Vascular risk modulates the relationship between cerebral amyloid deposition and subjective memory complaints

Abstract

Jee Wook Kim,1,2 Min Soo Byun,3 Dahyun Yi,3 Jun Ho Lee,4 Kang Ko,4 Gijung Jung,5 Dong Young Lee3,4,6 On behalf of the KBASE Research Group 1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hwaseong, Republic of Korea; 2Department of Psychiatry, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea; 3Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 4Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 5Department of Nursing, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 6Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea Purpose: We aimed to investigate the relationships of cerebral amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition and neurodegeneration (ND) with subjective memory complaints (SMCs) in cognitively normal (CN) individuals, focusing specially on the modulating effects of vascular risk (VR) on those relationships. Participants and methods: A total of 230 CN elderly individuals underwent comprehensive clinical assessments including the Subjective Memory Complaints Questionnaire (SMCQ), VR assessment, and multimodal brain imaging including [11C] Pittsburgh compound B positron emission tomography (PET), [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose-PET, and magnetic resonance imaging. Results: We found a significant overall positive association between cerebral Aβ retention and SMCQ score. In addition, we found a significant cerebral Aβ retention × VR interaction effect on the SMCQ score. Subgroup analyses showed that the Aβ–SMC association was found only in VR-negative, and not in VR-positive, individuals. We found no relationship between ND and SMCQ. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that SMC in CN elderly individuals reflects early accumulation of Aβ in the brain. Given the modulating effect of VR on the Aβ–SMC relationship, SMC can be used as a meaningful marker of early Aβ deposition in individuals without VR. Keywords: subjective memory complaints, amyloid beta, vascular risk, Alzheimer’s disease, cognitively normal

Keywords

• Subjective memory complaints
• Amyloid beta (A)
• Vascular risk
• Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
• Cognitively normal.