INTRODUCTIONWe quantified the association of mild (ie, involving one or two body systems) and complex (ie, involving >= 3 systems) multimorbidity with structural brain changes in older adults.METHODSWe included 390 dementia-free participants aged 60+ from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging at baseline and after 3 and/or 6 years. Using linear mixed models, we estimated the association between multimorbidity and changes in total brain tissue, ventricular, hippocampal, and white matter hyperintensities volumes.RESULTSCompared to non-multimorbid participants, those with complex multimorbidity showed the steepest reduction in total brain (beta*time -0.03, 95% CI -0.05, -0.01) and hippocampal (beta*time -0.05, 95% CI -0.08, -0.03) volumes, the greatest ventricular enlargement (beta*time 0.03, 95% CI 0.01, 0.05), and the fastest white matter hyperintensities accumulation (beta*time 0.04, 95% CI 0.01, 0.07).DISCUSSIONMultimorbidity, particularly when involving multiple body systems, is associated with accelerated structural brain changes, involving both neurodegeneration and vascular pathology.HighlightsMultimorbidity accelerates structural brain changes in cognitively intact older adultsThese brain changes encompass both neurodegeneration and cerebrovascular pathologyThe complexity of multimorbidity is associated with the rate of brain changes' progression
Association of mild and complex multimorbidity with structural brain changes in older adults: A population-based study
Marengoni, Alessandra;
2024-01-01
Abstract
INTRODUCTIONWe quantified the association of mild (ie, involving one or two body systems) and complex (ie, involving >= 3 systems) multimorbidity with structural brain changes in older adults.METHODSWe included 390 dementia-free participants aged 60+ from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging at baseline and after 3 and/or 6 years. Using linear mixed models, we estimated the association between multimorbidity and changes in total brain tissue, ventricular, hippocampal, and white matter hyperintensities volumes.RESULTSCompared to non-multimorbid participants, those with complex multimorbidity showed the steepest reduction in total brain (beta*time -0.03, 95% CI -0.05, -0.01) and hippocampal (beta*time -0.05, 95% CI -0.08, -0.03) volumes, the greatest ventricular enlargement (beta*time 0.03, 95% CI 0.01, 0.05), and the fastest white matter hyperintensities accumulation (beta*time 0.04, 95% CI 0.01, 0.07).DISCUSSIONMultimorbidity, particularly when involving multiple body systems, is associated with accelerated structural brain changes, involving both neurodegeneration and vascular pathology.HighlightsMultimorbidity accelerates structural brain changes in cognitively intact older adultsThese brain changes encompass both neurodegeneration and cerebrovascular pathologyThe complexity of multimorbidity is associated with the rate of brain changes' progressionI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
