title: Vascular disease, Alzheimer's disease biomarkers and cognition in mild cognitive impairment: additive or synergetic effects?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study how vascular disease and Alzheimer-typical biomarkers relate to cognitive performance in mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three groups diagnosed with MCI, one with vascular disease (MCI-vas, n = 61), one with Alzheimer-typical biomarkers (MCI-bio, n = 99) and one with both vascular disease and Alzheimer-typical biomarkers (MCI-vasbio, n = 56), were examined with a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MCI-vas and MCI-bio groups performed quite similarly on the test battery, whereas the MCI-vasbio group tended to perform worse than the other groups. MCI-vasbio patients performed significantly worse on tests within all cognitive domains, with the most clear-cut differences on an executive test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering the small differences between MCI-vas and MCI-bio, vascular disease or biomarkers alone do not seem to be associated with a specific cognitive profile. The combination of vascular disease and Alzheimer-typical biomarkers, on the other hand, seems to be associated with more severe cognitive deficits. The difference in an aspect of executive functioning is interpreted as a synergetic effect.
authors.affiliation: Sahlgrenska Academy, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Göteborg University, Mölndal, Sweden. arto.nordlund@neuro.gu.se
authors.forename: Arto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nordlund
authors.forename: Mattias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Göthlin
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wallin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D016875:tau Proteins