aß × visit age on longitudinal Verbal Learning & Memory and Speed & Flexibility factor scores. RESULTS: The relationship between Aß and Verbal Learning & Memory decline was moderated by hypertension (χ2(1) = 3.85, P = .04) and obesity (χ2(1) = 6.12, P = .01); those with both elevated Aß and the risk factor declined at faster rates than those with only elevated Aß or elevated risk factors. CONCLUSION: In this cohort, hypertension and obesity moderated the relationship between Aß and cognitive decline.

Longitudinal Assessment of Self- and Informant-Subjective Cognitive Complaints in a Sample of Healthy Late-Middle Aged Adults Enriched with a Family History of Alzheimer's Disease.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal trajectory of self- and informant-subjective cognitive complaints (SCC), and to determine if SCC predict longitudinal changes in objective measures (OM) of cognitive function. METHODS: The study included healthy and cognitively normal late middle-aged adults enriched with a family history of AD who were evaluated at up to three visits over a 4-year period. At each visit (Visit 1-3), self- and informant-SCC and OM were evaluated. Linear mixed models were used to determine if the longitudinal rate of change of self- and informant-SCC were associated with demographic variables, depressive symptoms, family history (FH), and apolipoprotein epsilon 4 (APOE4) status. The same modeling approach was used to examine the effect of Visit 1 SCC on longitudinal cognitive change after controlling for the same variables. RESULTS: At Visit 1, more self-SCC were associated with fewer years of education and more depressive symptoms. SCC were also associated with poorer performance on cognitive measures, such that more self-SCC at Visit 1 were associated with poorer performance on memory and executive functioning measures at Visit 1, while more informant-SCC were associated with faster rate of longitudinal decline on a measure of episodic learning and memory. FH and APOE4 status were not associated with SCC. DISCUSSION: Self- and informant-SCC showed an association with OM, albeit over different time frames in our late middle-aged sample. Additional longitudinal follow-up will likely assist in further clarifying these relationships as our sample ages and more pronounced cognitive changes eventually emerge. (JINS, 2017, 23, 617-626).

Biomarker clusters are differentially associated with longitudinal cognitive decline in late midlife.

The ability to detect preclinical Alzheimer's disease is of great importance, as this stage of the Alzheimer's continuum is believed to provide a key window for intervention and prevention. As Alzheimer's disease is characterized by multiple pathological changes, a biomarker panel reflecting co-occurring pathology will likely be most useful for early detection. Towards this end, 175 late middle-aged participants (mean age 55.9 ± 5.7 years at first cognitive assessment, 70% female) were recruited from two longitudinally followed cohorts to undergo magnetic resonance imaging and lumbar puncture. Cluster analysis was used to group individuals based on biomarkers of amyloid pathology (cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-ß42/amyloid-ß40 assay levels), magnetic resonance imaging-derived measures of neurodegeneration/atrophy (cerebrospinal fluid-to-brain volume ratio, and hippocampal volume), neurofibrillary tangles (cerebrospinal fluid phosphorylated tau181 assay levels), and a brain-based marker of vascular risk (total white matter hyperintensity lesion volume). Four biomarker clusters emerged consistent with preclinical features of (i) Alzheimer's disease; (ii) mixed Alzheimer's disease and vascular aetiology; (iii) suspected non-Alzheimer's disease aetiology; and (iv) healthy ageing. Cognitive decline was then analysed between clusters using longitudinal assessments of episodic memory, semantic memory, executive function, and global cognitive function with linear mixed effects modelling. Cluster 1 exhibited a higher intercept and greater rates of decline on tests of episodic memory. Cluster 2 had a lower intercept on a test of semantic memory and both Cluster 2 and Cluster 3 had steeper rates of decline on a test of global cognition. Additional analyses on Cluster 3, which had the smallest hippocampal volume, suggest that its biomarker profile is more likely due to hippocampal vulnerability and not to detectable specific volume loss exceeding the rate of normal ageing. Our results demonstrate that pathology, as indicated by biomarkers, in a preclinical timeframe is related to patterns of longitudinal cognitive decline. Such biomarker patterns may be useful for identifying at-risk populations to recruit for clinical trials.

Intraindividual Cognitive Variability in Middle Age Predicts Cognitive Impairment 8-10 Years Later: Results from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention.

OBJECTIVES: Intraindividual cognitive variability (IICV) has been shown to differentiate between groups with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia. This study examined whether baseline IICV predicted subsequent mild to moderate cognitive impairment in a cognitively normal baseline sample. METHODS: Participants with 4 waves of cognitive assessment were drawn from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP; n=684; 53.6(6.6) baseline age; 9.1(1.0) years follow-up; 70% female; 74.6% parental history of Alzheimer's disease). The primary outcome was Wave 4 cognitive status ("cognitively normal" vs. "impaired") determined by consensus conference; "impaired" included early MCI (n=109), clinical MCI (n=11), or dementia (n=1). Primary predictors included two IICV variables, each based on the standard deviation of a set of scores: "6 Factor IICV" and "4 Test IICV". Each IICV variable was tested in a series of logistic regression models to determine whether IICV predicted cognitive status. In exploratory analyses, distribution-based cutoffs incorporating memory, executive function, and IICV patterns were used to create and test an MCI risk variable. RESULTS: Results were similar for the IICV variables: higher IICV was associated with greater risk of subsequent impairment after covariate adjustment. After adjusting for memory and executive functioning scores contributing to IICV, IICV was not significant. The MCI risk variable also predicted risk of impairment. CONCLUSIONS: While IICV in middle-age predicts subsequent impairment, it is a weaker risk indicator than the memory and executive function scores contributing to its calculation. Exploratory analyses suggest potential to incorporate IICV patterns into risk assessment in clinical settings. (JINS, 2016, 22, 1016-1025).

Automated hemodynamic assessment for cranial 4D flow MRI.

Cranial 4D flow MRI post-processing typically involves manual user interaction which is time-consuming and associated with poor repeatability. The primary goal of this study is to develop a robust quantitative velocity tool (QVT) that utilizes threshold-based segmentation techniques to improve segmentation quality over prior approaches based on centerline processing schemes (CPS) that utilize k-means clustering segmentation. This tool also includes an interactive 3D display designed for simplified vessel selection and automated hemodynamic visualization and quantification. The performances of QVT and CPS were compared in vitro in a flow phantom and in vivo in 10 healthy participants. Vessel segmentations were compared with ground-truth computed tomography in vitro (29 locations) and manual segmentation in vivo (13 locations) using linear regression. Additionally, QVT and CPS MRI flow rates were compared to perivascular ultrasound flow in vitro using linear regression. To assess internal consistency of flow measures in vivo, conservation of flow was assessed at vessel junctions using linear regression and consistency of flow along vessel segments was analyzed by fitting a Gaussian distribution to a histogram of normalized flow values. Post-processing times were compared between the QVT and CPS using paired t-tests. Vessel areas segmented in vitro (CPS: slope = 0.71, r = 0.95 and QVT: slope = 1.03, r = 0.95) and in vivo (CPS: slope = 0.61, r = 0.96 and QVT: slope = 0.93, r = 0.96) were strongly correlated with ground-truth area measurements. However, CPS (using k-means segmentation) consistently underestimated vessel areas. Strong correlations were observed between QVT and ultrasound flow (slope = 0.98, r = 0.96) as well as flow at junctions (slope = 1.05, r = 0.98). Mean and standard deviation of flow along vessel segments was 9.33e-16 ± 3.05%. Additionally, the QVT demonstrated excellent interobserver agreement and significantly reduced post-processing by nearly 10 min (p < 0.001). By completely automating post-processing and providing an easy-to-use 3D visualization interface for interactive vessel selection and hemodynamic quantification, the QVT offers an efficient, robust, and repeatable means to analyze cranial 4D flow MRI. This software is freely available at: https://github.com/uwmri/QVT.

Associations of the Lifestyle for Brain Health index with longitudinal cognition and brain amyloid beta in clinically unimpaired older adults: Findings from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention.

Introduction: Modifiable health and lifestyle factors increase risk of dementia, but whether modifiable factors, when measured in late-midlife, impact the emergence or progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiologic or cognitive changes remains unresolved. Methods: In initially cognitively unimpaired, late middle-aged participants (N = 1215; baseline age, M [standard deviation] = 59.3 [6.7] years) from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP), we investigated the influence of the Lifestyle for Brain Health (LIBRA) index, a lifestyle-based dementia risk score, on AD-related cognitive trajectories and amyloid beta (Aß) plaque accumulation. Results: Overall, lower baseline LIBRA, denoting healthier lifestyle and lower dementia risk, was related to better overall cognitive performance, but did not moderate apolipoprotein E ε4 or Aß-related longitudinal cognitive trajectories. LIBRA was not significantly associated with Aß accumulation or estimated age of Aß onset. Discussion: In WRAP, late-midlife LIBRA scores were related to overall cognitive performance, but not AD-related cognitive decline or Aß accumulation in the preclinical timeframe. Highlights: The Lifestyle for Brain Health (LIBRA) index was associated with cognitive performance in late-midlife.LIBRA did not moderate apolipoprotein E ε4 or amyloid-related cognitive decline.LIBRA was not associated with the onset or accumulation of amyloid plaques.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Associates with Cerebral Vessel Pulsatility in a Cohort Enriched with Risk for Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that vascular disease risk factors contribute to evolution of the dementia syndrome of Alzheimer's disease (AD). One important measure of cerebrovascular health is pulsatility index (PI) which is thought to represent distal vascular resistance, and has previously been reported to be elevated in AD clinical syndrome. Physical inactivity has emerged as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the relationship between a measure of habitual physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and PI in the large cerebral vessels. METHODS: Ninety-two cognitively-healthy adults (age = 65.34±5.95, 72% female) enrolled in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention participated in this study. Participants underwent 4D flow brain MRI to measure PI in the internal carotid artery (ICA), basilar artery, middle cerebral artery (MCA), and superior sagittal sinus. Participants also completed a self-report physical activity questionnaire. CRF was calculated using a previously-validated equation that incorporates sex, age, body-mass index, resting heart rate, and self-reported physical activity. A series of linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, APOE4 status, and 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk were used to analyze the relationship between CRF and PI. RESULTS: Inverse associations were found between CRF and mean PI in the inferior ICA (p = .001), superior ICA (p = .035), and basilar artery (p = .040). No other cerebral vessels revealed significant associations between CRF and PI (p≥.228). CONCLUSIONS: Higher CRF was associated with lower PI in several large cerebral vessels. Since increased pulsatility has been associated with poor brain health and reported in persons with AD, this suggests that aerobic fitness might provide protection against cerebrovascular changes related to the progression of AD clinical syndrome.

Association of Cardiovascular and Alzheimer's Disease Risk Factors with Intracranial Arterial Blood Flow in Whites and African Americans.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) has a higher prevalence among African Americans. Targeting cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors may be potential mechanisms to modify AD risk and address racial/ethnic disparities in AD dementia. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated relationships among cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, APOE genotype, AD biomarkers, and intracranial arterial blood flow in Whites and African Americans enriched for AD risk. METHODS: 399 cognitively unimpaired adults from the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center completed physical and neuroimaging examinations. A 4D Flow MRI sequence (phase-contrast vastly under sampled isotropic projection imaging) measured intracranial arterial flow in the Circle of Willis. Linear mixed-effects regression models estimated relationships between risk factors and intracranial arterial flow and tested interactions with racial group, APOE genotype, and AD biomarkers, with separate models per risk factor. RESULTS: Higher fasting glucose was associated with lower intracranial arterial flow; no additional relationships between flow and risk factors were observed. Main effects of racial group were observed, without an interaction, indicating lower flow in African Americans compared to Whites. In race-stratified analyses, higher glucose and triglycerides were associated with lower flow for African Americans, but not for Whites. No main effects or interactions among risk factors, APOE, or AD biomarkers, and flow were observed. CONCLUSION: Elevated fasting glucose and triglycerides were associated with lower intracranial arterial flow; these relationships were more prominent in African Americans. Targeting metabolic risk factors may impact intracranial arterial health. Additional research is needed to determine if this will impact disparities in dementia prevalence.

Measuring longitudinal cognition: Individual tests versus composites.

INTRODUCTION: Longitudinal cohort studies of cognitive aging must confront several sources of within-person variability in scores. In this article, we compare several neuropsychological measures in terms of longitudinal error variance and relationships with biomarker-assessed brain amyloidosis (Aß). METHODS: Analyses used data from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention. We quantified within-person longitudinal variability and age-related trajectories for several global and domain-specific composites and their constituent scores. For a subset with cerebrospinal fluid or amyloid positron emission tomography measures, we examined how Aß modified cognitive trajectories. RESULTS: Global and theoretically derived composites exhibited lower intraindividual variability and stronger age × Aß interactions than did empirically derived composites or raw scores from single tests. For example, the theoretical executive function outperformed other executive function scores on both metrics. DISCUSSION: These results reinforce the need for careful selection of cognitive outcomes in study design, and support the emerging consensus favoring composites over single-test measures.

Association of longitudinal white matter degeneration and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of neurodegeneration, inflammation and Alzheimer's disease in late-middle-aged adults.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by substantial neurodegeneration, including both cortical atrophy and loss of underlying white matter fiber tracts. Understanding longitudinal alterations to white matter may provide new insights into trajectories of brain change in both healthy aging and AD, and fluid biomarkers may be particularly useful in this effort. To examine this, 151 late-middle-aged participants enriched with risk for AD with at least one lumbar puncture and two diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans were selected for analysis from two large observational and longitudinally followed cohorts. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was assayed for biomarkers of AD-specific pathology (phosphorylated-tau/Aß42 ratio), axonal degeneration (neurofilament light chain protein, NFL), dendritic degeneration (neurogranin), and inflammation (chitinase-3-like protein 1, YKL-40). Linear mixed effects models were performed to test the hypothesis that biomarkers for AD, neurodegeneration, and inflammation, or two-year change in those biomarkers, would be associated with worse white matter health overall and/or progressively worsening white matter health over time. At baseline in the cingulum, phosphorylated-tau/Aß42 was associated with higher mean diffusivity (MD) overall (intercept) and YKL-40 was associated with increases in MD over time. Two-year change in neurogranin was associated with higher mean diffusivity and lower fractional anisotropy overall (intercepts) across white matter in the entire brain and in the cingulum. These findings suggest that biomarkers for AD, neurodegeneration, and inflammation are potentially important indicators of declining white matter health in a cognitively healthy, late-middle-aged cohort.

White matter hyperintensities in vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID): Knowledge gaps and opportunities.

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are frequently seen on brain magnetic resonance imaging scans of older people. Usually interpreted clinically as a surrogate for cerebral small vessel disease, WMHs are associated with increased likelihood of cognitive impairment and dementia (including Alzheimer's disease [AD]). WMHs are also seen in cognitively healthy people. In this collaboration of academic, clinical, and pharmaceutical industry perspectives, we identify outstanding questions about WMHs and their relation to cognition, dementia, and AD. What molecular and cellular changes underlie WMHs? What are the neuropathological correlates of WMHs? To what extent are demyelination and inflammation present? Is it helpful to subdivide into periventricular and subcortical WMHs? What do WMHs signify in people diagnosed with AD? What are the risk factors for developing WMHs? What preventive and therapeutic strategies target WMHs? Answering these questions will improve prevention and treatment of WMHs and dementia.

Carotid atherosclerotic plaque instability and cognition determined by ultrasound-measured plaque strain in asymptomatic patients with significant stenosis.

OBJECTIVE This article describes the use of ultrasound measurements of physical strain within carotid atherosclerotic plaques as a measure of instability and the potential for vascular cognitive decline, microemboli, and white matter changes. METHODS Asymptomatic patients with significant (> 60%) carotid artery stenosis were studied for dynamic measures of plaque instability, presence of microemboli, white matter changes, and vascular cognitive decline in comparison with normative controls and premorbid state. RESULTS Although classically asymptomatic, these patients showed vascular cognitive decline. The degree of strain instability measured within the atherosclerotic plaque directly predicted vascular cognitive decline in these patients thought previously to be asymptomatic according to classic criteria. Furthermore, 26% of patients showed microemboli, and patients had twice as much white matter hyperintensity as controls. CONCLUSIONS These data show that physical measures of plaque instability are possible through interpretation of ultrasound strain data during pulsation, which may be more clinically relevant than solely measuring degree of stenosis. The data also highlight the importance of understanding that the definition of symptoms should not be limited to motor, speech, and vision function but underscore the role of vascular cognitive decline in the pathophysiology of carotid atherosclerotic disease. Clinical trial registration no.: NCT02476396 (clinicaltrials.gov).

The Preservation of Cognition 1 Year After Carotid Endarterectomy in Patients With Prior Cognitive Decline.

BACKGROUND: Vascular cognitive decline is critically important in the course of atherosclerosis and stroke. OBJECTIVE: To explore the hypothesis that carotid endarterectomy (CEA) by removing an unstable plaque may slow the course of vascular cognitive decline in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. METHODS: Patients with clinically significant (>60%) carotid stenosis were studied preop and 1 yr post-CEA for clinical symptoms, vascular cognitive decline, instability of carotid plaque-presence of microemboli, brain white matter changes, and medical risk factors. RESULTS: Forty-six percent were classically symptomatic. All patients showed vascular cognitive decline at presentation which correlated with degree of plaque instability. Significant white matter hyperintensity changes (48.7%) and cerebral emboli (25%) were also seen at baseline in both classically symptomatic and asymptomatic. One year after CEA, both groups showed no decline in cognitive function and significant improvement in 2 tests (P = .028 and P = .013). Brain white matter hyperintensities were unchanged. Microemboli were reduced but remained present (17.86%). Improvement was predicted by the presence of hypertension (P = .001), or less advanced cognitive decline preoperatively (P = .009). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the importance of vascular cognitive decline in atherosclerotic disease. This is a function of the degree of instability of the atherosclerotic plaque more than the presence of stroke symptoms. It further suggests that atherosclerotic vascular cognitive decline need not be inevitable, and may be modified by treating hypertension and removal of the unstable plaque. This highlights the need for continued research on the cognitive effects of cerebrovascular disease and the synergistic benefits of intensive medical and surgical therapy.

Age-accelerated cognitive decline in asymptomatic adults with CSF ß-amyloid.

OBJECTIVE: Compare cognitive and hippocampal volume trajectories in asymptomatic middle-aged and older adults with positive CSF markers of ß-amyloid (Aß) or tau to adults without an Alzheimer disease (AD)-associated biomarker profile. METHODS: Three hundred ninety-two adults enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study (Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention or Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center) completed a lumbar puncture and at least 2 biennial or annual neuropsychological evaluations. Cutoffs for Aß42, total tau, and phosphorylated tau were developed via receiver operating characteristic curve analyses on a sample of 78 participants (38 dementia, 40 controls). These cutoffs were applied to a separate sample of 314 cognitively healthy adults (mean age at CSF collection = 61.5 years), and mixed-effects regression analyses tested linear and quadratic interactions of biomarker group × age at each visit on cognitive and hippocampal volume outcomes. RESULTS: Two hundred fifteen participants (69%) were biomarker negative (preclinical AD stage 0), 46 (15%) were Aß+ only (preclinical AD stage 1), 25 (8%) were Aß+ and tau+ (preclinical AD stage 2), and 28 (9%) were tau+ only. Both stage 1 and stage 2 groups exhibited greater rates of linear decline on story memory and processing speed measures, and nonlinear decline on list-learning and set-shifting measures compared to stage 0. The tau+ only group did not significantly differ from stage 0 in rates of cognitive decline. CONCLUSION: In an asymptomatic at-risk cohort, elevated CSF Aß (with or without elevated tau) was associated with greater rates of cognitive decline, with the specific pattern of decline varying across cognitive measures.

The Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention: A review of findings and current directions.

The Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention is a longitudinal observational cohort study enriched with persons with a parental history (PH) of probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia. Since late 2001, Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention has enrolled 1561 people at a mean baseline age of 54 years. Participants return for a second visit 4 years after baseline, and subsequent visits occur every 2 years. Eighty-one percent (1270) of participants remain active in the study at a current mean age of 64 and 9 years of follow-up. Serially assessed cognition, self-reported medical and lifestyle histories (e.g., diet, physical and cognitive activity, sleep, and mood), laboratory tests, genetics, and linked studies comprising molecular imaging, structural imaging, and cerebrospinal fluid data have yielded many important findings. In this cohort, PH of probable AD is associated with 46% apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 positivity, more than twice the rate of 22% among persons without PH. Subclinical or worse cognitive decline relative to internal normative data has been observed in 17.6% of the cohort. Twenty-eight percent exhibit amyloid and/or tau positivity. Biomarker elevations, but not APOE or PH status, are associated with cognitive decline. Salutary health and lifestyle factors are associated with better cognition and brain structure and lower AD pathophysiologic burden. Of paramount importance is establishing the amyloid and tau AD endophenotypes to which cognitive outcomes can be linked. Such data will provide new knowledge on the early temporal course of AD pathophysiology and inform the design of secondary prevention clinical trials.

Use of the Quick Dementia Rating System (QDRS) as an Initial Screening Measure in a Longitudinal Cohort at Risk for Alzheimer's Disease.

The Quick Dementia Rating System (QDRS) and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) assess global cognitive and functional decline. We evaluated whether the shorter QDRS was a valid screen for problems identified by the CDR in individuals with minimal clinical abnormalities. Agreement between QDRS-Global and CDR-Global was assessed for 54 participants from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention. Resource-savings achieved by adopting an "administer CDR-only-if-QDRS-Global>0" approach were estimated based on 238 subsequent participants. Agreement statistics (concordance = 88.9%) supported use of the QDRS as an initial informant report and modifying center protocol to administer CDRs only when QDRS>0 reduced CDR assessments by 79.8%.

Changes in intracranial venous blood flow and pulsatility in Alzheimer's disease: A 4D flow MRI study.

Cerebral blood flow, arterial pulsation, and vasomotion may be important indicators of cerebrovascular health in aging and diseases of aging such as Alzheimer's disease. Noninvasive markers that assess these characteristics may be helpful in the study of co-occurrence of these diseases and potential additive and interacting effects. In this study, 4D flow MRI was used to measure intra-cranial flow features with cardiac-gated phase contrast MRI in cranial arteries and veins. Mean blood flow and pulsatility index as well as the transit time of the peak flow from the middle cerebral artery to the superior sagittal sinus were measured in a total of 104 subjects comprising of four groups: (a) subjects with Alzheimer's disease, (b) age-matched controls, (c) subjects with mild cognitive impairment, and (d) a group of late middle-aged with parental history of sporadic Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's disease group exhibited: a significant decrease in mean blood flow in the superior sagittal sinus, transverse sinus, middle cerebral artery, and internal carotid arteries; a significant decrease of the peak and end diastolic blood flow in the middle cerebral artery and superior sagittal sinus; a faster transmission of peak flow from the middle cerebral artery to the superior sagittal sinus and increased pulsatility index along the carotid siphon.

Intracranial Arterial 4D Flow in Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment is Associated with Cognitive Performance and Amyloid Positivity.

It is becoming increasingly recognized that cerebrovascular disease is a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A unique 4D-Flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, phase contrast vastly undersampled isotropic projection imaging (PC VIPR), enables examination of angiographic and quantitative metrics of blood flow in the arteries of the Circle of Willis within a single MRI acquisition. Thirty-eight participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) underwent a comprehensive neuroimaging protocol (including 4D-Flow imaging) and a standard neuropsychological battery. A subset of participants (n = 22) also underwent lumbar puncture and had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) assayed for AD biomarkers. Cut-offs for biomarker positivity in CSF resulting from a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of AD cases and controls from the larger Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center cohort were used to classify MCI participants as biomarker positive or negative on amyloid-ß (Aß42), total-tau and total-tau/Aß42 ratio. Internal carotid artery (ICA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) mean flow were associated with executive functioning performance, with lower mean flow corresponding to worse performance. MCI participants who were biomarker positive for Aß42 had lower ICA mean flow than did those who were Aß42 negative. In sum, mean ICA and MCA arterial flow was associated with cognitive performance in participants with MCI and lower flow in the ICA was associated with amyloid positivity. This provides further evidence for vascular health as a contributing factor in the etiopathogenesis of AD, and could represent a point to intervene in the disease process.

Macrovascular and microvascular cerebral blood flow in adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease.

INTRODUCTION: Capillary hypoperfusion is reported in asymptomatic adults at-risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the extent that can be explained by reduced flow in intracranial arteries is unknown. METHODS: One hundred fifty-five asymptomatic adults enriched for AD risk (mean age 61 years) completed arterial spin labeling (pcASL) and 4D-flow MRI sequences. Voxel-wise regression models investigated the relationship between mean flow in bilateral cerebral arteries and capillary perfusion, and tested potential moderators of this relationship. RESULTS: Mean arterial blood flow through middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) and internal carotid arteries was positively associated with perfusion in large cortical clusters (P < .05, false discovery rate corrected). Trends were observed for the interactions MCA flow × age and MCA flow × cardiovascular risk on cerebral perfusion (P < .001, uncorrected). DISCUSSION: These findings provide evidence that capillary perfusion measured via pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling is strongly dependent on inflow from larger cerebral arteries. Further studies are warranted to investigate possible alterations between macrovascular and microvascular flow in advanced age and elevated cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic adults at risk for AD.

Positive affect predicts cerebral glucose metabolism in late middle-aged adults.

Positive affect is associated with a number of health benefits; however, few studies have examined the relationship between positive affect and cerebral glucose metabolism, a key energy source for neuronal function and a possible index of brain health. We sought to determine if positive affect was associated with cerebral glucose metabolism in late middle-aged adults (n = 133). Participants completed the positive affect subscale of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale at two time points over a two-year period and underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography scanning. After controlling for age, sex, perceived health status, depressive symptoms, anti-depressant use, family history of Alzheimer's disease, APOE ε4 status and interval between visits, positive affect was associated with greater cerebral glucose metabolism across para-/limbic, frontal, temporal and parietal regions. Our findings provide evidence that positive affect in late midlife is associated with greater brain health in regions involved in affective processing and also known to be susceptible to early neuropathological processes. The current findings may have implications for interventions aimed at increasing positive affect to attenuate early neuropathological changes in at-risk individuals.