Medizinische Universität Graz Austria/Österreich - Forschungsportal - Medical University of Graz
Gewählte Publikation:
Wilhelmer, L.
Arterial hypertension and atrophy of the hippocampus and its subfields: a community-based study in older adults
Humanmedizin; [ Diplomarbeit ] Graz Medical University; 2016. pp. 35
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- Autor*innen der Med Uni Graz:
- Betreuer*innen:
- Schmidt Reinhold
- Seiler Stephan
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- Abstract:
- BACKGROUND & AIMS: Normal ageing is associated with impairment of memory performance. Age-related volume changes of the hippocampus and the hippocampal subregions appear crucial, but little is known about the susceptibility to vascular risk factors, such as arterial hypertension, which have a high prevalence in the older population. The aims of this study were to explore whether arterial hypertension relates to volume loss of the hippocampus globally or selectively to volume loss of hippocampal subfields and whether hypertension-related global and selective hippocampal volume loss, if any, is associated with memory impairment in older adults. METHODS: We included 261 healthy older adults (62.1% females, mean age 71 years, age range 60–87 years) without clinical signs for dementia from the Austrian Stroke Prevention Family Study. Memory performance was evaluated by the “Bäumler’s Lern- und Gedächtnistest”. The volumes of the hippocampus and seven hippocampal subfields were calculated from 3T MRI high-resolution T1 MPRAGE scans using Freesurfer software. Relations between total hippocampus and hippocampal subfield volumes, arterial hypertension and memory performance were assessed using multiple linear regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, brain volume and coexisting vascular risk factors. RESULTS: We found no significant relations between the presence of arterial hypertension and loss of total hippocampus volume or loss of hippocampal subfield volumes. The hippocampal subfield volume CA2-3 correlated positively with the presence of arterial hypertension (ß=0.118, CI:0.003-0.232, p=0.044). Arterial hypertension was also not associated with decreased memory performance. CONCLUSION: The presence of arterial hypertension is neither related to global hippocampus atrophy or atrophy of specific hippocampal subfields nor to memory decline in community-dwelling older adults.