Journal of Nanomedicine & Biotherapeutic Discovery
Open Access

Abstract

Brain Volume and White Matter Lesions Associated with Sarcopenia in Older Patients

Tomohiko Sato*, Akito Tsugawa, Daisuke Hirose, Yusuk Ogawa, Yoshitsugu Kaneko, Naoto Takenoshita, Kentaro Hirao, Hidekazu Kanetaka, Haruo Hanyu and Soichiro Shimizu

Background: Sarcopenia reduces activities of daily living in older individuals and has been attracting attention as a cause of needing nursing care. A relationship between white matter damage and sarcopenia has been suggested, but the details remain unclear. Here, we investigated the relationship between brain volume and sarcopenia in older patients who visited an outpatient memory clinic.

Methods: A total of 218 older patients (Mean age: 80.3 ± 6.6 years) who visited our outpatient memory clinic completed the Mini-Mental State Examination and Geriatric Depression Scale-15. Height, weight, grip strength, muscle strength (measured by bioimpedance), and walking speed were determined. Sarcopenia was assessed using the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia diagnostic criteria. From magnetic resonance images of the head, Total Brain Volume (TV) and white matter lesion (deep and subcortical white matter hyperintensities and Periventricular Hyperintensities (PVH) volume were determined using Brain Anatomical Analysis using Diffeomorphic deformation voxel-based analysis software. The relationship between the presence of sarcopenia and brain volume was compared.

Results: Of the 218 patients, 111 had and 107 did not have sarcopenia; thus, approximately half of the outpatients with memory loss had sarcopenia. TV, but not white matter lesions, differed significantly between the non-sarcopenia (982 ± 103 ml) and sarcopenia (921 ± 83 ml) groups. After adjusting for the confounding factors of age, sex, body mass index, Mini-Mental State Examination score, and Geriatric Depression Scale-15 score, we found significant differences in TV, PVH, and sarcopenia between the groups.

Conclusion: In this study, we found an association of PVH and TV with sarcopenia. Some of the factors contributing to sarcopenia have been identified and may help in future interventions for sarcopenia.

Published Date: 2024-04-19; Received Date: 2024-03-18