Table 3.

Exploratory univariable analyses for the association between extracranial carotid and intracranial arterial stenosis and AD biomarkers in the CN group

AD biomarker	Variables	Presence of any detectable stenosis
		Any extracranial carotid stenosis				Any intracranial stenosis
		Stenosis−	Stenosis+	p value	da	Stenosis−	Stenosis+	p value	d
Aβ biomarker	Global Aβ	1.185 ± 0.245	1.173 ± 0.160	0.810	0.052	1.182 ± 0.243	1.190 ± 0.230	0.782	− 0.037
Neurodegeneration biomarker	AD-CT	2.877 ± 0.170	2.743 ± 0.173	< 0.001*	0.786	2.890 ± 0.171	2.804 ± 0.165	< 0.001*	0.505
	HVa	− 732 ± 810	− 1067 ± 1076	0.066	0.401	− 686 ± 832	− 953 ± 0827	0.017*	0.322
		Presence of stenosis based on severity threshold
		≥ 50% intracranial stenosisb				Number of stenotic intracranial arteries ≥ 2c
		Stenosis−	Stenosis+	p value	d	Stenosis−	Stenosis+	p value	d
Aβ biomarker	Global Aβ	1.179 ± 0.234	1.258 ± 0.293	0.165	− 0.331	1.189 ± 0.242	1.157 ± 0.221	0.409	0.136
Neurodegeneration biomarker	AD-CT	2.871 ± 0.175	2.801 ± 0.136	0.091	0.403	2.882 ± 0.169	2.780 ± 0.178	< 0.001*	0.603
	HVa	− 746 ± 838	− 937 ± 837	0.338	0.228	− 726 ± 840	− 938 ± 810	0.123	0.254
		Presence of stenosis according to location
		Anterior circulation				Posterior circulation
		Stenosis−	Stenosis+	p value	d	Stenosis−	Stenosis+	p value	d
Aβ biomarker	Global Aβ	1.187 ± 0.245	1.175 ± 0.220	0.711	0.052	1.185 ± 0.241	1.175 ± 0.212	0.854	0.042
Neurodegeneration biomarker	AD-CT	2.884 ± 0.172	2.811 ± 0.167	0.002*	0.428	2.876 ± 0.170	2.744 ± 0.181	0.001*	0.772
	HVa	− 710 ± 837	− 911 ± 828	0.082	0.242	− 760 ± 836	− 746 ± 875	0.943	− 0.016

Data for continuous variables presented as means ± SD (SUVR for global Aβ, mm for AD-CT, and mm³ for HVa)

CN cognitively normal, SUVR standardized uptake value ratio, AD-CT Alzheimer’s disease-signature cortical thickness, HVa hippocampal volume adjusted for intracranial volume

^ad indicates Cohen’s delta

^b“Stenosis−” group of “≥ 50% intracranial stenosis” means individuals with no stenosis or < 50% intracranial stenosis

^c“Stenosis−” group of “number of stenotic intracranial arteries ≥ 2” means patients with no stenosis or only one stenotic intracranial artery

*p < 0.05