Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Introduction: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is associated with cognitive impairment, but its longitudinal course of cognitive decline remains unclear. We investigated domain-specific cognitive trajectories in Dutch-type hereditary (D-CAA) and sporadic CAA (sCAA) to compare patterns and rates of decline. Methods: We included 181 participants – 93 D-CAA mutation carriers (59 without, 34 with prior intracerebral hemorrhage [ICH]) and 88 with sCAA (57 without, 31 with ICH) – who underwent annual neuropsychological assessment. Longitudinal change in global cognition, memory, processing speed, and executive function was analyzed using linear mixed models. Results: Over 5 years, cognitive decline was subtle but measurable. Memory and processing speed declined in D-CAA with prior ICH, whereas D-CAA without ICH and sCAA remained relatively stable. Global cognition showed a modest but significant decline, while executive function remained stable. Discussion: CAA-related cognitive decline appears domain- and stage-dependent, suggesting progressive small-vessel injury rather than acute hemorrhage may drive deterioration.
Keywords
amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, cerebral small-vessel disease (CSVD), cognitive decline, cognitive impairment, Dutch-type cerebral amyloid angiopathy (D-CAA), hereditary CAA, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), neurodegeneration, sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy (sCAA), vascular cognitive impairment
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
7-1-2026
Article Number
e71629
ISSN
15525260
Volume
22
Issue
7
PubMed ID
42360287
Publication Title
Alzheimer's & Dementia
Publisher
Wiley
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
Funding Information
This work was supported by the TRACK D-CAA consortium, the Dutch Heart Foundation (Dekker grant 2016T086), Alzheimer Nederland (Project ID: 642991), and the Dutch Research Council (NWO).
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Van Dort, R., Van Stek‐Smits, V. C. J., Schriemer, S. E., Van Der Zwet, R. G. J., Schipper, M. R., Voigt, S., Hart, E. P., Easwaran, V., Sohrabi, H. R., Taddei, K., Gardener, S. L., Martins, R. N., Greenberg, S. M., Van Osch, M. J. P., Van Walderveen, M. a. A., Wermer, M. J. H., & Van Etten, E. S. (2026). Cognitive decline in Dutch‐type hereditary and sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy: A 5‐year follow‐up study. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 22(7), Article e71629. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71629