Home › Research › Brain scans and imaging
Homocysteine and cognitive function in the elderly: the Rotterdam Scan Study
Prins ND, Den Heijer T, Hofman A, Koudstaal PJ, Jolles J, Clarke R, Breteler MM, Rotterdam Scan Study.. Neurology, 2002-11-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations are associated with AD and vascular dementia, but the relation with cognitive performance in nondemented elderly people is not known. Objective To examine the association of tHcy and cognitive function in the elderly, and assess whether this may be mediated by structural brain changes on MRI. Methods The Rotterdam Scan Study is a population-based study of 1,077 nondemented elderly. Cognitive performance was assessed, and compound scores were constructed for psychomotor speed, memory function, and global cognitive function. Cerebral infarcts, white matter lesions, and generalized brain atrophy were measured on MRI. The cross-sectional relationship between tHcy levels and neuropsychological test scores was assessed by multiple regression. Results Mean tHcy level was 11.5 micro mol/L (SD 4.1). Increasing tHcy levels were associated with lower scores for psychomotor speed, memory function, and global cognitive function, and this was largely due to the association with tHcy levels in the upper quintile (>14 micro mol/L). Adjusted differences between test scores of participants in the upper quintile as compared with the lower four quintiles of tHcy were -0.26 (95% CI: -0.37; -0.14) for psychomotor speed, -0.13 (95% CI: -0.27; 0.01) for memory function, and -0.20 (95% CI: -0.30; -0.11) for global cognitive function. These associations were not mediated by structural brain changes on MRI. Conclusion Elevated tHcy levels are associated with decreased cognitive performance in nondemented elderly people, and the relation was most marked for psychomotor speed. This association was independent of structural brain changes on MRI.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Prins, N. D., Den Heijer, T., Hofman, A., Koudstaal, P. J., Jolles, J., Clarke, R., et al. (2002). Homocysteine and cognitive function in the elderly: the Rotterdam Scan Study. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000032494.05619.93
Vancouver
Prins ND, Den Heijer T, Hofman A, Koudstaal PJ, Jolles J, Clarke R, et al. Homocysteine and cognitive function in the elderly: the Rotterdam Scan Study. Neurology. 2002. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000032494.05619.93. PMID: 12427887.
BibTeX
@article{prins2002-12427887,
author = {Prins, N. D. and Den Heijer, T. and Hofman, A. and Koudstaal, P. J. and Jolles, J. and Clarke, R. and Breteler, M. M. and {Rotterdam Scan Study}},
title = {{Homocysteine and cognitive function in the elderly: the Rotterdam Scan Study}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2002},
doi = {10.1212/01.wnl.0000032494.05619.93},
pmid = {12427887},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000032494.05619.93}
}
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.
Key findings
- Background Elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations are associated with AD and vascular dementia, but the relation with cognitive performance in nondemented elderly people is not known.
- Results Mean tHcy level was 11.5 micro mol/L (SD 4.1).
- Increasing tHcy levels were associated with lower scores for psychomotor speed, memory function, and global cognitive function, and this was largely due to the association with tHcy levels in the upper quintile (>14 micro mol/L).
- Adjusted differences between test scores of participants in the upper quintile as compared with the lower four quintiles of tHcy were -0.26 (95% CI: -0.37; -0.14) for psychomotor speed, -0.13 (95% CI: -0.27; 0.01) for memory function, and -0.20 (95% CI: -0.30; -0.11) for global cognitive function.
- Conclusion Elevated tHcy levels are associated with decreased cognitive performance in nondemented elderly people, and the relation was most marked for psychomotor speed.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Brain scans & tests →
Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 27 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 47 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| 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 | 2002 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 12427887) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 27 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 27 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 47 out of 100. |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Free copy unknown: no free-copy check has an answer for this record yet. That does not mean it is paywalled.
Related studies in Brain scans and imaging
Also tagged “homocysteine”
4 studies in the library carry the topic tag “homocysteine”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 4 tagged studies.