Carotid ultrasound markers of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease

Objective

To investigate the relationship between carotid artery flow changes and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients using carotid artery.

Methods

A total of 65 AD patients admitted between January 2022 and January 2024 were included as the AD group. Additionally, 30 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 30 healthy individuals were enrolled as the MCI and healthy control groups, respectively. All participants underwent carotid color Doppler ultrasonography to assess intima-media thickness (IMT) and peak systolic velocity (PSV) in the bilateral common carotid arteries (CCA) and internal carotid arteries (ICA). Correlations between Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and IMT/PSV values were also analyzed.

Results

IMT values were significantly higher in both the AD and MCI groups compared to the healthy group (P < 0.05), and were also higher in the AD group than in the MCI group (P < 0.05). L-CCA PSV values were significantly increased in the AD and MCI groups compared to controls (P < 0.05), with higher values in the AD group than in the MCI group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in R-CCA or bilateral ICA PSV values across the groups (P > 0.05). In AD patients, left and right IMT values and L-CCA PSV were significantly correlated with cognitive impairment (P < 0.05). Pearson analysis revealed negative correlations between MMSE scores and left/right IMT and L-CCA PSV values (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Carotid artery ultrasound is a kind of efficient and valuable examination means, which can be widely used in the early diagnosis of AD patients. Carotid ultrasound is an effective tool for early AD diagnosis. Elevated IMT and L-CCA PSV values in AD and MCI patients suggest that carotid blood flow alterations may be associated with cognitive decline in AD.