Table 3.
The 43 clinical and pathological variables used in the multiple regression algorithm to find which indices are associated with variability in mini‐mental status examination scores proximal to death. Items are operationalized as described in the Supporting Information. Most of the clinical variables are dichotomous (1/0), whereas most of the pathological variables were scored on a continuum from zero to one by graded increments. “Advanced coronary artery disease” is defined by having documented myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft and/or coronary artery angioplasty. Abbreviations: ApoE = apolipoprotein E; AFib = atrial fibrillation.
| Clinical indices | Pathological indices |
|---|---|
| Age at death | |
| Sex | Macroinfarct(s)—cortical |
| Education | Cerebral amyloid angiopathy |
| ApoE alleles | Arteriolosclerosis |
| AFib/other cardiac arrhythmia* | Number of microinfarcts |
| Hypertension* | Number of pale infarcts |
| Body mass index | Number of hemorrhagic infarcts |
| Transient ischemic attack(s)* | Number of lacunar infarcts |
| Head trauma* | Subcortical non‐lacunar infarcts |
| Diabetes/takes insulin* | Argyrophilic grains |
| Seizures/epilepsy* | Lewy bodies—isocortical |
| Smoking* | Lewy bodies—brainstem |
| Peripheral vascular disease* | Lewy bodies—medial temporal lobe |
| Advanced coronary artery disease* | Lewy bodies—amygdala only* |
| Cancer* | Isocortical neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) |
| Anxiety* | Isocortical neuritic plaques (NPs) |
| Depression/antidepressant meds* | Isocortical diffuse plaques (DPs) |
| Number of documented drugs | Mesial temporal lobe NFTs |
| Opiates* | Mesial temporal lobe NPs |
| Antipsychotics* | Mesial temporal lobe DPs |
| Barbiturates* | Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) unilateral* |
| Benzodiazepenes* | HS bilateral* |
*
Dichotomous (1 or 0).