Vascular Contributions to Neurodegeneration: Protocol of the COMPASS-ND Study

Neurodegeneration has many causes. However, there is increasing evidence that different causes of neurodegeneration share similar molecular mechanisms and converge on shared pathways to cause network dysfunction and cognitive decline. The Comprehensive Assessment of Neurodegeneration and Dementia (COMPASS-ND) study is a Canada-wide prospective cohort study to investigate multiple different causes of neurodegeneration, and their interactions, in a single study. with a comprehensive protocol.

One of the most common contributors to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline is cerebrovascular disease, which can lead to vascular brain lesions that cause cognitive impairment. In this paper, we describe the methods for investigating vascular brain lesions in the COMPASS-ND study, including MRI measurement. Although the overall protocol for COMPASS-ND has been published, it did not include the methods for MRI review and their reliability. Initial findings from the first wave of study 200 participants are presented. We hypothesized that vascular brain injury would be common across all cognitive disorders even if not recognized at the time of enrollment.