TY - JOUR
T1 - Structural MRI correlates of apathy symptoms in older persons without dementia
T2 - AGES-Reykjavik Study
AU - Grool, Anne M.
AU - Geerlings, Mirjam I.
AU - Sigurdsson, Sigurdur
AU - Eiriksdottir, Gudny
AU - Jonsson, Palmi V.
AU - Garcia, Melissa E.
AU - Siggeirsdottir, Kristin
AU - Harris, Tamara B.
AU - Sigmundsson, Thordur
AU - Gudnason, Vilmundur
AU - Launer, Lenore J.
PY - 2014/5/6
Y1 - 2014/5/6
N2 - Objective: We aimed to investigate the relation between apathy symptoms and structural brain changes on MRI, including white matter lesions (WMLs) and atrophy, in a large cohort of older persons. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses are based on 4, 354 persons without dementia (aged 76 ± 5 years) participating in the population-based Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility- Reykjavik Study. Apathy symptoms were assessed with 3 items from the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Brain volumes and total WML volume were estimated on 1.5-tesla MRI using an automated segmentation program; regional WML load was calculated using a semiquantitative scale. Regression analyses were adjusted for age, sex, education, intracranial volume, vascular risk factors, physical activity, brain infarcts, depressive symptoms, antidepressants, and cognitive status. Results: Compared tothosewith <2 apathy symptoms, participants with ≥2 apathy symptoms (49% of the cohort) had significantly smaller gray matter volumes (mean adjusted difference - 3.6 mL, 95% confidence interval [CI] -6.2 to -1.0), particularly in the frontal and temporal lobes; smaller white matter volumes (mean adjusted difference -1.9 mL, 95% CI -3.6 to -0.3), mainly in the parietal lobe; and smaller thalamus volumes. They were also more likely to have WMLs in the frontal lobe (adjusted odds ratio = 1.08, 95% CI 0.9-1.3). Excluding participants with a depression diagnosis did not change the associations. Conclusions: In this older population without dementia, apathy symptoms are associated with a more diffuse loss of both gray and white matter volumes, independent of depression. © 2014 American Academy of Neurology.
AB - Objective: We aimed to investigate the relation between apathy symptoms and structural brain changes on MRI, including white matter lesions (WMLs) and atrophy, in a large cohort of older persons. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses are based on 4, 354 persons without dementia (aged 76 ± 5 years) participating in the population-based Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility- Reykjavik Study. Apathy symptoms were assessed with 3 items from the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale. Brain volumes and total WML volume were estimated on 1.5-tesla MRI using an automated segmentation program; regional WML load was calculated using a semiquantitative scale. Regression analyses were adjusted for age, sex, education, intracranial volume, vascular risk factors, physical activity, brain infarcts, depressive symptoms, antidepressants, and cognitive status. Results: Compared tothosewith <2 apathy symptoms, participants with ≥2 apathy symptoms (49% of the cohort) had significantly smaller gray matter volumes (mean adjusted difference - 3.6 mL, 95% confidence interval [CI] -6.2 to -1.0), particularly in the frontal and temporal lobes; smaller white matter volumes (mean adjusted difference -1.9 mL, 95% CI -3.6 to -0.3), mainly in the parietal lobe; and smaller thalamus volumes. They were also more likely to have WMLs in the frontal lobe (adjusted odds ratio = 1.08, 95% CI 0.9-1.3). Excluding participants with a depression diagnosis did not change the associations. Conclusions: In this older population without dementia, apathy symptoms are associated with a more diffuse loss of both gray and white matter volumes, independent of depression. © 2014 American Academy of Neurology.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=84902146292&origin=inward
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24739783
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000000378
DO - https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000000378
M3 - Article
C2 - 24739783
SN - 0028-3878
VL - 82
SP - 1628
EP - 1635
JO - Neurology
JF - Neurology
IS - 18
ER -