Comparing data-driven and hypothesis-driven MRI-based predictors of cognitive impairment in individuals from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study

Alzheimers Dement. 2022 Apr;18(4):561-571. doi: 10.1002/alz.12427. Epub 2021 Jul 26.

Abstract

Introduction: A data-driven index of dementia risk based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the Alzheimer's Disease Pattern Similarity (AD-PS) score, was estimated for participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Methods: AD-PS scores were generated for 839 cognitively non-impaired individuals with a mean follow-up of 4.86 years. The scores and a hypothesis-driven volumetric measure based on several brain regions susceptible to AD were compared as predictors of incident cognitive impairment in different settings.

Results: Logistic regression analyses suggest the data-driven AD-PS scores to be more predictive of incident cognitive impairment than its counterpart. Both biomarkers were more predictive of incident cognitive impairment in participants who were White, female, and apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) ε4 carriers. Random forest analyses including predictors from different domains ranked the AD-PS scores as the most relevant MRI predictor of cognitive impairment.

Conclusions: Overall, the AD-PS scores were the stronger MRI-derived predictors of incident cognitive impairment in cognitively non-impaired individuals.

Keywords: AD-PS; ARIC; Alzheimer's disease; MRI; machine learning; random forest.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease* / diagnostic imaging
  • Alzheimer Disease* / epidemiology
  • Alzheimer Disease* / genetics
  • Apolipoprotein E4 / genetics
  • Atherosclerosis* / diagnostic imaging
  • Atherosclerosis* / epidemiology
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Cognitive Dysfunction* / diagnostic imaging
  • Cognitive Dysfunction* / epidemiology
  • Cognitive Dysfunction* / genetics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Substances

  • Apolipoprotein E4