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Modes of covariation between vascular risk factors and cognition in cohorts with cultural and geographical variations
Bonnie Y. K. Lam, Vincent Hui, Huijing Zheng, Yuan Cai, Ludovica Griffanti, Sana Suri, Klaus P. Ebmeier, Thomas E. Nichols et al.. Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior, 2024-01-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The number of people living with dementia worldwide is growing. Devising and implementing preventive strategies that are globally applicable is of paramount importance. However, previous studies have largely been limited to cohorts that are geographically and culturally homogenous. It is not known whether the associations between demographics, vascular risk factors (VRFs), and cognitive changes are consistent across cohorts with cultural and geographical variations. Data were analysed retrospectively from 6 community-dwelling cohorts (> 60 years old) with cultural and geographical variations (British = 536; Hong Kong Chinese = 494; Australian = 302; Singaporean Chinese = 108; German = 102; Swedish = 94). Clinical demographics, VRFs, longitudinal cognitive changes, and MRI data (including T1, FLAIR, and diffusion images) were analysed from all 6 cohorts. First, across all cohorts, a grand canonical correlation analysis (n=1636) was used to establish common modes of covariation between demographics and VRFs on one side, and cognitive changes on the other side. Second, separately for each cohort, mediation analysis was used to investigate the mediating role of normalised total grey matter volume, microstructural integrity, white matter hyperintensity, and hippocampal structural network in the association mentioned above. Then the mediation outputs will be used in the meta- analysis to assess the indirect effect estimates and variance of each significant brain mediator. We identified three modes of covariation between dementia risk and cognition across all cohorts (p< 0.01). The strongest mode linked younger age and higher levels of education with better cognition at baseline and follow-up (Figure 1). Meta-analysis showed that, across cohorts, normalised total grey matter volume (Indirect effect = 0.02, Z = 3.13, p < 0.001, I² = 0%) was a significant mediator between demographics, VRFs, and cognitive decline after Bonferroni correction (Figure 2). The hippocampal structural network did not survive Bonferroni correlation while other brain mediators were not significant in the meta-analyses. This study investigated the complex relationship between demographics, VRFs, brain health, and cognition. Cohorts with cultural and demographic variations shared a common relationship between age, education, and cognition. However, individual cohort differences are detected in the contribution of different neuroimaging metrics.
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APA 7th
Lam, B. Y. K., Hui, V., Zheng, H., Cai, Y., Griffanti, L., Suri, S., et al. (2024). Modes of covariation between vascular risk factors and cognition in cohorts with cultural and geographical variations. Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cccb.2024.100296
Vancouver
Lam BYK, Hui V, Zheng H, Cai Y, Griffanti L, Suri S, et al. Modes of covariation between vascular risk factors and cognition in cohorts with cultural and geographical variations. Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior. 2024. doi:10.1016/j.cccb.2024.100296.
BibTeX
@article{lam2024-db4b14cc,
author = {Lam, Bonnie Y. K. and Hui, Vincent and Zheng, Huijing and Cai, Yuan and Griffanti, Ludovica and Suri, Sana and Ebmeier, Klaus P. and Nichols, Thomas E. and others},
title = {{Modes of covariation between vascular risk factors and cognition in cohorts with cultural and geographical variations}},
journal = {Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1016/j.cccb.2024.100296},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cccb.2024.100296}
}
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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Then the mediation outputs will be used in the meta- analysis to assess the indirect effect estimates and variance of each significant brain mediator.
- Meta-analysis showed that, across cohorts, normalised total grey matter volume (Indirect effect = 0.02, Z = 3.13, p < 0.001, I² = 0%) was a significant mediator between demographics, VRFs, and cognitive decline after Bonferroni correction (Figure 2).
- The hippocampal structural network did not survive Bonferroni correlation while other brain mediators were not significant in the meta-analyses.
Why it matters
This meta-analysis across several culturally and geographically different cohorts found that total grey matter volume mediated the link between demographics, vascular risk factors, and cognitive decline. It does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Participants1,636
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 51/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior: journal h-index 19 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2024 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,636 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 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 4 year(s) since 2024 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Piergiorgio Salvan: h-index 13 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Oxford: institution h-index 2,205 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.cccb.2024.100296
- Original source →
- Free full text: Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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