title: Calcifications in the carotid siphon inversely associate with cognitive performance in stroke-free community dwellers living in rural Ecuador (The Atahualpa Project).
abstract: We aimed to assess whether carotid siphon calcifications (as seen on computed tomography) are associated with worse performance in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in 584 stroke-free individuals living in rural Ecuador. Using mean Montreal Cognitive Assessment score of subjects with Grade 1 calcifications (23.1 ± 4.2) as the referent category, fully adjusted generalized linear models showed significant associations between severity of carotid siphon calcifications and cognitive performance (mean Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores: 20.2 ± 4.8 for Grade 2 (p = 0.004), 19.7 ± 5.3 for Grade 3 (p = 0.0001), and 18.8 ± 4.1 for Grade 4 (p = 0.02)). Predictive Montreal Cognitive Assessment score margins were higher in individuals with Grade 1 calcifications than in other groups. This study shows an inverse relationship between calcium content in the carotid siphon and cognitive performance in Amerindians.
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Medicine, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Ecuador, Guayaquil, Ecuador.|2 Department of Neurological Sciences, Hospital-Clínica Kennedy, Guayaquil, Ecuador.
authors.forename: Oscar H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Del Brutto
authors.affiliation: 3 Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Robertino M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mera
authors.affiliation: 4 Langone Medical Center, School of Medicine, New York University, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.affiliation: 5 Community Center, The Atahualpa Project, Atahualpa, Ecuador.
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zambrano
authors.affiliation: 4 Langone Medical Center, School of Medicine, New York University, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000523:psychology*; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004484:Ecuador; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012424:Rural Population; D055906:Seveso Accidental Release; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Carotid siphon calcification; Ecuador; Montreal Cognitive Assessment; cognitive performance; intracranial arterial calcification; population-based study