Midlife Neuroimaging Findings and Incident Late-Life Dementia

Increasing evidence suggests that midlife factors influence the risk for late-life dementia. Researchers from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study analyzed the association between midlife neuroimaging findings and later dementia in 1881 participants (60% female, 50% black) without a history of clinical stroke who underwent cerebral MRI between 1993 and 1995 (at age ≥55; mean, 62 years). Participants were identified with new dementia diagnoses made up to 2013, based on neuropsychological testing, informant interviews, hospital codes, and/or death certificates. Board-certified neuroradiologists visually assessed the degree of white matter hyperintensities, ventricular size, and sulcal size.

Dementia was diagnosed during follow-up in 2…