The association of motoric cognitive risk with incident dementia and neuroimaging characteristics: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Introduction: Motoric cognitive risk (MCR), a clinical syndrome characterized by slow gait speed and subjective cognitive complaints, has been associated with dementia risk. The neuropathological features underlying MCR remain poorly understood. Methods: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) community-based cohort study classified participants using standardized criteria as MCR+/– and mild cognitive impairment (MCI)+/– at study baseline (2011–2013). We examined the 5-year dementia risk and baseline brain structural/molecular abnormalities associated with MCR+ and MCI+ status. Results: Of 5023 nondemented participants included, 204 were MCR+ and 1030 were MCI+. Both MCR+ and MCI+ participants demonstrated increased dementia risk. The pattern of structural brain abnormalities associated with MCR+ differed from that of MCI+. Whereas MCI+ was associated with comparatively smaller volumes in brain regions vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease pathology, MCR+ status was associated with smaller volumes in frontoparietal regions and greater white matter abnormalities. Discussion: MCR may represent a predementia syndrome characterized by prominent white matter abnormalities and frontoparietal atrophy.