Abstract
Carotid artery atherosclerosis may cause increased intima-media thickness (IMT), plaque
formation, and vessel stenosis or occlusion. However, the association between carotid
artery atherosclerosis and cognitive impairment remains uncertain. This study explored
the effects of IMT and carotid artery stenosis on cognitive function in an elderly
Chinese non-stroke population. A total of 2015 patients were recruited. The IMT of
carotid arteries and the presence of plaques and stenosis in carotid arteries were
assessed with B-mode ultrasound examination. Cognitive performance was evaluated with
neuropsychological tests. The cross-sectional relationships between cognitive performance
and carotid wall characteristics were analyzed. Carotid artery atherosclerosis (IMT > 1.0) and stenosis were found in 86% and 51% of patients, respectively. Cognitive impairment
was found in 356 (17.7%) patients. After adjustment for possible confounders, IMT
(odds ratio [OR] = 1.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23–3.16) and hyperdense plaque (OR = 4.72; 95% CI 2.56–11.2) were associated with poor cognitive performance. Patients
with severe (⩾70%) carotid artery stenosis had a lower Mini-Mental State Examination
score compared with the mild to modest (40–70%) carotid artery stenosis group. Cognitive
performance differed between patients with left and right carotid artery stenosis,
but no differences were observed between patients with severe left and right carotid
artery stenosis. This study indicates that carotid artery atherosclerosis is correlated
with cognitive impairment in the elderly Chinese population. A larger sample size
across multiple centers and a longitudinal study are required to further explore the
impact of carotid artery atherosclerosis on cognition in the elderly population.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
February 4,
2013
Received:
August 17,
2012
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
