Vascular, Imaging and Cognition Association of China (VICA) Study: Rationale and Design

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundChina has the highest number of patients with dementia in the world, and about 15‐30% of these cases are caused by vascular disease. Currently, the pathophysiological mechanism that cause vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, early diagnosis and prognostic indicators of VCI are critically important for managing its onset and development To this end, several Chinese institutions have joined forces to establish “Vascular, Imaging and Cognition Association of China” (VICA) (Figure 1). The objective of VICA is to identify new targets for intervention and prompting intelligent graded and stratified treatment.MethodVICA is the first large‐scale multi‐center VCI consortium in China. It consists of seven advanced centers and over two hundred primary hospitals across the country. Included VICA are three different populations at risk for VCI: (a) high vascular risk factors for dementia, (b) cerebral small vessel disease, and (c) acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attacks (TIA).ResultAll individuals will be enrolled and monitored for at least 1 year using serial neuropsychological assessment, neuroimaging and collection of multi‐omics data from biospecimens (e.g., blood, urine, feces). In addition, a small sample of patients will undergo PET scans to determine whether neurodegenerative pathology (such as amyloid or tau accumulation) contributes to the course of vascular dementia. The enrollment procedure of patients with stroke or TIA is shown in Figure 2.ConclusionThe overall scientific aim of VICA is to guide early clinical diagnosis and early intervention of VCI based on the integration of multiple vascular risk factors, neuroimaging features and biomarkers. VICA represents a unique scientific resource that will help better understand the dynamics of cognitive change in different populations and identify new potential therapeutic targets for this condition.