72 Chapter 4 Table 4.2. Linear regression results for baseline WMH shape and decline in cognitive domain scores over 5.2 years. Memory (n=2340) Executive function (n=2356) Processing speed (n=2443) Periventricular/confluent WMH Solidity -0.04 (-0.07—-0.01) ** -0.01 (-0.04—0.02) -0.04 (-0.07—-0.02)*** Convexity -0.07 (-0.10—-0.04) *** -0.04 (-0.07—-0.01)** -0.06 (-0.08—-0.03)*** Concavity index -0.09 (-0.12—-0.06) *** -0.04 (-0.07—-0.01) ** -0.08 (-0.10—-0.05)*** Fractal dimension -0.07 (-0.10—-0.04) *** -0.04 (-0.07—-0.01)** -0.06 (-0.09—-0.04)*** Deep WMH Eccentricity -0.01 (-0.04—0.02) -0.01 (-0.04—0.02) -0.01 (-0.04—-0.01) Fractal dimension 0.01 (-0.02—0.04) 0.02 (-0.01—0.05) 0.02 (-0.01—0.04) Linear regression models for the association between WMH shape and cognitive change over 5.2 years in each cognitive domain, controlled for age, sex, education, time to follow-up, and cognitive domain scores at baseline. The sample size varies per domain due to missing data in the cognitive domain scores. Solidity and convexity were inverted to aid in the comparability of the direction of effect. *<0.05; **<0.01; ***<0.001. Table 4.3. Linear regression results for baseline WMH volume and decline in cognitive domain scores over 5.2 years. WMH volume Memory (n=2340) Executive function (n=2356) Processing speed (n=2443) Total WMH volume -0.10 (-0.13—-0.07)*** -0.05 (-0.08—-0.02)*** -0.08 (-0.10—-0.05)*** Periventricular/confluent WMH volume -0.10 (-0.13—0.07)*** -0.05 (-0.07—-0.02)** -0.08 (-0.10—-0.05)*** Deep WMH volume -0.04 (-0.07—-0.02) ** -0.04 (-0.06—-0.01)** -0.04 (-0.06—-0.01)** Linear regression models for the association between WMH volume and cognitive change over 5.2 years in each cognitive domain, controlled for age, sex, education, time to follow-up, cognitive domain scores at baseline, and intracranial volume. The sample size varies per domain due to missing data in the cognitive domain scores. *<0.05; **<0.01; ***<0.001 4.5 DISCUSSION We showed that a more irregular shape of periventricular/confluent WMH was related to cognitive decline in the memory domain, the executive function domain, and the processing speed domain over 5.2 years in community-dwelling older adults. No associations were found between deep WMH shape and cognitive decline in any of the cognitive domains. Our secondary analyses showed that a higher total, periventricular/confluent, and deep WMH volume was associated with cognitive decline in the memory domain, the executive function domain, and the processing speed domain over 5.2 years.
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