Associations of arterial thickness, stiffness and blood pressure with brain morphology in early adolescence: A prospective population-based study

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundArterial wall thickness and stiffness and high blood pressure have been repeatedly associated with poorer brain health. However, previous studies largely focused on mid- or late-life stages. It is unknown whether any arterial health-related brain changes may be observable already in adolescence.MethodsWe examined whether(i)carotid intima-media thickness,(ii)carotid distensibility and(iii)systolic and diastolic blood pressure, measured at age 10, were associated with brain volumes and/or white matter microstructure (i.e., fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity) at age 14. In addition to cross-sectional analyses, we explored associations with longitudinal change in each brain outcome from 10 to 14 years. Analyses were based on 5341 children from the Generation R Study.ResultsHigher diastolic blood pressure was associated with lower total brain (β[95%CI] = -0.04 [- 0.07;-0.01]) and grey matter volumes (β[95%CI] = -0.04 [-0.07;-0.01]) at age 14 years, with stronger associations in higher diastolic blood pressure ranges. Similar associations emerged between systolic blood pressure and brain volumes but these were no longer significant after adjusting for birthweight. No associations were observed between blood pressure and white matter microstructure, nor between carotid intima-media thickness or distensibility and brain morphology.ConclusionsArterial blood pressure, but not intima-media thickness and distensibility, is associated with structural neuroimaging markers in early adolescence. Volumetric measures may be more sensitive to these early arterial health differences compared to microstructural properties of the white matter, but further studies are needed to confirm these results and assess potential causal mechanisms.Graphic Abstract