Baseline brain magnetic resonance imaging findings as predictors of dementia progression: insights from a Mexican memory clinic.

BACKGROUND

Dementia is a progressive syndrome characterized by cognitive decline. Brain atrophy has been associated with disease progression, but its predictive value in Latin American populations remains underexplored.

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether brain atrophy, evaluated through visual rating scales, predicts progression from mild to moderate dementia over one year, using the Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a memory clinic with 73 participants aged ≥65 years with mild dementia and baseline brain magnetic resonance imaging. Temporal and parietal atrophy were assessed using Scheltens and Koedam scales, and white matter hyperintensities were evaluated with Fazekas. Logistic regression models adjusted for age, education, depression, and vitamin D/B12 deficiencies were used to estimate the risk of progression.

RESULTS

Fifteen participants (21%) progressed to moderate dementia. Moderate-to-severe atrophy in the parietal (OR: 6.84; 95%CI: 1.29-36.2; p = 0.024) and temporal lobes (OR: 6.33; 95%CI: 1.23-32.43; p = 0.027) significantly increased the odds of progression.

CONCLUSIONS

At one-year follow-up, moderate-to-severe atrophy in the parietal and temporal lobes was associated with dementia progression, supporting the potential clinical utility of visual rating scales for monitoring disease progression.