Carotid artery calcification score and its association with cognitive impairment.

Purpose: To retrospectively investigate the possible association between carotid artery calcification score (CS) and cognitive impairment in carotid artery stenosis (CAS) patients.

Patients and methods: Carotid artery was measured in 102 patients with cervical carotid arteries using Color Doppler ultrasound, multi-detector row spiral CT angiography and MRI scanning. Correlation analysis between CSs obtained by MD CT and cognitive scores was performed, and the correlation between CSs and vascular stenosis degree and MRI-measured plaque histological (lipid-rich necrotic nucleus [LRNC], intraplaque hemorrhage and fibrous cap surface rupture) and morphological parameters (lumen area [LA], wall area [WA], total area of blood vessels [TVA], plaque burden [PB]) was analyzed. Follow-up review analysis was conducted on 38 postoperative patients.

Results: Significant negative correlation was discovered between CS value and cognitive scores in CAS patients ( R =-0.359, P <0.001), which did not exist in postoperative patients ( P =0.348); CS value also showed significant correlation with WA ( R =0.521, P =0.042), TVA ( R =0.215, P =0.017) and PB ( R =0.237, P =0.003) and had a certain predictive value for the occurrence probability of carotid plaque LRNC ( P =0.029, AUC =0.780) in preoperative patients.

Conclusion: Carotid artery CSs have significant correlation with cognitive scores, which could be used as risk factor for early screening of cognitive impairment in CAS patients. The possible mechanism may be related to the calcification impact on the plaque burden.