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TL;DR
This is a protocol for a prospective study to investigate if COVID-19 contributes to the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia by impairing neurovascular coupling and increasing white matter damage.
PLOS ONE · 18 authors, 10 centres
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This is a protocol for a prospective study to investigate if COVID-19 contributes to the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia by impairing neurovascular coupling and increasing white matter damage.
This paper details the protocol for a prospective longitudinal observational study aiming to uncover vascular mechanisms for COVID-19-induced progression from MCI to dementia. The methodology involves enrolling patients with MCI at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, following them for 18 months, and performing a battery of vascular and cognitive measurements at baseline and follow-up. Primary analysis will use multiple logistic regression to determine if COVID-19-related impairment in neurovascular coupling and increases in white matter hyperintensity burden contribute to dementia progression. The discussion highlights the study's potential to shed light on cognitive decline predictors and explores potential therapeutic targets like NAD+ supplementation. Limitations noted include the difficulty of maintaining contact in longitudinal studies and the limited capacity of observational studies to establish causation.