Topography of associations between cardiovascular risk factors and myelin loss in the ageing human brain

Olga Trofimova; Adeliya Latypova; Giulia DiDomenicantonio; Antoine Lutti; Ann-Marie G de Lange; Matthias Kliegel; Silvia Stringhini; Pedro Marques-Vidal; Julien Vaucher; Peter Vollenweider; Marie-Pierre F Strippoli; Martin Preisig; Ferath Kherif; Bogdan Draganski

doi:10.1038/s42003-023-04741-1

Topography of associations between cardiovascular risk factors and myelin loss in the ageing human brain

Commun Biol. 2023 Apr 10;6(1):392. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-04741-1.

Authors

Olga Trofimova^{1

2

3}, Adeliya Latypova¹, Giulia DiDomenicantonio¹, Antoine Lutti¹, Ann-Marie G de Lange^{1

4

5}, Matthias Kliegel⁶, Silvia Stringhini^{7

8

9}, Pedro Marques-Vidal¹⁰, Julien Vaucher¹⁰, Peter Vollenweider¹⁰, Marie-Pierre F Strippoli¹¹, Martin Preisig¹¹, Ferath Kherif¹, Bogdan Draganski^{12

13}

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging LREN, Centre for Research in Neurosciences, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
² Department of Computational Biology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
³ Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
⁶ Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
⁷ Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁸ Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁹ Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
¹⁰ Department of Medicine, Internal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
¹¹ Center for Research in Psychiatric Epidemiology and Psychopathology, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
¹² Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging LREN, Centre for Research in Neurosciences, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. bogdan.draganski@chuv.ch.
¹³ Neurology Department, Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. bogdan.draganski@chuv.ch.

Abstract

Our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the vulnerability of the brain's white matter microstructure to cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) is still limited. We used a quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol in a single centre setting to investigate the cross-sectional association between CVRFs and brain tissue properties of white matter tracts in a large community-dwelling cohort (n = 1104, age range 46-87 years). Arterial hypertension was associated with lower myelin and axonal density MRI indices, paralleled by higher extracellular water content. Obesity showed similar associations, though with myelin difference only in male participants. Associations between CVRFs and white matter microstructure were observed predominantly in limbic and prefrontal tracts. Additional genetic, lifestyle and psychiatric factors did not modulate these results, but moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was linked to higher myelin content independently of CVRFs. Our findings complement previously described CVRF-related changes in brain water diffusion properties pointing towards myelin loss and neuroinflammation rather than neurodegeneration.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging / pathology
Brain / diagnostic imaging
Brain / pathology
Cardiovascular Diseases* / etiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Heart Disease Risk Factors
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Myelin Sheath* / pathology
Risk Factors
Water

Substances

Water