Brain tissue properties link cardio-vascular risk factors, mood and cognitive performance in the CoLaus|PsyCoLaus epidemiological cohort

Olga Trofimova; Leyla Loued-Khenissi; Giulia DiDomenicantonio; Antoine Lutti; Matthias Kliegel; Silvia Stringhini; Pedro Marques-Vidal; Peter Vollenweider; Gérard Waeber; Martin Preisig; Ferath Kherif; Bogdan Draganski

doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.02.002

Brain tissue properties link cardio-vascular risk factors, mood and cognitive performance in the CoLaus|PsyCoLaus epidemiological cohort

Neurobiol Aging. 2021 Jun:102:50-63. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.02.002. Epub 2021 Feb 16.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging LREN, Centre for Research in Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
² Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
³ Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁴ Department of Medicine, Internal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁵ Center for Research in Psychiatric Epidemiology and Psychopathology, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁶ Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging LREN, Centre for Research in Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Neurology Department, Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: bogdan.draganski@gmail.com.

PMID: 33765431
DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.02.002

Abstract

Given the controversy about the impact of modifiable risk factors on mood and cognition in ageing, we sought to investigate the associations between cardio-vascular risk, mental health, cognitive performance and brain anatomy in mid- to old age. We analyzed a set of risk factors together with multi-parameter magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the CoLaus|PsyCoLaus cohort (n > 1200). Cardio-vascular risk was associated with differences in brain tissue properties - myelin, free tissue water, iron content - and regional brain volumes that we interpret in the context of micro-vascular hypoxic lesions and neurodegeneration. The interaction between clinical subtypes of major depressive disorder and cardio-vascular risk factors showed differential associations with brain structure depending on individuals' lifetime trajectory. There was a negative correlation between melancholic depression, anxiety and MRI markers of myelin and iron content in the hippocampus and anterior cingulate. Verbal memory and verbal fluency performance were positively correlated with left amygdala volumes. The concomitant analysis of brain morphometry and tissue properties allowed for a neuro-biological interpretation of the link between modifiable risk factors and brain health.

Keywords: Aging; Cardiovascular disease; Cognition; Major depressive disorder; Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Affect*
Aged
Aging / pathology*
Aging / psychology*
Brain / diagnostic imaging
Brain / metabolism
Brain / pathology*
Cognition*
Cohort Studies
Depressive Disorder, Major / etiology
Depressive Disorder, Major / pathology
Female
Heart Disease Risk Factors*
Humans
Iron / metabolism
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Male
Middle Aged
Nerve Degeneration
Risk Factors

Substances

Iron