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A more irregular shape of white matter hyperintensities is associated with cognitive decline over five years in community-dwelling older adults
Jasmin Annica Keller, Sigurdur Oli Sigurdsson, Lenore J. Launer, Mark A. van Buchem, Matthias J.P. van Osch, Vilmundur G. Gudnason, Jeroen de Bresser. Neurobiology of Aging, 2025-04-03
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
WMH shape is associated with long-term risk for dementia after 10 years in community-dwelling older adults. The current study aimed to investigate the association of WMH shape and decline in three cognitive domains over five years' time in community-dwelling older adults. The association of baseline WMH shape (solidity, convexity, concavity index, fractal dimension, and eccentricity) and cognitive decline over 5.2 ± 0.3 years (domains: memory, executive function, and processing speed) was investigated using linear regression models in the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik (AGES) study (n = 2493). A more irregular shape of periventricular/confluent WMH was related to cognitive decline in the memory domain, the executive function domain, and the processing speed domain over five years (p < 0.05). No associations were found between deep WMH shape and decline in the cognitive domains. These findings show that WMH shape patterns may be indicative of relatively short-term cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults. This supports the evidence of WMH shape being a valuable marker that may be used to assess and predict cognitive outcome related to cerebrovascular disease progression.
Key findings
- WMH shape is associated with long-term risk for dementia after 10 years in community-dwelling older adults.
- These findings show that WMH shape patterns may be indicative of relatively short-term cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults.
Why it matters
In community-dwelling older adults, a more irregular shape of periventricular or confluent white matter hyperintensities was related to decline in memory, executive function, and processing speed over five years, while deep WMH shape showed no such associations. This suggests WMH shape may help predict short-term cognitive decline related to cerebrovascular disease, but it is an observational finding and not a treatment.
Study details
- Participants2,493
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neurobiology of Aging) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Neurobiology of Aging: journal h-index 263 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 2,493 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Jeroen de Bresser: h-index 33 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | National Institutes of Health: institution h-index 2,723 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40194370) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.03.011
- PubMed: 40194370
- Original source →
- Free full text: Neurobiology of Aging →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Keller, J. A., Sigurdsson, S. O., Launer, L. J., van Buchem, M. A., van Osch, M. J., Gudnason, V. G., et al. (2025). A more irregular shape of white matter hyperintensities is associated with cognitive decline over five years in community-dwelling older adults. Neurobiology of Aging. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.03.011
Vancouver
Keller JA, Sigurdsson SO, Launer LJ, van Buchem MA, van Osch MJ, Gudnason VG, et al. A more irregular shape of white matter hyperintensities is associated with cognitive decline over five years in community-dwelling older adults. Neurobiology of Aging. 2025. doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.03.011. PMID: 40194370.
BibTeX
@article{keller2025-40194370,
author = {Keller, Jasmin Annica and Sigurdsson, Sigurdur Oli and Launer, Lenore J. and van Buchem, Mark A. and van Osch, Matthias J.P. and Gudnason, Vilmundur G. and de Bresser, Jeroen},
title = {{A more irregular shape of white matter hyperintensities is associated with cognitive decline over five years in community-dwelling older adults}},
journal = {Neurobiology of Aging},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.03.011},
pmid = {40194370},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2025.03.011}
}
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