Longitudinal Changes in Brain Diffusion Characteristics Associated With Cognition and Vascular Risk Factors: The ARIC-NCS Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

It remains unclear whether longitudinal changes in brain microstructural integrity, measured by diffusion MRI, relate to cognition and vascular risks. We investigated whether annualized changes in fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) are associated with changes in cognitive domains among nondemented older adults, and how these patterns differ by vascular risk factors.

Methods

Data were longitudinally collected from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study, conducted across 4 US sites with 6,471 participants attending the baseline assessment. Individuals who underwent diffusion MRI and neurocognitive evaluations at least twice between 2011 and 2019 were included; those with baseline dementia were excluded. Linear m

SUBMITTER: Uchida Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12296637 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature