Vascular risk factors in mild cognitive impairment subtypes. Findings from the ReGAl project.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of vascular risk factors in different subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in a multicentric, clinic-based, cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Two-hundred and seven subjects with MCI were included in the study: 33 with single non-memory MCI (snmMCI), 42 with multiple-domain amnestic MCI (mdMCI-a) and 132 with amnestic MCI (aMCI). Several clinical vascular risk factors and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain lesions were evaluated.


RESULTS
snmMCI showed a higher frequency of ischaemic heart disease and of transient ischaemic attack (TIA)/stroke, a higher Hachinski ischaemic score and a higher frequency of white-matter lesions on MRI compared to aMCI. Subjects with mdMCI-a showed clinical characteristics similar to aMCI, except for a higher frequency of a history of TIA/stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that snmMCI may be considered a vascular cognitive disorder.
Mariani
E
E
Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Monastero
R
R
Ercolani
S
S
Mangialasche
F
F
Caputo
M
M
Feliziani
F T
FT
Vitale
D F
DF
Senin
U
U
Mecocci
P
P
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires