Mapping grey matter and cortical thickness alterations associated with subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment among rural-dwelling older adults in China: A population-based study

Ziwei Chen; Qianqian Xie; Jiafeng Wang; Yan Wang; Huisi Zhang; Chunyan Li; Yongxiang Wang; Lin Cong; Shi Tang; Tingting Hou; Lin Song; Yifeng Du; Chengxuan Qiu

doi:10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103691

Mapping grey matter and cortical thickness alterations associated with subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment among rural-dwelling older adults in China: A population-based study

Neuroimage Clin. 2024 Oct 28:44:103691. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103691. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ziwei Chen¹, Qianqian Xie¹, Jiafeng Wang¹, Yan Wang¹, Huisi Zhang¹, Chunyan Li¹, Yongxiang Wang², Lin Cong³, Shi Tang³, Tingting Hou³, Lin Song⁴, Yifeng Du⁵, Chengxuan Qiu⁶

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
² Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China; Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Jinan, Shandong, PR China; Institute of Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Research, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, PR China; Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet-Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
³ Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China; Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Jinan, Shandong, PR China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China; Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Jinan, Shandong, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China; Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China; Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Jinan, Shandong, PR China; Institute of Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Research, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, PR China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, PR China; Institute of Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Research, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, PR China; Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet-Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.

PMID: 39488196
DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103691

Abstract

Background: The structural brain alterations for subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are poorly defined. We sought to characterize grey matter volume (GMV) and cortical thickness associated with SCD and MCI among rural-dwelling older adults in China.

Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study included 1072 dementia-free participants from the brain MRI sub-study of MIND-China (2018-2020). We defined MCI following the Petersen's criteria, and SCD as the self-rated Ascertain Dementia 8-item Questionnaire score ≥ 2. Data were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM), surface-based morphometry analysis (SBM), and logistic regression models.

Results: SCD was defined in 243 persons and MCI in 246 individuals. The VBM analysis showed that MCI (vs. normal cognition) was significantly associated with reduced GMV in brain regions such as the bilateral parahippocampus, bilateral hippocampus, and bilateral fusiform (P < 0.05), but SCD exhibited no significant differences with normal cognition in GMV (P > 0.05). The ROI-wise SBM analysis revealed that SCD was significantly associated with cortical thinning in the right paracentral sulcus, left caudal middle frontal gyrus, and left entorhinal cortex (P < 0.05) and that MCI was significantly associated with cortical thinning in the left temporal lobe, left frontal lobe, bilateral parietal lobe and bilateral fusiform (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: The brain regions with reduced GMV or cortical thickness in older adults gradually expand from normal cognition through SCD to MCI, suggesting that characterizing structural brain alterations may help define the cognitive spectrum at the pre-dementia phase. These findings have potential implications for understanding the neuropathological process of cognitive deterioration in aging.

Keywords: Cortical thickness; Magnetic resonance imaging; Mild cognitive impairment; Population-based study; Regional brain volume; Subjective cognitive decline.