Trajectory Pattern of Cognitive Decline in Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy With Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The course and pattern of cognitive decline in ischemic cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) remains poorly characterized. We analysed the trajectory pattern of cognitive decline from age 25 to 75 years in CADASIL. METHODS: We applied latent process mixed models to data obtained from CADASIL patients who were repeatedly scored during follow-up using 16 selected clinical scales or cognitive tests. RESULTS: The modelled evolutions of these scores obtained from 1243 observations in 265 patients recruited at the French National Referral Centre (50.1 years on average and 45.3% males) showed wide and heterogeneous variations in amplitude along the age-related progression of the disease. While the Backward Digit Span remained essentially stable, a linear deterioration of scores obtained using the Symbol Digit Numbers or Number of Errors of Trail Making Test B was detected from 25 to 75 years. In contrast, the largest score changes were observed at midlife using the Digit Cancellation Task. All other tests related to executive functions, memory performances, or global cognitive efficiency showed a rate of change accelerating especially at the advanced stage of the disease. Male gender, the presence of gait disorders or of some disability at baseline were found to predict earlier or large changes of 4 scores (Index of Sensitivity to Cueing, Delayed Total Recall, Initiation/Perseveration and Barthel Index) in a subgroup of individuals distinct form the rest of the sample. DISCUSSION: Cognitive alterations develop heterogeneously during the progression of CADASIL and vary largely according to the stage of the disease. These results suggest that not only the target population, study duration but also the stage of disease progression should be considered in preparing future clinical trials aimed at reducing cognitive decline in any such condition.

Modeling the Cognitive Trajectory in CADASIL.

BACKGROUND: For developing future clinical trials in Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), it seems crucial to study the long-term changes of cognition. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to study the global trajectory of cognition, measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (MDRS), along the course of CADASIL. METHODS: Follow-up data of 185 CADASIL patients, investigated at the French National Referral center CERVCO from 2003, were considered for analysis based on strict inclusion criteria. Assuming that the MMSE and the MDRS provide imprecise measures of cognition, the trajectory of a common cognitive latent process during follow-up was delineated using a multivariate latent process mixed model. After adjustment of this model for sex and education, the sensitivities of the two scales to cognitive change were compared. RESULTS: Analysis of the cognitive trajectory over a time frame of 60 years of age showed a decrease of performances with aging, especially after age of 50 years. This decline was not altered by sex or education but patients who graduated from high school had a higher mean cognitive level at baseline. The sensitivities of MMSE and MDRS scales were similar and the two scales suffered from a ceiling effect and curvilinearity. CONCLUSION: These data support that cognitive decline is not linear and mainly occurs after the age of 50 years during the course of CADASIL. They also showed that MMSE and MDRS scales are hampered by major limitations for longitudinal studies.

Psychosocial Impact of Predictive Genetic Testing in Hereditary Heart Diseases: The PREDICT Study.

Predictive genetic testing (PGT) is offered to asymptomatic relatives at risk of hereditary heart disease, but the impact of result disclosure has been little studied. We evaluated the psychosocial impacts of PGT in hereditary heart disease, using self-report questionnaires (including the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) in 517 adults, administered three times to the prospective cohort (PCo: n = 264) and once to the retrospective cohort (RCo: n = 253). The main motivations for undergoing PGT were "to remove doubt" and "for their children". The level of anxiety increased between pre-test and result appointments (p <0.0001), returned to baseline after the result (PCo), and was moderately elevated at 4.4 years (RCo). Subjects with a history of depression or with high baseline anxiety were more likely to develop anxiety after PGT result (p = 0.004 and p <0.0001, respectively), whatever it was. Unfavourable changes in professional and/or family life were observed in 12.4% (PCo) and 18.7% (RCo) of subjects. Few regrets about PGT were expressed (0.8% RCo, 2.3% PCo). Medical benefit was not the main motivation, which emphasises the role of pre/post-test counselling. When PGT was performed by expert teams, the negative impact was modest, but careful management is required in specific categories of subjects, whatever the genetic test result.