Abstract Details

Title Physical Activity Moderates the Association Between White Matter Hyperintensity Burden and Cognitive Change

Topic General Neurology

Presentation(s) P5 - Poster Session 5 (11:45 AM-12:45 PM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 6-001

Objective To examine whether physical activity (PA) moderates the association between white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden and cognitive change.

Background Higher WMH burden has been shown to predict faster cognitive decline at a late age. However, some subjects maintain relatively stable cognition despite a high WMH burden due to better cognitive reserve. Whether engagement of PA can provide cognitive reserve (CR) to mitigate the association between WMH and cognitive change remains unclear.

Design/Methods This cohort study was conducted among 198 dementia-free adults aged 20-80 years. Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) was assessed by a self-reported LTPA questionnaire on light, moderate, and vigorous activities. Occupational physical activity (OPA) was a factor score measuring physical demands of each job, derived from the principal component analysis of 246 job characteristics according to Occupational Information Network. Outcome variables included five-year changes in global cognition and four abilities (fluid reasoning, processing speed, memory and vocabulary) estimated by latent change scores with six cognitive tasks per ability. Total PA was the sum of z-scores of LTPA and OPA. The multivariable linear regression was used to estimate the moderation effect of PA by including the interaction term (PA*WMH). All models were adjusted for age, sex, education and baseline cognition.

Results Over five years, global cognition (mean difference [follow-up-baseline][SE]=-0.010[0.018], p<0.001), reasoning (diff[SE]=-0.152[0.010], p<0.001), speed (diff[SE]=-0.181[0.013], p<0.001), and memory (diff[SE]=-0.125[0.049], p=0.006) scores declined, and vocabulary (diff[SE]=0.059[0.013], p<0.001) improved. Higher WMH was correlated with greater decline in global cognition (Spearman’s rho=-0.215, p=0.002), reasoning (rho=-0.380, p<0.001) and speed (rho=-0.314, p<0.001), and less increase in vocabulary (rho=-0.300, p<0.001). Greater total PA and OPA attenuated the association between WMH and changes in reasoning (β_TPA*WMH[SE]=0.011[0.005], p=0.040; β_OPA*WMH[SE]=0.013[0.006], p=0.043) and speed (β_TPA*WMH[SE]=0.013[0.007], p=0.075; β_OPA*WMH[SE]=0.016[0.009], p=0.065).

Conclusions PA may provide CR to maintain reasoning and speed in face of WMH. Understanding mechanisms underlying this potential reserve is warranted in further studies.

Authors/Disclosures
Suhang Song, PhD PRESENTER	Dr. Song has nothing to disclose.
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Yaakov Stern, PhD (Columbia University Medical Center)	Dr. Stern has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Eisai. Dr. Stern has received intellectual property interests from a discovery or technology relating to health care. Dr. Stern has received publishing royalties from a publication relating to health care.
Yian Gu, PhD	The institution of Dr. Gu has received research support from NIH.

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