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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2025 May 1.
Published in final edited form as: Int Psychogeriatr. 2024 Apr 19;36(11):1051–1063. doi: 10.1017/S1041610224000607

Table 2.

Odds of having neuropsychiatric symptoms by white matter hyperintensities (WMH) status among older, cognitively unimpaired adults. The group with the lowest cardiovascular health study (CHS) score (<5) was used as reference.

Variable Pooled P-value CHS score: 5–6
OR (95%CI)
P-value CHS score: 7–8
OR (95%CI)
P-value
Adjusted analyses
Psychotic symptoms p= 1.000 0.95 (0.27 – 3.34) .936 NA .998
Depression p= .144 0.93 (0.65 – 1.33) .694 2.14 (0.98 – 4.70) .057
Anxiety p= .034 1.07 (0.75 – 1.53) .707 2.74 (1.28 – 5.88) .010
Agitation p= .049 1.06 (0.60 – 1.86) .843 3.51 (1.29 – 9.54) .014
Disinhibition p= .011 1.94 (1.05 – 3.61) .035 4.42 (1.28 – 15.32) .019
Irritability p= .540 1.01 (0.69 – 1.49) .963 1.68 (0.67 – 4.18) .267
Elation p= .002 0.34 (0.05 – 2.93) .360 9.87 (2.63 – 37.10) <.001
Apathy p= .608 0.96 (0.54 – 1.68) .873 1.85 (0.54 – 6.38) .330
Motor symptoms p= .814 0.89 (0.31 – 2.56) .830 1.86 (0.24 – 14.53) .554
Appetite disorders p= .164 1.32 (0.81 – 2.16) .266 2.44 (0.83 – 7.15) .105
Night-time behaviours p= .162 1.27 (0.88 – 1.81) .198 1.91 (0.81 – 4.49) .137
Unadjusted analyses
Psychotic symptoms p= .839 1.08 (0.33 – 3.54) p= .904 NA .564
Depression p= .209 0.89 (0.64 – 1.22) p= .450 1.77 (0.86 – 3.62) .116
Anxiety p= .043 1.04 (0.76 – 1.43) p= .799 2.38 (1.18 – 4.79) .012
Agitation p= .128 0.95 (0.57 – 1.57) p= .830 2.54 (0.99 – 6.55) .061
Disinhibition p= .059 1.58 (0.89 – 2.80) p= .112 2.95 (0.90 – 9.72) .062
Irritability p= .397 0.97 (0.69 – 1.35) p= .840 1.69 (0.78 – 3.68) .182
Elation p< .001 0.33 (0.04 – 2.38) p= .243 8.84 (2.60 – 30.04) < .001
Apathy p= .774 1.11 (0.69 – 1.78) p= .670 1.43 (0.44 – 4.66) .555
Motor symptoms p= .883 0.87 (0.35 – 2.17) p= .757 1.47 (0.20 – 10.87) .703
Appetite disorders p= .059 1.35 (0.86 – 2.11) p= .191 2.60 (1.01 – 6.70) .040
Night-time behaviours p= .162 1.12 (0.81 – 1.55) p= .512 1.97 (0.94 – 4.15) .069

Bold denotes statistically significant differences between the two groups; between group differences were considered significant only if among group differences were significant as well – p-value for among group differences in provided by each NPS; analyses were adjusted for age, education, MMSE scores, sex, race and vascular risk factors; OR: odds ratio; CI: confidence interval; NA: non-applicable – no participant with extensive WMH had psychotic symptoms.