Why the study?
Carotid atherosclerosis frequently occurs in asymptomatic individuals and may contribute to cerebral parenchymal damage and cognitive dysfunction, prompting a review of the mechanisms and evidence linking its various forms to cognitive impairment.
Does asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis contribute to cognitive dysfunction and dementia?
Does asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis contribute to cognitive dysfunction and dementia?
This review highlights the potential mechanistic links and scientific evidence associating asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis with cognitive impairment and dementia.
Should not yet change clinical practice for asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis; leaves open causality and requires prospective studies.
The development of cognitive dysfunction and dementia is a complex, multifactorial process. One of the contributors to various types of cognitive dysfunction is carotid atherosclerosis which can frequently be seen in asymptomatic individuals. There are a number of different manifestations of asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis including arterial stiffness, carotid intima-media thickening, flow-limiting stenosis, and complex, atherosclerotic plaque. Each of these forms of atherosclerosis may contribute to cerebral parenchymal damage, contributing to cognitive dysfunction. In this review article, we will discuss each of these forms of carotid atherosclerosis, present the potential mechanistic underpinnings behind an association, and then review the scientific evidence supporting potential associations to cognitive dysfunction and dementia.
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Baradaran et al. (2021) studied this question.
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