Home › Research › Cognitive tests and assessment
Cerebral microbleeds are associated with worse cognitive function: the Rotterdam Scan Study
Poels MM, Ikram MA, van der Lugt A, Hofman A, Niessen WJ, Krestin GP, Breteler MM, Vernooij MW.. Neurology, 2012-01-18
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective Cerebral microbleeds are frequently found in the general elderly population and may reflect underlying vascular disease, but their role in cognitive function is unknown. Methods We investigated the association between cerebral microbleeds and performance in multiple cognitive domains in 3,979 persons without dementia (mean age, 60.3 years). Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score and neuropsychological tests were used to assess global cognition and the following cognitive domains: memory, information processing speed, executive function, and motor speed.
Key findings
- Methods We investigated the association between cerebral microbleeds and performance in multiple cognitive domains in 3,979 persons without dementia (mean age, 60.3 years).
- Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score and neuropsychological tests were used to assess global cognition and the following cognitive domains: memory, information processing speed, executive function, and motor speed.
- We used number of microbleeds as continuous variable, and additionally distinguished between persons with no microbleeds, 1 microbleed, 2-4 microbleeds, and ≥5 microbleeds.
- The association of microbleeds with different cognitive domains was estimated using linear regression models.
Why it matters
This study investigated the association between cerebral microbleeds and performance in multiple cognitive domains in persons without dementia. It is an observational study of a possible vascular marker and cognition, not a treatment, cure, or prevention study.
Study details
- Participants3,979
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 58/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (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 | 1 / 5 | 2012 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 3,979 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 | 6 / 7 | Cited 378 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 23.6 citations a year over 16 year(s) since 2012 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 21.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 20 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 49 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Meike Willemijn Vernooij: h-index 99 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Erasmus MC: institution h-index 1,321 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 22262748) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 58 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
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 8 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
Poels, M. M., Ikram, M. A., van der Lugt, A., Hofman, A., Niessen, W. J., Krestin, G. P., et al. (2012). Cerebral microbleeds are associated with worse cognitive function: the Rotterdam Scan Study. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0b013e3182452928
Vancouver
Poels MM, Ikram MA, van der Lugt A, Hofman A, Niessen WJ, Krestin GP, et al. Cerebral microbleeds are associated with worse cognitive function: the Rotterdam Scan Study. Neurology. 2012. doi:10.1212/wnl.0b013e3182452928. PMID: 22262748.
BibTeX
@article{poels2012-22262748,
author = {Poels, M. M. and Ikram, M. A. and van der Lugt, A. and Hofman, A. and Niessen, W. J. and Krestin, G. P. and Breteler, M. M. and Vernooij, M. W.},
title = {{Cerebral microbleeds are associated with worse cognitive function: the Rotterdam Scan Study}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0b013e3182452928},
pmid = {22262748},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0b013e3182452928}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
20 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.
Related studies in Cognitive tests and assessment
Also tagged “cerebral”
900 studies in the library carry the topic tag “cerebral”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 900 tagged studies.