摘要目的:分析无症状性颈动脉狭窄（ACAS）老年患者认知功能减退与皮质萎缩的相关性。方法:本研究为横断面研究，连续纳入2020年7月1日—2021年6月30日就诊于扬州大学附属苏北人民医院神经内科经临床和影像学诊断为ACAS的老年患者40例（ACAS组），以及同期在该院进行体检的老年健康对照者40例（对照组）为研究对象。采用简明精神状态检查量表（MMSE）及蒙特利尔认知评估量表（MoCA）对两组研究对象进行认知评估，并对ACAS组进行头部磁共振扫描，应用人工智能技术对脑叶进行分割及皮质体积计算。采用 χ2检验、独立样本 t检验和Wilcoxon非参数检验对两组临床资料和认知评分进行组间分析，对ACAS组大脑两侧皮质体积进行自身对照分析，采用Spearman相关性分析评估ACAS患者认知评分与皮质萎缩的相关性。 结果:ACAS组MMSE、MoCA总评分以及视空间执行能力、注意力与计算力、语言能力、抽象思维、延迟回忆评分均显著低于对照组［（25.60±2.49）比（27.18±1.01）分、（22.05±3.59）比（25.60±1.43）分、（2.73±1.04）比（4.08±0.62）分、（4.53±0.93）比（5.03±0.66）分、2.00（0.00）比3.00（0.00）分、1.00（1.00）比2.00（0.00）分、（2.95±0.96）比（3.35±0.62）分］（均 P<0.05）；两组命名能力、定向力评分差异均无统计学意义（均 P>0.05）。ACAS组颈动脉狭窄侧皮质、颞叶、额叶、顶叶、岛叶体积均显著低于对侧［186.23（24.56）比194.67（19.17）cm 3、54.74（6.29）比55.61（7.25）cm 3、72.98（7.58）比75.27（8.32）cm 3、53.66（6.75）比56.59（7.29）cm 3、6.57（0.72）比6.72（0.88）cm 3］（均 P<0.05）。ACAS组MoCA总评分与两侧皮质体积比值呈正相关（ r=0.427， P<0.01）；其中注意力与计算力（ r=0.353）、抽象思维（ r=0.226）评分与两侧颞叶体积比值，视空间执行能力（ r=0.187）、语言能力（ r=0.373）评分与两侧额叶体积比值，视空间执行能力（ r=0.386）、命名能力（ r=0.344）、语言能力（ r=0.517）、抽象思维（ r=0.335）、延迟回忆（ r=0.333）评分与两侧顶叶体积比值均呈正相关（均 P<0.05）。 结论:ACAS老年患者存在明显的认知功能减退和颈动脉狭窄侧皮质萎缩，且两者之间存在正相关性。

abstractsObjective:To analyze the correlation between cognitive impairment and cortical atrophy in elderly patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (ACAS).Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 40 consecutive elderly patients with ACAS treated in the Department of Neurology, Northern Jiangsu People′s Hospital from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 (ACAS group), and 40 elderly healthy controls who accepted physical examination during the same period (control group) were included. Cognitive assessment was performed using the Mental State Examination Scale (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), and brain magnetic resonance imaging scanning was performed in the ACAS group. The artificial intelligence technique was applied for brain lobe segmentation and cortical volume calculation. The χ2-test, independent sample t-test and Wilcoxon non-parametric test were used to analyze the difference of clinical data and cognitive scores between the two groups. In the ACAS group, the cortical volumes of the side with carotid stenosis was compared with that of the normal side, and Spearman′s correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between cognitive scores and cortical atrophy. Results:Compared with the control group, the ACAS group got significantly lower scores of MMSE and MoCA, as well as lower scores of visuospatial executive function, attention and calculation, language function, abstraction ability and delayed recall [(25.60±2.49) vs (27.18±1.01), (22.05±3.59) vs (25.60±1.43), (2.73±1.04) vs (4.08±0.62), (4.53±0.93) vs (5.03±0.66), 2.00 (0.00) vs 3.00 (0.00), 1.00 (1.00) vs 2.00 (0.00), and (2.95±0.96) vs (3.35±0.62)] (all P<0.05). There was not significant differences in naming and orientation ability between the two groups (both P>0.05). The volume of cortical, temporal lobe, frontal lobe, parietal lobe and insular lobe on the side with carotid stenosis in the ACAS group were significantly smaller than those on the normal side [186.23 (177.97, 202.53) vs 194.67 (185.65, 204.82) cm 3, 54.74 (50.66, 56.95) vs 55.61 (51.24, 58.49) cm 3, 72.98 (70.76, 78.34) vs 75.27 (72.34, 80.66) cm 3, 53.66 (51.11, 57.86) vs 56.59 (52.80, 60.09) cm 3, 6.57 (6.35, 7.07) vs 6.72 (6.46, 7.34) cm 3] (all P<0.05). The MoCA score in the ACAS group was positively related to the cortical volume ratio of the two sides ( r=0.427, P<0.01). The attention ( r=0.353) and abstraction ( r=0.226) ability scores were positively correlated with the temporal lobe volume ratios of the two sides (both P<0.05). The visuospatial executive ( r=0.187) and language ( r=0.373) ability scores were positively correlated with frontal lobe volume ratios of the two sides (both P<0.05), and visuospatial executive ( r=0.386), naming ( r=0.344), language ( r=0.517), abstraction ( r=0.335) and delayed recall ( r=0.333) ability scores were positively correlated with parietal lobe volume ratios of the two sides (all P<0.05). Conclusion:In elderly patients with ACAS, the cognitive impairment and cortical atrophy on the sides with carotid stenosis are significant and a positive correlation is detected between them.