Biomarkers of microvascular dysfunction and cerebral white matter connectivity: The Maastricht Study

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundMicrovascular dysfunction may contribute to the development of various cerebral disorders, including cognitive dysfunction, dementia, and certain forms of depression. The suggested mechanism through which microvascular dysfunction contributes to these disorders is by disrupting white matter tracts and altering brain connectivity, but evidence is scarce. We investigated the association between multiple biomarkers of microvascular function and cerebral white matter connectivity.MethodWe used cross‐sectional data from The Maastricht Study, a Dutch population‐based cohort (n = 4,326, mean±SD age 59.4±8.6 years, 49.7% women). Measures of microvascular function included urinary albumin excretion, central retinal arteriolar and venular calibers (CRAE and CRVE), a composite score of flicker light‐induced retinal arteriolar and venular dilation response, and a composite score of plasma biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction (soluble intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (sICAM‐1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (sVCAM‐1), soluble E‐selectin (sE‐selectin) and von Willebrand factor (vWF)). White matter connectivity was calculated from 3T diffusion MRI to quantify the number (average node degree) and organization (characteristic path length, global efficiency, clustering coefficient and local efficiency) of cerebral white matter connections.ResultA higher endothelial dysfunction composite score was associated with a longer characteristic path length (beta per SD: 0.066 (95% confidence interval: 0.017; 0.114)) after adjustment for sociodemographic, lifestyle and cardiovascular factors, but not with any of the other white matter connectivity measures. All other measures of microvascular dysfunction were not associated with any of the connectivity measures after adjustments.ConclusionThe present study suggests that microvascular dysfunction, as quantified by a set of various measures, is not consistently associated with cerebral white matter connectivity. Only a composite score of plasma biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction was associated with a longer characteristic path length, with a longer characteristic path length being indicative for a topographically less integrated and less efficient cerebral network. Future cross‐sectional and longitudinal studies are needed to further understand the role of microvascular dysfunction in the development of cerebral disorders.