Abstract

The allostatic load index quantifies the cumulative multisystem physiological response to chronic everyday stress, and includes cardiovascular, metabolic and inflammatory measures.

Despite its central role in the stress response, research of the effect of allostatic load on the ageing brain has been limited.

We investigated the relation of mid-life allostatic load index and multifactorial predictors of stroke (Framingham stroke risk) and diabetes (metabolic syndrome) with voxelwise structural grey and white matter brain integrity measures in the ageing Whitehall II cohort (N = 349, mean age = 69.6 (SD 5.2) years, N (male) = 281 (80.5%), mean follow-up before scan = 21.4 (SD 0.82) years).

Higher levels of all three markers were significantly associated with lower grey matter density.

Only higher Framingham stroke risk was significantly associated with lower white matter integrity (low fractional anisotropy and high mean diffusivity).

Our findings provide some empirical support for the concept of allostatic load, linking the effect of everyday stress on the body with features of the ageing human brain.

Citations

Enikő Zsoldos, Nicola Filippini, Abda Mahmood, Clare E. Mackay, Archana Singh-Manoux, Mika Kivimäki, Mark Jenkinson & Klaus P. Ebmeier. Allostatic load as a predictor of grey matter volume and white matter integrity in old age: The Whitehall II MRI study. Scientific Reportsvolume 8, Article number: 6411 (2018)

Sponsorship: Work on the Whitehall II imaging sub-study was funded by the “Lifelong Health and Wellbeing” Programme Grant: “Predicting MRI abnormalities with longitudinal data of the Whitehall II Substudy” (UK Medical Research Council: G1001354, PI: KPE), and the HDH Wills 1965 Charitable Trust (Nr: 1117747, PI: KPE). AS-M receives research support from the US National Institutes of Health (R01AG013196, R01AG034454). MK is supported by the UK Medical Research Council (K013351), and the ESRC/NordForsk professional fellowship scheme. CEM and MJ are supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centres (BRC) based at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, and at Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust in partnership with the University of Oxford, respectively.

URI: https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/orka/title/allostatic-load-as-a-predictor-of-grey-matter-volume-and-white-matter-integrity-in-old-age-the-whitehall-ii-mri-study/