Cerebral white matter lesions, subjective cognitive failures, and objective neurocognitive functioning: A follow-up study in women after hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

Figures & data

Table 1. Overview of participant characteristics.

Characteristic	(Pre)eclampsia (n = 90)	Controls (n = 47)	p
Age (years): M (SD)	39 (6.6)	40 (7.3)	.38
Ethnicity (n Caucasian): n (%)	88 (98)	45 (98)	.74
Elapsed time since index pregnancy (years): Mdn (min–max)	6 (1–20)	6 (1–27)	.50
Birth weight of newborn (g): Mdn (min–max)	1572 (300–4470)	3520 (2210–4620)	<.01
EGA at delivery (weeks): Mdn (min–max)	32^+3 (22–41)	40 (36^+1–42^+3)	<.01
Preterm (pre)eclampsia <37 weeks: n (%)	62 (69)
Nulliparous at index pregnancy: n (%)	69 (77)	21 (45)	<.01
Level of education			.26
Average: n (%)	38 (42)	16 (35)
High: n (%)	52 (58)	30 (65)
Current systolic blood pressure (mmHg): Mdn (min–max)	125 (100–175)^a	120 (95–158)^b	<.01
Current diastolic blood pressure (mmHg): Mdn (min–max)	80 (60–110)^a	75 (60–95)^b	<.01
Current hypertension: n (%)	30 (37)^a	5 (11)^b	<.01
Migraine: n (%)	26 (29)	11 (23)	.47
Smoking: n (%)	14 (16)	9 (19)	.61

Note. EGA = estimated gestational age.

^an = 81. ^bn = 45.

Table 2. White matter lesions and the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire in (pre)eclampsia and controls.

Characteristic	Pre(eclampsia) (n = 90)		Controls (n = 47)		p
Subcortical WML: n (%)	32 (36)		10 (21)		.06
WML volume in WML positive women (ml): Mdn(min–max)	0.11 (0.004–2.29)		0.11 (0.02–0.12)		.51
Periventricular WML: n (%)	4 (4)		0 (0)		.18
Infarcts: n (%)	6 (7)		1 (2)		.25
CFQ Total score: M (SD)	44 (16.1)		36 (11.0)		<.001
HADS Total score: M (SD)	11 (6.3)		8 (5.5)		<.001
	WML (n = 32)	No WML (n = 58)	WML (n = 10)	No WML (n = 37)
CFQ Total score: M (SD)	44 (15.0)	45 (16.7)	33 (8.0)	37 (11.7)
HADS Total score: M (SD)	12 (6.5)	11 (6.2)	6 (5.1)	9 (5.5)
	Preterm (pre)eclampsia (n = 62)		Controls (n = 47)
Subcortical WML: n (%)	25 (40)		10 (21)		.03

Note. WML = white matter lesions; CFQ = Cognitive Failures Questionnaire; HADS = Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Table 3. Multivariate analysis of neurocognitive test domains.

				Pre(eclampsia) (n = 90)		Controls (n = 47)
Cognitive domain	Function	Test	Measure	WML (n = 32)	No WML (n = 58)	WML (n = 10)	No WML (n = 37)	F(3, 131)^a	p	Effect size η^2p
Visual perception and speed of information processing
WML								0.28	.93	.01
Group								0.87	.51	.03
WML × Group								0.51	.77	.02
	Perceptual closure	Dutch Incomplete Figures Test (GIT-2)	Total score (accuracy)	13 (2.9)	13 (2.8)	13 (2.9)	13 (3.0)
	Visual perceptual speed	Digit Symbol Coding (WAIS–III–NL)	Total score (accuracy)	81 (14.9)	83 (12.7)	82 (15.3)	81 (13.0)
		Symbol Search (WAIS–III–NL)	Total score (accuracy)	36 (6.4)	37 (3.8)	38 (9.2)	38 (7.5)
		Stroop Color–Word Test	Part 1: Word Reading (time)	44 (5.9)	45 (9.6)	44 (10.1)	42 (7.3)
			Part 2: Color Naming (time)	55 (8.8)	56 (10.7)	53 (7.3)	54 (8.7)
Motor functions
WML								0.79	.50	.02
Group								2.36	.07	.05
WML × Group								1.97	.12	.04
	Visuomotor speed	Grooved Pegboard	Score dominant hand (time)	67 (9.4)	65 (9.7)	67 (14.2)	64 (6.5)
			Score nondominant hand (time)	71 (9.2)	74 (12.2)	77 (17.8)	71 (10.8)
		Trail Making Test (D-KEFS)	Part 5: Motor Speed (time)	21 (1.3)	25 (1.5)	20 (1.2)	20 (1.3)
Working memory (WM)
WML								1.00	.39	.02
Group								0.94	.42	.02
WML × Group								0.77	.51	0..02
	Visuospatial WM	Corsi Block-Tapping Test	Total product score (accuracy)	103 (31.7)	97 (26.0)	108 (25.3)	107 (25.7)
	Verbal WM	Digit Span (WAIS–III–NL)	Total score (accuracy)	15 (3.3)	15 (3.2)	16 (4.2)	15 (3.6)
		Letter–Number Sequencing (WAIS–III–NL)	Total score (accuracy)	11 (1.7)	10 (1.8)	12 (2.5)	10 (2.1)
Long-term memory (LTM)
WML								1.06	.35	.02
Group								0.03	.98	.00
WML × Group								0.39	.68	.01
	Visuospatial LTM	Location Learning Test	Total score (accuracy)	18 (13.2)	16 (14.6)	19 (12.5)	14 (12.9)
	Verbal LTM	15-Word Learning Test	Total score (accuracy)	46 (6.9)	46 (7.8)	45 (9.0)	48 (8.4)
Attention
WML								0.57	.64	.01
Group								0.21	.89	.01
WML × Group								0.61	.61	.01
	Visual scanning	Trail Making Test (D-KEFS)	Part 1: Visual Scanning (time)	18 (1.2)	18 (1.3)	18 (1.4)	19 (1.4)
	Visual scanning and sequencing	Trail Making Test (D-KEFS)	Part 2: Number Sequencing (time)	28 (1.3)	27 (1.4)	27 (1.6)	27 (1.4)
			Part 3: Letter Sequencing (time)	25 (1.3)	27 (1.3)	26 (1.4)	25 (1.4)
Executive functioning
WML								1.51	.19	.04
Group								1.17	.33	.06
WML × Group								1.08	.37	.04
	Inhibitory control	Stroop Color–Word Test	Part 3: Inhibitory Control (time)	86 (16.7)	84 (26.5)	82 (18.8)	81 (16.4)
	Divided attention and cognitive flexibility	Trail Making Test (D-KEFS)	Part 4: Number–Letter Switching (time)	68 (1.4)	64 (1.3)	59 (1.4)	62 (1.4)
	Verbal fluency	Verbal fluency task	Total score (accuracy)	44 (9.3)	44 (9.7)	41 (10.4)	46 (10.9)
	Visuospatial fluency	Figure fluency task	Total score (accuracy)	98 (18.7)	97 (21.5)	110 (23.9)	98 (15.0)
	Planning	Tower test (D-KEFS)	Total performance score (accuracy)	18 (3.6)	18 (3.8)	19 (1.9)	18 (3.7)

Note. Results are expressed as mean (SD); time is in seconds. WML = white matter lesions; WM = working memory; LTM = long-term memory; WAIS–III–NL = Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Third Edition, Dutch Version; D-KEFS = Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System.

^aTwo-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) test statistics of between-group effect.