The association of Aβ amyloid and composite cognitive measures in healthy older adults and MCI

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1667-1677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karra D. Harrington ◽  
Yen Ying Lim ◽  
Kathryn A. Ellis ◽  
Carly Copolov ◽  
David Darby ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackground:To date evidence of the relationship between cognition and Aβ amyloid during the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) has been inconsistent. This study aimed to describe the nature and magnitude of the relationship between Aβ amyloid and cognitive performance of individuals without dementia.Methods:Composite cognitive measures were developed from the Australian Imaging Biomarkers and Lifestyle study neuropsychological test battery using data from 768 healthy older adults and 133 adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A subgroup of this sample (174 healthy, 53 MCI) underwent neuroimaging for Aβ amyloid.Results:Within the MCI group individuals with high Aβ amyloid showed selective impairment for memory compared with those with low Aβ amyloid; however, this difference was not evident in the healthy group.Conclusions:The current findings provide further evidence of the relationship between Aβ amyloid and cognition, with memory impairment being the primary symptom of the underlying disease during the prodromal phases of AD.

2014 ◽  
Vol 204 (5) ◽  
pp. 400-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Pietrzak ◽  
J. Cobb Scott ◽  
Alexander Neumeister ◽  
Yen Ying Lim ◽  
David Ames ◽  
...  

SummaryAlthough beta-amyloid, anxiety and depression have been linked cross-sectionally to reduced memory function in healthy older adults without dementia, prospective data evaluating these associations are lacking. Using data from an observational cohort study of 178 healthy older adults without dementia followed for 3 years, we found that anxiety symptoms significantly moderated the relationship between beta-amyloid level and decline in verbal (Cohen's d = 0.65) and episodic (Cohen's d = 0.38) memory. Anxiety symptoms were additionally linked to greater decline in executive function, irrespective of beta-amyloid and other risk factors. These findings suggest that interventions to mitigate anxiety symptoms may help delay memory decline in otherwise healthy older adults with elevated beta-amyloid.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha L. Gardener ◽  
Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith ◽  
Victor L. Villemagne ◽  
Jurgen Fripp ◽  
Vincent Doré ◽  
...  

Background: Worldwide, coffee is one of the most popular beverages consumed. Several studies have suggested a protective role of coffee, including reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, there is limited longitudinal data from cohorts of older adults reporting associations of coffee intake with cognitive decline, in distinct domains, and investigating the neuropathological mechanisms underpinning any such associations.Methods: The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between self-reported habitual coffee intake, and cognitive decline assessed using a comprehensive neuropsychological battery in 227 cognitively normal older adults from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers, and Lifestyle (AIBL) study, over 126 months. In a subset of individuals, we also investigated the relationship between habitual coffee intake and cerebral Aβ-amyloid accumulation (n = 60) and brain volumes (n = 51) over 126 months.Results: Higher baseline coffee consumption was associated with slower cognitive decline in executive function, attention, and the AIBL Preclinical AD Cognitive Composite (PACC; shown reliably to measure the first signs of cognitive decline in at-risk cognitively normal populations), and lower likelihood of transitioning to mild cognitive impairment or AD status, over 126 months. Higher baseline coffee consumption was also associated with slower Aβ-amyloid accumulation over 126 months, and lower risk of progressing to “moderate,” “high,” or “very high” Aβ-amyloid burden status over the same time-period. There were no associations between coffee intake and atrophy in total gray matter, white matter, or hippocampal volume.Discussion: Our results further support the hypothesis that coffee intake may be a protective factor against AD, with increased coffee consumption potentially reducing cognitive decline by slowing cerebral Aβ-amyloid accumulation, and thus attenuating the associated neurotoxicity from Aβ-amyloid-mediated oxidative stress and inflammatory processes. Further investigation is required to evaluate whether coffee intake could be incorporated as a modifiable lifestyle factor aimed at delaying AD onset.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingzhu Hou ◽  
Marianne de Chastelaine ◽  
Manasi Jayakumar ◽  
Brian E. Donley ◽  
Michael D. Rugg

AbstractPrior fMRI studies have reported relationships between memory-related activity in the hippocampus and in-scanner memory performance, but whether such activity is predictive of longitudinal memory change remains unclear. Here, we administered a neuropsychological test battery to a sample of cognitively healthy older adults on three occasions, the second and third sessions occurring one month and three years after the first session. Structural and functional MRI data were acquired between the first two sessions. The fMRI data were derived from an associative recognition procedure and allowed estimation of hippocampal effects associated with both successful associative encoding and successful associative recognition (recollection). Baseline memory performance and memory change were evaluated using memory component scores derived from a principal components analysis of the neuropsychological test scores. Across participants, right hippocampal encoding effects correlated significantly with baseline memory performance after controlling for chronological age. Additionally, both left and right hippocampal associative recognition effects correlated significantly with longitudinal memory change after controlling for age, and the relationship with the left hippocampal effect remained after also controlling for left hippocampal volume. Thus, in cognitively healthy older adults, the magnitude of hippocampal recollection effects appears to be a robust predictor of future memory change.


Author(s):  
Maxime Lussier ◽  
Kathia Saillant ◽  
Tudor Vrinceanu ◽  
Carol Hudon ◽  
Louis Bherer

Abstract Objective The objective of this study is to provide normative data for a tablet-based dual-task assessment in older adults without cognitive deficits. Method In total, 264 participants aged between 60 and 90 years, French and English-speaking, were asked to perform two discrimination tasks, alone and concurrently. The participants had to answer as fast as possible to one or two images appearing in the center of the tablet by pressing to the corresponding buttons. Normative data are provided for reaction time (RT), coefficient of variation, and accuracy. Analyses of variance were performed by trial types (single-pure, single-mixed, dual-mixed), and linear regressions assessed the relationship between performance and sociodemographic characteristics. Results The participants were highly educated and a large proportion of them were women (73.9%). The accuracy on the task was very high across all blocks. RT data revealed both a task-set cost and a dual-task cost between the blocks. Age was associated with slower RT and with higher coefficient of variability. Men were significantly slower on dual-mixed trials, but their coefficient of variability was lower on single-pure trials. Education was not associated with performance. Conclusions This study provides normative data for a tablet-based dual-task assessment in older adults without cognitive impairment, which was lacking. All participants completed the task with good accuracy in less than 15 minutes and thus, the task is transferable to clinical and research settings.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 887-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew F. Warren ◽  
Michael J. Serby ◽  
David M. Roane

ABSTRACTIn this article, the literature examining the relationship between testosterone and various cognitive domains in elderly men is reviewed. The review focuses on the role of endogenous testosterone levels and the effects of androgen depletion and replacement. The cognitive domains most commonly linked to testosterone include memory and visuospatial function. Indeed, the literature suggests that in certain conditions (ie, hypogonadism, cognitive impairment) testosterone levels may be significantly associated with memory and visuospatial function, but not other cognitive functions. Studies with larger sample sizes and more sensitive cognitive measures are indicated, as questions remain about the potential role of testosterone as a cognitive enhancer.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0257815
Author(s):  
Dalia Sabra ◽  
Brittany Intzandt ◽  
Laurence Desjardins-Crepeau ◽  
Antoine Langeard ◽  
Christopher J. Steele ◽  
...  

It is well established that sex differences exist in the manifestation of vascular diseases. Arterial stiffness (AS) has been associated with changes in cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) and cognitive decline in aging. Specifically, older adults with increased AS show a decline on executive function (EF) tasks. Interestingly, the relationship between AS and CVR is more complex, where some studies show decreased CVR with increased AS, and others demonstrate preserved CVR despite higher AS. Here, we investigated the possible role of sex on these hemodynamic relationships. Acquisitions were completed in 48 older adults. Pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) data were collected during a hypercapnia challenge. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) data was acquired using cine phase contrast velocity series. Cognitive function was assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, and a composite score for EF was calculated using four cognitive tests from the neuropsychological battery. A moderation model test revealed that sex moderated the relationship between PWV and CVR and PWV and EF, but not between CVR and EF. Together, our results indicate that the relationships between central stiffness, cerebral hemodynamics and cognition are in part mediated by sex.


2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 405-412
Author(s):  
Stelios Zygouris ◽  
Paraskevi Iliadou ◽  
Eftychia Lazarou ◽  
Dimitrios Giakoumis ◽  
Konstantinos Votis ◽  
...  

Background: Literature supports the use of serious games and virtual environments to assess cognitive functions and detect cognitive decline. This promising assessment method, however, has not yet been translated into self-administered screening instruments for pre-clinical dementia. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the performance of a novel self-administered serious game-based test, namely the Virtual Supermarket Test (VST), in detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in a sample of older adults with subjective memory complaints (SMC), in comparison with two well-established screening instruments, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Methods: Two groups, one of healthy older adults with SMC (N = 48) and one of MCI patients (N = 47) were recruited from day centers for cognitive disorders and administered the VST, the MoCA, the MMSE, and an extended pencil and paper neuropsychological test battery. Results: The VST displayed a correct classification rate (CCR) of 81.91% when differentiating between MCI patients and older adults with SMC, while the MoCA displayed of CCR of 72.04% and the MMSE displayed a CCR of 64.89%. Conclusion: The three instruments assessed in this study displayed significantly different performances in differentiating between healthy older adults with SMC and MCI patients. The VST displayed a good CCR, while the MoCA displayed an average CCR and the MMSE displayed a poor CCR. The VST appears to be a robust tool for detecting MCI in a population of older adults with SMC.


2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482091154
Author(s):  
Rebekah J. Walker ◽  
Emma Garacci ◽  
Jennifer A. Campbell ◽  
Melissa Harris ◽  
Elise Mosley-Johnson ◽  
...  

Aim: To examine the relationship between multiple measures of financial hardship and glycemic control in older adults with diabetes. Methods: Using data from Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we investigated four measures of financial hardship: difficulty paying bills, ongoing financial strain, decreasing food intake due to money, and taking less medication due to cost. Using linear regression models, we investigated the relationship between each measure, and a cumulative score of hardships per person, on glycemic control (HbA1c). Results: After adjustment, a significant relationship existed with each increasing number of hardships associated with increasing HbA1c (0.09, [95%CI 0.04, 0.14]). Difficulty paying bills (0.25, [95%CI 0.14, 0.35]) and decreased medication usage due to cost (0.17, [95%CI 0.03, 0.31]) remained significantly associated with HbA1c. Conclusion: In older adults, difficulty paying bills and cost-related medication nonadherence is associated with glycemic control, and every additional financial hardship was associated with an increased HbA1c by nearly 0.1%.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 493-493
Author(s):  
Hayley Young ◽  
Diane Clayton ◽  
Natalie Masis ◽  
Chantelle Gaylor ◽  
David Benton

Abstract Objectives The study examined the long-term effects of a botanical supplement containing cinnamon, turmeric/curcumin, chromium and alpha-lipoic acid on blood glucose (BG), blood lipids and cognitive measures of healthy, older adults. Methods Healthy, older adults aged 51 to 79 years (N = 30, 16 females, 14 males) were randomized to consume either 4 tablets/day of the active dietary supplement (1400 mg blend of cinnamon [Cinnamomum cassia bark extract], curcumin, turmeric [Curcumin Longa L. root extract and powder]; chromium and alpha-lipoic acid) or a placebo for three months in a double-blind between-subjects trial. At monthly intervals participants completed a 3.0-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). BG and blood lipids were measured at baseline and half-hour intervals, and subjects performed a battery of cognitive tests. Results After the two- and three-month time point there was a trend for a greater fall in BG in those taking the supplement. However, at completion of the study there were no statistically significant overall effects of supplementation on either BG levels or hemoglobin A1c. There was a positive effect of the supplement on total cholesterol and for individuals who had poorer glucose control (F(1, 16) = 12.86, P < 0.002). Results from the cognitive assessments indicated significant differences in word recall for the participants consuming the active dietary supplement (F(1, 26) = 5.74, P < 0.02). Measures of focused attention revealed significant improvements in reaction times in the group receiving the supplement (F(1, 26) = 4.48, P < 0.04). Conclusions These findings suggest that the chronic ingestion of a dietary supplement containing cinnamon and curcumin/turmeric extracts, chromium and alpha-lipoic acid positively impacts blood lipids as well as aspects of cognitive performance in healthy individuals assessed during an OGTT. Funding Sources NeoLife International, LLC, Fremont, CA, USA.


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