Serum C-reactive protein is linked to cerebral microstructural integrity and cognitive function
Male
Aging
Psychometrics
Brain
Middle Aged
Neuropsychological Tests
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Nerve Fibers, Myelinated
3. Good health
Cohort Studies
Cerebrovascular Disorders
03 medical and health sciences
C-Reactive Protein
Cognition
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
0302 clinical medicine
Neural Pathways
Anisotropy
Humans
Regression Analysis
Female
DOI:
10.1212/wnl.0b013e3181d7b45b
Publication Date:
2010-03-29T20:49:17Z
AUTHORS (12)
ABSTRACT
C-reactive protein is a marker of inflammation and vascular disease. It also seems to be associated with an increased risk of dementia. To better understand potential underlying mechanisms, we assessed microstructural brain integrity and cognitive performance relative to serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).We cross-sectionally examined 447 community-dwelling and stroke-free individuals from the Systematic Evaluation and Alteration of Risk Factors for Cognitive Health (SEARCH) Health Study (mean age 63 years, 248 female). High-field MRI was performed in 321 of these subjects. Imaging measures included fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences for assessment of white matter hyperintensities, automated quantification of brain parenchyma volumes, and diffusion tensor imaging for calculation of global and regional white matter integrity, quantified by fractional anisotropy (FA). Psychometric analyses covered verbal memory, word fluency, and executive functions.Higher levels of hs-CRP were associated with worse performance in executive function after adjustment for age, gender, education, and cardiovascular risk factors in multiple regression analysis (beta = -0.095, p = 0.02). Moreover, higher hs-CRP was related to reduced global fractional anisotropy (beta = -0.237, p < 0.001), as well as regional FA scores of the frontal lobes (beta = -0.246, p < 0.001), the corona radiata (beta = -0.222, p < 0.001), and the corpus callosum (beta = -0.141, p = 0.016), in particular the genu (beta = -0.174, p = 0.004). We did not observe a significant association of hs-CRP with measures of white matter hyperintensities or brain atrophy.These data suggest that low-grade inflammation as assessed by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein is associated with cerebral microstructural disintegration that predominantly affects frontal pathways and corresponding executive function.
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