Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27979838›Full record

Observational studyBMJ open2016

Relation between carotid stiffness, cognitive performance and brain connectivity in a healthy middle-aged population: an observational neurophysiological cohort study with magnetoencephalography.

Dagmar Nieboer, Linda Douw, Bob W van Dijk, Martijn W Heymans, Cornelis J Stam, Jos W R Twisk

Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ open, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Dagmar NieboerDepartment of Methodology and Applied Biostatistics, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Linda DouwDepartment of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Bob W van DijkDepartment of Clinical Neurophysiology and MEG Center, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Martijn W HeymansDepartment of Methodology and Applied Biostatistics, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Cornelis J StamDepartment of Clinical Neurophysiology and MEG Center, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Jos W R TwiskDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Amsterdam UMC Location VUmc · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveImpaired blood flow of the carotid artery can result in cognitive impairment, but how these vascular impairments lead to global cognitive disturbances is largely unknown. Problems in functional connectivity between brain areas may be responsible for these widespread effects. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the association between carotid stiffness, functional connectivity and cognitive performance in relatively young and healthy adults before clinical vascular pathology occurs.

designThe Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study: an observational study.

settingParticipants were included by attending 1 of the 2 selected secondary schools in The Netherlands.

participantsMen (n=110) and women (n=120) aged 41-44 years (42±0.7). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Data were obtained with regard to local carotid stiffness captured measured with the Young's elastic modulus (YEM). All participants underwent a commonly used Dutch intelligence test and resting-state eyes-closed magnetoencephalography (MEG). Five artefact-free epochs were analysed. The phase lag index (PLI) was used as a measure of functional connectivity between all sensors and was assessed in six frequency bands (δ-γ).

resultsCarotid stiffness was significantly associated with increased functional connectivity in the α2 band in men (β: 0.287; p=0.008). The same results were found for women in the β band (β: 0.216; p=0.040). Furthermore, carotid stiffness was associated with superior cognitive function in men (β: 0.238; p=0.007). In addition, there was neither a significant association nor a consistent pattern between cognitive function and functional connectivity.

conclusionsThe increased connectivity might be a maladaptive phenomenon caused by disinhibition of neurons which may explain the direction of the results. This study suggests that detection of increased (local) carotid stiffness may be promising to identify a disturbance in the organisation of the functional brain network, even before clinical vascular pathology occurs.

Indexed as

CognitionVascular StiffnessAdultBrainCarotid ArteriesCohort StudiesElastic ModulusFemaleHealthy VolunteersHumansLinear ModelsMagnetoencephalographyMaleNetherlandsARTERIAL STIFFNESSCAROTID ARTERYMAGNETOENCEPHALOGRAPHYNEUROPHYSIOLOGY

Identifiers

PMID27979838
PMCPMC5168642
OpenAlexW2567223657

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.