Deep medullary vein abnormalities associated with cognitive function and Alzheimer's disease plasma biomarkers in dementia-free older adults: A population-based study.

INTRODUCTION

We investigated the associations of deep medullary vein (DMV) score with cognitive phenotypes and blood biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease among older adults.

METHODS

This population-based cross-sectional study used data from 1206 participants in the Multimodal Interventions to Delay Dementia and Disability in Rural China (MIND-China) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) substudy; of these, plasma amyloid-β (Aβ), total tau, neurofilament light chain, phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217), and glial fibrillary acidic protein were measured in subsamples (n = 901∼1133).

RESULTS

A higher DMV score was significantly associated with increased likelihoods of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and amnestic MCI, and lower z-scores of verbal fluency, memory, attention, executive function, and global cognition (all p < 0.05); such associations were significant only in males. In the biomarker subsamples, a higher DMV score was significantly associated with a lower plasma Aβ42/40 ratio (p < 0.05), but not with the other examined biomarkers.

DISCUSSION: Discontinuous DMVs might be a biomarker for MCI and poor cognitive function in older men, and the role of Alzheimer's pathology deserves further exploration.