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Neighborhood deprivation and midlife cognition: Evidence of a modifiable vascular pathway involving health behaviors and cerebral small vessel disease
Audrey Low, Kamen A. Tsvetanov, Georgios Ntailianis, Maria A Prats‐Sedano, Elizabeth Frances McKiernan, Stephen F. Carter, James D. Stefaniak, Stefania Nannoni et al.. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2025-11-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Neighborhood deprivation was associated with poorer cognition (r = 0.36, p < 0.001), greater prevalence of modifiable risk factors (r = 0.36, p < 0.001), and greater SVD burden (β = 0.18, p = 0.008). Serial mediation showed that the effects of deprivation on cognition were indirect, possibly operating via lifestyle risk and SVD, explaining 20% of the total effect, whereas SVD alone explained 28%. Neighborhood disadvantage relates to poorer cognition, possibly mediated through vascular risk factors and cerebrovascular disease. HIGHLIGHTS: Neighborhood deprivation linked to poorer cognition in healthy midlife adults Deprivation linked to small vessel disease (SVD) and modifiable risk factors (chiefly cardiovascular risk) Association between deprivation and cognition mediated by modifiable risk and SVD Mediation was exclusive to hypertensive SVD, but not cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)-related SVD.
Key findings
- Neighborhood deprivation was associated with poorer cognition (r = 0.36, p < 0.001), greater prevalence of modifiable risk factors (r = 0.36, p < 0.001), and greater SVD burden (β = 0.18, p = 0.008).
- Serial mediation showed that the effects of deprivation on cognition were indirect, possibly operating via lifestyle risk and SVD, explaining 20% of the total effect, whereas SVD alone explained 28%.
- Neighborhood disadvantage relates to poorer cognition, possibly mediated through vascular risk factors and cerebrovascular disease.
- HIGHLIGHTS: Neighborhood deprivation linked to poorer cognition in healthy midlife adults Deprivation linked to small vessel disease (SVD) and modifiable risk factors (chiefly cardiovascular risk) Association between deprivation and cognition mediated by modifiable risk and SVD Mediation was exclusive to hypertensive SVD, but not cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)-related SVD.
Why it matters
This study found that neighborhood deprivation was linked to poorer cognition in midlife adults, possibly through modifiable vascular risk factors and small vessel disease. The mediation was seen only for hypertensive small vessel disease, not for cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related small vessel disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 41/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 39 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 41 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (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 | 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 | 1 / 7 | Cited 3 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.9× 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 | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Oxford: institution h-index 2,205 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 15 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41190623) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 39 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 39 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 41 out of 100. |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Low, A., Tsvetanov, K. A., Ntailianis, G., Prats‐Sedano, M. A., McKiernan, E. F., Carter, S. F., et al. (2025). Neighborhood deprivation and midlife cognition: Evidence of a modifiable vascular pathway involving health behaviors and cerebral small vessel disease. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70756
Vancouver
Low A, Tsvetanov KA, Ntailianis G, Prats‐Sedano MA, McKiernan EF, Carter SF, et al. Neighborhood deprivation and midlife cognition: Evidence of a modifiable vascular pathway involving health behaviors and cerebral small vessel disease. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz.70756. PMID: 41190623.
BibTeX
@article{low2025-41190623,
author = {Low, Audrey and Tsvetanov, Kamen A. and Ntailianis, Georgios and Prats‐Sedano, Maria A and McKiernan, Elizabeth Frances and Carter, Stephen F. and Stefaniak, James D. and Nannoni, Stefania and others},
title = {{Neighborhood deprivation and midlife cognition: Evidence of a modifiable vascular pathway involving health behaviors and cerebral small vessel disease}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz.70756},
pmid = {41190623},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70756}
}
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