Calcified carotid artery atheromas in individuals with cognitive dysfunction

Abstract

Objective The aim of this case-control study was to investigate whether cognitively impaired individuals have a higher burden of calcified carotid artery atheroma (CCAA) than controls without cognitive impairment. Material and methods The study included 154 cases with Alzheimer’s disease (n = 52), mild cognitive impairment (n = 51), or subjective cognitive decline (n = 51) diagnosed at a university memory clinic. Seventy-six cognitively healthy controls were sampled through the Swedish population register. All participants underwent clinical oral and panoramic radiographic examinations. Two oral and maxillofacial radiologists performed blinded analyses of the panoramic radiographs for signs of CCAA, which was registered as absent or present and, if present, unilateral or bilateral. Consensus assessment was used for all statistical analyses. Results CCAA was common (40%) in this middle-aged and older Swedish population. We found no differences in the prevalence of CCAA between cases and controls (40% vs. 42%). Conclusion Cognitively impaired patients do not have a higher burden of CCAA than matched controls without cognitive impairment.