Dataset Information

A population-based study of head injury, cognitive function and pathological markers.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To assess associations between head injury (HI) with loss of consciousness (LOC), ageing and markers of later-life cerebral pathology; and to explore whether those effects may help explain subtle cognitive deficits in dementia-free individuals.

Methods

Participants (n = 502, age = 69-71) from the 1946 British Birth Cohort underwent cognitive testing (subtests of Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite), ¹⁸ F-florbetapir Aβ-PET and MR imaging. Measures include Aβ-PET status, brain, hippocampal and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volumes, normal appearing white matter (NAWM) microstructure, Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related cortical thickness, and serum neurofilament light chain (NFL). LOC HI metrics include HI occurring: (i) >15 years prior to the scan (ii) anytime up to age 71.

Results

Compared to those with no evidence of an LOC HI, only those reporting an LOC HI>15 years prior (16%, n = 80) performed worse on cognitive tests at age 69-71, taking into account premorbid cognition, particularly on the digit-symbol substitution test (DSST). Smaller brain volume (BV) and adverse NAWM microstructural integrity explained 30% and 16% of the relationship between HI and DSST, respectively. We found no evidence that LOC HI was associated with Aβ load, hippocampal volume, WMH volume, AD-related cortical thickness or NFL (all p > 0.01).

Interpretation

Having a LOC HI aged 50's and younger was linked with lower later-life cognitive function at age ~70 than expected. This may reflect a damaging but small impact of HI; explained in part by smaller BV and different microstructure pathways but not via pathology related to AD (amyloid, hippocampal volume, AD cortical thickness) or ongoing neurodegeneration (serum NFL).

SUBMITTER: James SN

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8045921 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

A population-based study of head injury, cognitive function and pathological markers.

James Sarah-Naomi SN Nicholas Jennifer M JM Lane Christopher A CA Parker Thomas D TD Lu Kirsty K Keshavan Ashvini A Buchanan Sarah M SM Keuss Sarah E SE Murray-Smith Heidi H Wong Andrew A Cash David M DM Malone Ian B IB Barnes Josephine J Sudre Carole H CH Coath William W Prosser Lloyd L Ourselin Sebastien S Modat Marc M Thomas David L DL Cardoso Jorge J Heslegrave Amanda A Zetterberg Henrik H Crutch Sebastian J SJ Schott Jonathan M JM Richards Marcus M Fox Nick C NC

Annals of clinical and translational neurology 20210311 4

<h4>Objective</h4>To assess associations between head injury (HI) with loss of consciousness (LOC), ageing and markers of later-life cerebral pathology; and to explore whether those effects may help explain subtle cognitive deficits in dementia-free individuals.<h4>Methods</h4>Participants (n = 502, age = 69-71) from the 1946 British Birth Cohort underwent cognitive testing (subtests of Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite), <sup>18</sup> F-florbetapir Aβ-PET and MR imaging. Measures includ ...[more]

PMID: 33694298

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Dataset Information

A population-based study of head injury, cognitive function and pathological markers.

Objective

Methods

Results

Interpretation

Publications

A population-based study of head injury, cognitive function and pathological markers.

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