Cardiovascular risks and brain function: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of executive function in older adults.
Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia are associated with cognitive impairment and risk of dementia in older adults. However, the mechanisms linking them are not clear. This study aims to investigate the association between aggregate CV risk, assessed by the Framingham general cardiovascular risk profile, and functional brain activation in a group of community-dwelling older adults. Sixty participants (mean age: 64.6 years) from the Brain Health Study, a nested study of the Baltimore Experience Corps Trial, underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging using the Flanker task. We found that participants with higher CV risk had greater task-related activation in the left inferior parietal region, and this increased activation was associated with poorer task performance. Our results provide insights into the neural systems underlying the relationship between CV risk and executive function. Increased activation of the inferior parietal region may offer a pathway through which CV risk increases risk for cognitive impairment.
Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Yi-Fang
YF
Chuang
Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Dana
D
Eldreth
Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Kirk I
KI
Erickson
Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Vijay
V
Varma
Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Gregory
G
Harris
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
Linda P
LP
Fried
Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
George W
GW
Rebok
Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Schools of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Elizabeth K
EK
Tanner
Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: mcarlson@jhsph.edu.
Michelle C
MC
Carlson
D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
Brain function; Cardiovascular risk; Executive function; Framingham risk score; Older adults; fMRI