Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the complex associations among chronic kidney disease (CKD), subclinical brain infarction (SBI), and cognitive impairment. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the complex relationships among CKD, SBI, and cognitive function with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; global function) and modified Stroop test (executive function) in a population-based cohort of 560 non-demented elderly subjects. Path analysis based on SEM revealed that the direct paths from estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to SBI and from SBI to executive function were significant (β = -.10, P = .027, and β = .16, P < .001, respectively). Furthermore, the direct path from eGFR to executive function was also significant (β = -.12, P = .006), indicating that the effects of CKD on executive function are independent of SBI. The direct paths from age and education to global cognitive function were highly significant (β = -.17 and .22, respectively, P < .001), whereas the direct path from eGFR to MMSE was not significant. Our findings indicate that CKD confers a risk of vascular cognitive impairment or executive dysfunction through mechanisms dependent and independent of SBI. Treating CKD may be a potential strategy to protect against vascular cognitive impairment or executive dysfunction in healthy elderly subjects.
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