INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 06 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 04:00 pm - 05:15 pm Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 06: Aging \| MCI \| Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 2 Final Abstract #21 Carotid Stiffness is Associated with Poorer Language Abilities in Older Adults Without Dementia Amanda Calcetas, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States Conan Chen, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States Maria Bordyug, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States Rachel Membreno Almendares, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States Peter Rantins, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States Amanda Gonzalez, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States Lauren Edwards, SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, United States Kelsey Thomas, VA San Diego Healthcare System/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States Thomas Liu, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States Katherine Bangen, VA San Diego Healthcare System/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States Category: Aging Keyword 1: neuroimaging: structural Keyword 2: carotid artery disease Keyword 3: cognitive functioning Objective: Arterial stiffening is an early marker of vascular dysfunction and is a risk factor for development of cognitive impairment and dementia including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is the most widely used index of arterial stiffening and is typically measured from central and peripheral arteries. Technological advances have led to the development of in-vivo quantification of carotid stiffness by measuring carotid PWV (cPWV) with MRI, which may be a useful alternative to transcranial Doppler ultrasound. By studying the association of cPWV with cognitive performance, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of cPWV as a sensitive imaging marker of subtle vascular-related cognitive decline. Participants and Methods: Thirty-nine older adults without clinical dementia or stroke completed brain MRI exams and neuropsychological assessment. A retrospective cardiac gated oblique-sagittal phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (OS PC-MRI) sequence along a vessel segment spanning the common carotid artery (CCA) and the internal carotid artery (ICA) was performed to quantify cPWV. Participants were categorized in low cPWV (n =20) and high cPWV (n=19) groups by a median split of bilateral cPWV. Demographically adjusted neuropsychological z-scores were averaged to create composite measures of memory, executive, and language functioning. Univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models examined differences in cognitive performance by cPWV group (Low cPWV vs High cPWV). Results: The High cPWV group had worse language functioning after adjusting for age, sex, and education relative to the Low cPWV group (p =.033). After examining individual language measures included in the composite score, the High cPWV group had worse category fluency performance (p =.012) than the Low cPWV group, but letter fluency did not significantly differ (p =.255). Additionally, the cPWV groups did not significantly differ in episodic memory or executive functioning performance (ps>.05). Conclusions: Findings showed that high carotid stiffness was associated with poorer category fluency in a sample of older adults who were generally medically healthy and free of dementia or clinical stroke. Although we did not observe significant associations between cPWV groups and memory or executive composite scores, performance of category fluency involves semantic memory and executive processes, and it varies across studies whether it is included in language or executive function composites. Given that category fluency is typically one of the earliest abilities to decline in AD, cPWV may be a useful marker of ADRD risk although longitudinal studies are needed to support this. Further investigation of the relationship between cPWV and measures of cerebral perfusion, neurodegeneration, and cerebrovascular disease may provide greater insight on the mechanism behind the association between cPWV and poorer language function.

Poster

02/15/2024
04:00 pm - 05:15 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 06: Aging | MCI | Neurodegenerative Disease - PART 2

Final Abstract #21

Carotid Stiffness is Associated with Poorer Language Abilities in Older Adults Without Dementia

Amanda Calcetas, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
Conan Chen, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
Maria Bordyug, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
Rachel Membreno Almendares, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States
Peter Rantins, San Diego State University, San Diego, United States
Amanda Gonzalez, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
Lauren Edwards, SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, United States
Kelsey Thomas, VA San Diego Healthcare System/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
Thomas Liu, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
Katherine Bangen, VA San Diego Healthcare System/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States

Category: Aging

Keyword 1: neuroimaging: structural
Keyword 2: carotid artery disease
Keyword 3: cognitive functioning

Objective:

Arterial stiffening is an early marker of vascular dysfunction and is a risk factor for development of cognitive impairment and dementia including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is the most widely used index of arterial stiffening and is typically measured from central and peripheral arteries. Technological advances have led to the development of in-vivo quantification of carotid stiffness by measuring carotid PWV (cPWV) with MRI, which may be a useful alternative to transcranial Doppler ultrasound. By studying the association of cPWV with cognitive performance, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of cPWV as a sensitive imaging marker of subtle vascular-related cognitive decline.

Participants and Methods:

Thirty-nine older adults without clinical dementia or stroke completed brain MRI exams and neuropsychological assessment. A retrospective cardiac gated oblique-sagittal phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (OS PC-MRI) sequence along a vessel segment spanning the common carotid artery (CCA) and the internal carotid artery (ICA) was performed to quantify cPWV. Participants were categorized in low cPWV (n =20) and high cPWV (n=19) groups by a median split of bilateral cPWV. Demographically adjusted neuropsychological z-scores were averaged to create composite measures of memory, executive, and language functioning. Univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models examined differences in cognitive performance by cPWV group (Low cPWV vs High cPWV).

Results:

The High cPWV group had worse language functioning after adjusting for age, sex, and education relative to the Low cPWV group (p =.033). After examining individual language measures included in the composite score, the High cPWV group had worse category fluency performance (p =.012) than the Low cPWV group, but letter fluency did not significantly differ (p =.255). Additionally, the cPWV groups did not significantly differ in episodic memory or executive functioning performance (ps>.05).

Conclusions:

Findings showed that high carotid stiffness was associated with poorer category fluency in a sample of older adults who were generally medically healthy and free of dementia or clinical stroke. Although we did not observe significant associations between cPWV groups and memory or executive composite scores, performance of category fluency involves semantic memory and executive processes, and it varies across studies whether it is included in language or executive function composites. Given that category fluency is typically one of the earliest abilities to decline in AD, cPWV may be a useful marker of ADRD risk although longitudinal studies are needed to support this. Further investigation of the relationship between cPWV and measures of cerebral perfusion, neurodegeneration, and cerebrovascular disease may provide greater insight on the mechanism behind the association between cPWV and poorer language function.