Associations between affective/vegetative neuropsychiatric symptoms and brain morphology in aging people with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

ObjectivesNeuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are common in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and even more so in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The affective/vegetative NPS cluster model (sleep disorders, depression, appetite changes, anxiety, and apathy) has been associated with an increased risk of dementia in patients with MCI and these five NPS have common neuroanatomical associations. Hence, in this study, we examined how brain morphology is influenced by the severity of affective/vegetative NPS across different stages of cognitive performance.Participants175 AD, 367 MCI and 223 cognitively normal (CN) participants.SettingParticipants were recruited at multiple centers in North America included in the ADNI project.DesignA GLM was established to test for intergroup differences (CN -MCI, CN-AD, AD-MCI) of the effects of the five NPS on brain structures. A regression model was also performed to show slope directionality of the regions of interest as NPS severity increases.Measurements3T MRI data (cortical volumes, areas and thickness) and severity scores of the five NPS.ResultsAssociations within AD were predominantly stronger compared to MCI. Increased severity of sleep disorders and appetite changes were associated with a decrease in frontal surface areas in AD. Furthermore, increased severity of all NPS (except apathy) were associated with changes in the temporal regions, predominantly with decreased volumes and surface areas.ConclusionThese findings show the implication of fronto-temporal regions with sleep disorders, depression and appetite changes, and contribute to a better understanding of brain morphological differences between CN, MCI and AD with respect to all five NPS.