In 45,306 UK Biobank participants, a larger choroid plexus and lower MRI signal intensity in that structure were associated with higher dementia risk during follow-up. The choroid plexus helps produce cerebrospinal fluid; this was not a test of the fluid itself.
Three things to remember
- Researchers recorded 118 dementia cases over an average 4.3 years.
- Each standard-deviation larger plexus volume tracked a 61% higher adjusted risk.
- The MRI measures are research markers, not a dementia screening test.
Source
This signal is based on Brain fluid structure may flag future dementia risk years before diagnosis from Medical Xpress Healthy Aging.
Primary study: Molecular Psychiatry — The choroid plexus, cognitive decline, and incident dementia.
Health note: The cohort was large, but only 118 participants developed dementia during the relatively short follow-up. The association needs replication before it can guide individual care.