Biomechanical response of the CNS is associated with frailty in NPH-suspected patients.
A ValletN Del CampoEmiel O HoogendijkA LokossouO BalédentZ CzosnykaL BalardyPierre PayouxP SwiderSylvie LorthoisE SchmidtPublished in: Journal of neurology (2020)
Frailty is known to predict dementia. However, its link with neurodegenerative alterations of the central nervous system (CNS) is not well understood at present. We investigated the association between the biomechanical response of the CNS and frailty in older adults suspected of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) presenting with markers of multiple co-existing pathologies. The biomechanical response of the CNS was characterized by the CNS elastance coefficient inferred from phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging and intracranial pressure monitoring during a lumbar infusion test. Frailty was assessed with an index of health deficit accumulation. We found a significant association between the CNS elastance coefficient and frailty, with an effect size comparable to that between frailty and age, the latter being the strongest known risk factor for frailty. Results were independent of CSF dynamics, showing that they are not specific to the NPH neuropathological condition. The CNS biomechanical characterization may help to understand how frailty is related to neurodegeneration and detect the shift from normal to pathological brain ageing.
Keyphrases
- community dwelling
- blood brain barrier
- magnetic resonance imaging
- healthcare
- end stage renal disease
- pulmonary embolism
- magnetic resonance
- mental health
- chronic kidney disease
- mild cognitive impairment
- finite element
- white matter
- multiple sclerosis
- brain injury
- contrast enhanced
- cognitive impairment
- mass spectrometry
- cerebral ischemia
- finite element analysis
- resting state