Cognitive resilience depends on white matter connectivity: The Maastricht Study
Nathan R. DeJong, Jacobus F.A. Jansen, Martin P.J. van Boxtel, Miranda T. Schram, Coen D.A. Stehouwer, Pieter C. Dagnelie, Carla Kallen, Abraham A. Kroon, Anke Wesselius, Annemarie Koster, Walter H. Backes, Sebastian Köhler
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Differences in brain network connectivity may reflect the capability of the neurological substrate to compensate for brain damage and preserve cognitive function (cognitive reserve). We examined the associations between white matter connectivity, brain damage markers, and cognition in a population sample of middle-aged individuals. METHODS: A total of 4759 participants from The Maastricht Study (mean age = 59.2, SD = 8.7, 50.2% male) underwent cognitive testing and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI), from which brain volume, structural connectivity, and vascular damage were quantified. Multivariable linear regression was used to investigate whether connectivity modified the association between brain damage and cognition, adjusted for demographic and cardiometabolic risk factors. RESULTS: = 8.64, df = 3, p ≤ 0.001); individuals with high damage but strong connectivity showed normal cognition. DISCUSSION: Findings support the reserve hypothesis by showing that brain connectivity is associated with cognitive resilience.