scholarly journals Caregiver personality predicts rate of cognitive decline in a community sample of persons with Alzheimer's disease. The Cache County Dementia Progression Study

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1629-1637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria C. Norton ◽  
Christine Clark ◽  
Elizabeth B. Fauth ◽  
Kathleen W. Piercy ◽  
Roxane Pfister ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cognitive Status

ABSTRACTBackground:Environmental influences on the rate of Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression have received little attention. Our objective was to test hypotheses concerning associations between caregiver personality traits and the rate of AD progression.Methods:Care receivers (CR) were 161 persons with AD from a population-based dementia progression study; 55 of their caregivers were spouses and 106 were adult children. Cognitive status of the CR was measured with the Mini-Mental State Examination every six months, over an average of 5.6 (range: 1–14) years. Linear mixed models tested rate of cognitive decline as a function of caregiver personality traits from the NEO Five-Factor Inventory.Results:Significantly faster cognitive decline was observed with higher caregiver Neuroticism overall; however, in stratified models, effects were significant for adult child but not spouse caregivers. Neuroticism facets of depression, anxiety, and vulnerability to stress were significantly associated with faster decline. Higher caregiver Extraversion was associated with slower decline in the CR when caregivers were adult children but not spouses.Conclusions:For adult child caregivers, caregiver personality traits are associated with rate of cognitive decline in CRs with AD regardless of co-residency. Results suggest that dementia caregiver interventions promoting positive care management strategies and ways to react to caregiving challenges may eventually become an important complement to pharmacologic and other approaches aimed at slower rate of decline in dementia.

Influence of Educational Attainment on Cognition-Based Intervention Programs for Persons with Mild Alzheimer’s Disease

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 577-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Israel Contador ◽  
Bernardino Fernández-Calvo ◽  
Francisco Ramos ◽  
Javier Olazarán
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Cognitive Intervention ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Disease Assessment

AbstractObjectives: This research retrospectively analyzed the effect of education on cognitive interventions carried out in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: The total sample consisted of 75 patients with mild AD receiving treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors. The participants were divided into two groups: cognitive intervention (IG; n=45) and waiting list (WLG; n=30). Patients in the IG received either the Big Brain Academy (n=15) or the Integrated Psychostimulation Program (n=30) during 12 weeks. The influence of education on intervention effect was analyzed comparing mean change scores of the two study groups in the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog), stratified by educational level. The potential effect of age, sex, cognitive status, and type of intervention was examined using post hoc stratification analyses. Results: Higher education was associated with faster cognitive decline in the WLG (effect size=0.51; p<.01). However, cognitive evolution was not influenced by education in the IG (effect size=0.12; p=.42). Conclusions: Our results suggest that cognitive intervention might delay accelerated cognitive decline in higher educated individuals with mild AD. (JINS, 2016, 23, 1–6)

scholarly journals Factors underlying cognitive decline in old age and Alzheimer’s disease: the role of the hippocampus

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 705-714 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wafa Jaroudi ◽  
Julia Garami ◽  
Sandra Garrido ◽  
Michael Hornberger ◽  
Szabolcs Keri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Personality Factors ◽  
Associated Symptoms ◽  
Lifestyle Patterns

AbstractThere are many factors that strongly influence the aetiology, development, and progression of cognitive decline in old age, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These factors include not only different personality traits and moods but also lifestyle patterns (e.g. exercise and diet) and awareness levels that lead to cognitive decline in old age. In this review, we discuss how personality traits, mood states, and lifestyle impact brain and behaviour in older adults. Specifically, our review shows that these lifestyle and personality factors affect several brain regions, including the hippocampus, a region key for memory that is affected by cognitive decline in old age as well as AD. Accordingly, appropriate recommendations are presented in this review to assist individuals in decreasing chances of MCI, dementia, AD, and associated symptoms.

scholarly journals Predictors of rapid cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease: results from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) study of ageing

2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Sona ◽  
Ping Zhang ◽  
David Ames ◽  
Ashley I. Bush ◽  
Nicola T. Lautenschlager ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Imaging Biomarkers ◽  
Clinical Dementia Rating ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Biological Variables ◽  
Rapid Cognitive Decline

ABSTRACTBackground: The AIBL study, which commenced in November 2006, is a two-center prospective study of a cohort of 1112 volunteers aged 60+. The cohort includes 211 patients meeting NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD) (180 probable and 31 possible). We aimed to identify factors associated with rapid cognitive decline over 18 months in this cohort of AD patients.Methods: We defined rapid cognitive decline as a drop of 6 points or more on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) between baseline and 18-month follow-up. Analyses were also conducted with a threshold of 4, 5, 7 and 8 points, as well as with and without subjects who had died or were too severely affected to be interviewed at 18 months and after, both including and excluding subjects whose AD diagnosis was “possible” AD. We sought correlations between rapid cognitive decline and demographic, clinical and biological variables.Results: Of the 211 AD patients recruited at baseline, we had available data for 156 (73.9%) patients at 18 months. Fifty-one patients were considered rapid cognitive decliners (32.7%). A higher Clinical Dementia Rating scale (CDR) and higher CDR “sum of boxes” score at baseline were the major predictors of rapid cognitive decline in this population. Furthermore, using logistic regression model analysis, patients treated with a cholinesterase inhibitor (CheI) had a higher risk of being rapid cognitive decliners, as did males and those of younger age.Conclusions: Almost one third of patients satisfying established research criteria for AD experienced rapid cognitive decline. Worse baseline functional and cognitive status and treatment with a CheI were the major factors associated with rapid cognitive decline over 18 months in this population.

scholarly journals Gray matter volume and estimated brain age gap are not associated with sleep-disordered breathing in subjects from the ADNI cohort

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahram Mohajer ◽  
Nooshin Abbasi ◽  
Esmaeil Mohammadi ◽  
Habibolah Khazaie ◽  
Ricardo S. Osorio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Sleep Disordered Breathing ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Gray Matter Volume ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Matter Volume ◽  
Disordered Breathing

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are prevalent conditions with rising burden. It is suggested that SDB may contribute to cognitive decline and advanced aging. Here, we assessed the link between self-reported SDB and gray matter volume in patients with AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy controls (HC). We further investigated whether SDB was associated with advanced brain aging. We included a total of 330 participants, divided based on self-reported history of SDB, and matched across diagnoses for age, sex and presence of the ApoE4 allele, from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Gray-matter volume was measured using voxel-wise morphometry and differences reflecting SDB, cognitive status, and their interaction were evaluated. Further, using an age-prediction model fitted on gray-matter data of external datasets, we predicted study participants’ age from their structural scans. Cognitive decline (MCI/AD diagnosis) and advanced age were associated with lower gray matter volume in various regions, particularly in the bilateral temporal lobes. BrainAGE was well predicted from the morphological data in HC and, as expected, elevated in MCI and particularly in AD. However, there was neither a significant difference between regional gray matter volume in any diagnostic group related to the SDB status nor an SDB-by-cognitive status interaction. Also, we found neither a significant difference in BrainAGE gap (estimated - chronological age) related to SDB nor an SDB-by-cognitive status interaction. In summary, contrary to our expectations, we were not able to find a general nor a diagnostic specific effect on either gray-matter volumetric or brain aging.Statement of significanceDementia syndromes including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are a major global concern, and unraveling modifiable predisposing risk factors is indispensable. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and its most prevalent form, obstructive sleep apnea, are suggested as modifiable risk factors of AD, but their contribution to AD hallmarks, like brain atrophy and advanced brain aging, is not clear to this day. While self-reported SDB is suggested to propagate aging process and cognitive decline to AD in clinical studies, here, we demonstrated that, SDB might not necessarily associate to brain atrophy and the advanced brain aging assessed by morphological data, in AD progession. However, multimodal longitudinal studies with polysomnographic assessment of SDB are needed to confirm such fundings.

Blink rate study in patients with Alzheimer's disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Subjective Cognitive Decline

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrizia D’Antonio ◽  
Maria Ilenia De Bartolo ◽  
Gina Ferrazzano ◽  
Micaela Sepe Monti ◽  
Letizia Imbriano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Subjective Cognitive Decline ◽  
Blink Rate ◽  
Compensatory Mechanisms ◽  
Rate Study

Background: Blink rate (BR) is considered a marker of dopaminergic activity in humans. BR is increased in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), but no study has yet investigated whether BR changes with the progression of cognitive decline from MCI to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and whether BR abnormalities are present in subjects with Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD). Objective: The aim of our study was to assess BR in patients with AD, MCI, and SCD and to correlate BR with demographic and clinical features of cognitive decline. Methods: We enrolled 22 subjects with SCD, 23 with MCI, and 18 with AD and a group of 20 age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Cognitive function was assessed by testing global cognitive status and frontal, attentional, memory, verbal, and visuospatial functions. BR was measured by counting the number of blinks per minute. Results: MCI subjects had an increased BR (p<0.001), whereas AD subjects had a lower BR than HCs (p<0.05). Conversely, SCD subjects had a BR similar to HCs. No significant correlations emerged between neuropsychological scores and BR in SCD, MCI, and AD subjects. Conclusion: Increased BR in MCI likely reflects early compensatory mechanisms occurring before AD, whereas decreased BR in AD suggests dopaminergic system involvement in this condition.

Exploring family stigma among caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease: The experiences of Israeli-Arab caregivers

Dementia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 391-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanan Abojabel ◽  
Perla Werner
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Affiliate Stigma ◽  
Attribution Process ◽  
Everyday Reality

Providing care to persons with Alzheimer's disease poses challenges for spouses and adult children, including experiencing stigmatic beliefs towards themselves—i.e., family stigma. Drawing on the frameworks of ethnicity and stigma and ethnicity and dementia, the current study explored stigmatic experiences among Israeli Arab family caregivers of a person with Alzheimer's disease. Three focus groups with 20 caregivers (adult children and spouses) of persons with Alzheimer's disease were conducted. Data were analyzed using theory-led thematic analysis. Caregivers reported experiencing family stigma in two dimensions: public and affiliate stigma, in both the existence of an attribution process in which cognitive stereotypes elicit negative and positive emotions which in turn provoke behavioral attributions, was evident. Family stigma was found to be a discernible feature of everyday reality among Israeli Arab caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease and stress the importance of developing management strategies that are tailored to the socio-cultural characteristics of the caregivers.

scholarly journals The Contribution of Epigenetic Inheritance Processes on Age-Related Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer’s Disease

Epigenomes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Aina Bellver-Sanchis ◽  
Mercè Pallàs ◽  
Christian Griñán-Ferré
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline

During the last years, epigenetic processes have emerged as important factors for many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These complex diseases seem to have a heritable component; however, genome-wide association studies failed to identify the genetic loci involved in the etiology. So, how can these changes be transmitted from one generation to the next? Answering this question would allow us to understand how the environment can affect human populations for multiple generations and explain the high prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD. This review pays particular attention to the relationship among epigenetics, cognition, and neurodegeneration across generations, deepening the understanding of the relevance of heritability in neurodegenerative diseases. We highlight some recent examples of EI induced by experiences, focusing on their contribution of processes in learning and memory to point out new targets for therapeutic interventions. Here, we first describe the prominent role of epigenetic factors in memory processing. Then, we briefly discuss aspects of EI. Additionally, we summarize evidence of how epigenetic marks inherited by experience and/or environmental stimuli contribute to cognitive status offspring since better knowledge of EI can provide clues in the appearance and development of age-related cognitive decline and AD.

scholarly journals Validity Evidence for the Research Category, “Cognitively Unimpaired – Declining,” as a Risk Marker for Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Langhough Koscik ◽  
Bruce P. Hermann ◽  
Samantha Allison ◽  
Lindsay R. Clark ◽  
Erin M. Jonaitis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Operational Definition ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Validity Evidence ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Clinically Significant

While clinically significant cognitive impairment is the key feature of the symptomatic stages of the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) continuum, subtle cognitive decline is now known to occur years before a clinical diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia due to AD is made. The primary aim of this study was to examine criterion validity evidence for an operational definition of “cognitively unimpaired-declining” (CU-D) in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP), a longitudinal cohort study following cognition and risk factors from mid-life and on. Cognitive status was determined for each visit using a consensus review process that incorporated internal norms and published norms; a multi-disciplinary panel reviewed cases first to determine whether MCI or dementia was present, and subsequently whether CU-D was present, The CU-D group differed from CU-stable (CU-S) and MCI on concurrent measures of cognition, demonstrating concurrent validity. Participants who changed from CU-S to CU-D at the next study visit demonstrated greater declines than those who stayed CU-S. In addition, those who were CU-D were more likely to progress to MCI or dementia than those who were CU-S (predictive validity). In a subsample with positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, the CU-D group also differed from the CU-S and MCI/Dementia groups on measures of amyloid and tau burden, indicating that biomarker evidence of AD was elevated in those showing sub-clinical (CU-D) decline. Together, the results corroborate other studies showing that cognitive decline begins long before a dementia diagnosis and indicate that operational criteria can detect subclinical decline that may signal AD or other dementia risk.

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