Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Analysis and Neurocognitive Assessment of Children and Young Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) \"NiCK\" Study

The NiCK Study is a cross-sectional study examining neurocognitive and neuroimaging differences in children and young adults (ages 8–25) with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) compared to healthy controls. It includes 90 CKD participants (at various stages, including dialysis and post-transplant) and 70 matched controls. Assessments involve neurocognitive testing, clinical evaluations, and MRI scans to analyze brain structure, functional connectivity, and blood flow. A longitudinal component follows CKD participants with significant kidney function changes, such as dialysis transitions or transplants, with repeat testing at least six months later. To control for test familiarity effects, a group with stable kidney function will also be retested. The study aims to identify neurocognitive differences in CKD, explore how anemia, hypertension, and kidney function impact the brain, and improve understanding of CKD-related cognitive impairments. Cognitive changes have been reported in adults and children with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). A number of factors including low glomerular filtration rate (GFR), CKD associated anemia, or hypertension (HTN) may be responsible for these changes. To identify the causal mechanisms underlying the reported neurological consequences of CKD, this project uses multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive testing in a cross-sectional prospective cohort study.NiCK研究是一项横断面研究，旨在对比慢性肾脏病（Chronic Kidney Disease, CKD）患儿及青年群体（年龄8至25岁）与健康对照人群的神经认知与神经影像差异。本研究纳入90名CKD受试者（涵盖不同疾病分期，包括透析及肾移植术后人群）与70名匹配对照受试者。评估内容涵盖神经认知测试、临床评估以及磁共振成像（Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI）扫描，用于分析脑结构、功能连接与脑血流情况。此外，本研究设置纵向随访队列：对肾功能发生显著变化的CKD受试者（如透析方案转换或接受肾移植的人群）开展至少6个月后的重复评估；为控制测试熟悉性带来的评估偏倚，本研究同时对肾功能稳定的CKD受试者进行重复测试。本研究旨在明确CKD患者的神经认知差异，探究贫血、高血压及肾功能水平对大脑的影响机制，并加深对CKD相关性认知损害的理解。 已有研究报道，慢性肾脏病（Chronic Kidney Disease, CKD）成人与儿童患者均存在认知功能改变。低肾小球滤过率（glomerular filtration rate, GFR）、CKD相关性贫血或高血压（hypertension, HTN）等诸多因素，或为该类认知改变的诱因。为明确CKD神经功能损害的潜在因果机制，本项目采用横断面前瞻性队列研究设计，结合多模态磁共振成像（multimodal magnetic resonance imaging, MRI）与认知测试开展相关研究。