scholarly journals Schizophrenia polygenic risk predicts general cognitive deficit but not cognitive decline in healthy older adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrianna P. Kępińska ◽  
James H. MacCabe ◽  
Dorina Cadar ◽  
Andrew Steptoe ◽  
Robin M. Murray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Genetic Susceptibility ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Cognitive Deficit ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Rate Of Decline

AbstractThere has been a long argument over whether schizophrenia is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with progressive cognitive impairment. Given high heritability of schizophrenia, ascertaning if genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia is also associated with cognitive decline in healthy people would support the view that schizophrenia leads to an accelerated cognitive decline. Using the population representative sample of 6817 adults aged >50 years from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, we investigated associations between the biennial rate of decline in cognitive ability and the schizophrenia polygenic score (SZ-PGS) during the 10-year follow-up period. SZ-PGS was calculated based on summary statistics from the Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. Cognition was measured sequentially across four time points using verbal memory and semantic fluency tests. The average baseline verbal memory was 10.4 (SD = 3.4) and semantic fluency was 20.7 (SD = 6.3). One standard deviation (1-SD) increase in SZ-PGS was associated with lower baseline semantic fluency (β = −0.25, 95%CI = −0.40 to −0.10, p = 0.002); this association was significant in men (β = −0.36, 95%CI = −0.59 to −0.12, p = 0.003) and in those who were aged 60–69 years old (β = −0.32, 95%CI = −0.58 to −0.05, p = 0.019). Similarly, 1-SD increase in SZ-PGS was associated with lower verbal memory score at baseline in men only (β = −0.12, 95%CI = −0.23 to −0.01, p = 0.040). However, SZ-PGS was not associated with a greater rate of decline in these cognitive domains during the 10-year follow-up. Our findings highlight that while genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia conveys developmental cognitive deficit, it is not associated with an ongoing cognitive decline, at least in later life. These results do not support the neo-Kraepelinian notion of schizophrenia as a genetically determined progressively deteriorating brain disease.

scholarly journals Neuropsychological outcomes of subtemporal selective amygdalohippocampectomy via a small craniotomy

2016 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng-Fan Yang ◽  
Hui-Jian Zhang ◽  
Jia-Sheng Pei ◽  
Qiao Lin ◽  
Zhen Mei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Hippocampal Sclerosis ◽  
Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy ◽  
Brain Surgery ◽  
Mesial Temporal Sclerosis ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Verbal Comprehension ◽  
Subtemporal Approach ◽  
Selective Amygdalohippocampectomy

OBJECT The objectives of this study were to describe a novel minimal-access subtemporal approach for selective resection of the amygdala and hippocampus in patients with medically refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) due to hippocampal sclerosis, and to analyze the related outcomes. METHODS The authors analyzed data from all cases involving patients with unilateral MTLE due to hippocampal sclerosis who were treated with selective amygdalohippocampectomy via the posterior subtemporal approach through a relatively small craniotomy, without a neuronavigation system, at their institution during the period from September 2010 to September 2012. Data were obtained on baseline characteristics, preoperative evaluations of unilateral mesial temporal sclerosis, surgical complications, and Engel class seizure outcomes. All patients underwent memory testing, IQ testing, and language testing. RESULTS The mean duration of follow-up was 33.6 months (range 24–48 months). There were no deaths and no cases of significant postoperative morbidity. One patient had a mild complication. At 2-year follow-up, 19 patients were seizure free (Engel Class I outcome). Verbal memory scores obtained at 3 months and at 2 years after surgery were significantly lower than preoperative scores for patients who underwent surgery on the left side of the brain (p < 0.05). Pictorial memory scores were higher following surgery compared with before surgery regardless of whether patients underwent left- or right-sided brain surgery. There was also improvement in performance IQ and total IQ following surgery in both groups. For patients who underwent right-sided brain surgery, verbal comprehension and semantic fluency testing scores were significantly higher at both 3 months and 2 years after surgery than before surgery. For patients who underwent left-sided brain surgery, scores on all language tests were significantly lower at 3 months after surgery than before surgery. Verbal comprehension testing scores returned to the preoperative level at 2 years after surgery. CONCLUSIONS The posterior subtemporal approach through a relatively small craniotomy allows adequate exposure and safe resection of mesial temporal structures and effectively reduces medically intractable MTLE. It preserves IQ but may have a detrimental effect on verbal memory and language ability.

scholarly journals Early Life Circumstances and Cognitive Aging: Longitudinal Evidence From China Health and Retirement Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 62-62
Author(s):  
Zhuoer Lin ◽  
Xi Chen
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Cognitive Deficit ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Childhood Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Life Circumstances

Abstract Objectives: This study examines the long-term relationship between early life circumstances and later life cognitive aging. In particular, we differentiate the long-term effects of early life circumstances on level of cognitive deficit and rate of cognitive decline. Methods: Cognitive trajectories were measured using three waves of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Surveys (CHARLS 2011-2015). Linear mixed-effect model was used to decompose the individual level of cognitive deficit and rate of cognitive change in a sample of Chinese middle-aged and older adults 45-90 years of age (N=6,700). These two dimensions of cognition were matched to four domains of early life circumstances using CHARLS Life History Survey (2014), including childhood socioeconomic status, neighborhood environment, social relationships and health conditions. Their associations were examined by linear regressions. Stratification analysis was further conducted to investigate the mediating effect of education on early life circumstances and cognitive aging. Results: Childhood socioeconomic status, childhood friendship and early life health conditions were significantly associated with both the level of cognitive deficit and rate of decline. In contrast, the community environment, including childhood neighborhood safety and social cohesion, only affected the baseline level of cognitive deficit; and childhood relationship with parents only affected the rate of cognitive decline. Moreover, education was found to be a mediating factor of these relationships. Conclusion: Exposure to disadvantaged early life circumstances have significant negative effects on later life cognitive deficit as well as rate of cognitive decline. Nevertheless, these long-term impacts can be partially ameliorated by higher educational attainment.

scholarly journals Role of sex in the association between childhood socioeconomic position and cognitive ageing in later life

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Wolfova ◽  
Zsofia Csajbok ◽  
Anna Kagstrom ◽  
Ingemar Kåreholt ◽  
Pavla Cermakova
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Immediate Recall ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
Multilevel Linear Regression

AbstractWe aimed to explore sex differences in the association of childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) with the level of cognitive performance and the rate of cognitive decline. We studied 84,059 individuals (55% women; mean age 64 years) from the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Sex differences in the association of childhood SEP (household characteristics at age 10) with the level of cognitive performance (verbal fluency, immediate recall, delayed recall) were analysed using multilevel linear regression. Structural equation modelling tested education, depressive symptoms and physical state as mediators. The relationship between childhood socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage and the rate of cognitive decline was assessed using linear mixed-effects models. Higher childhood SEP was associated with a higher level of cognitive performance to a greater extent in women (B = 0.122; 95% CI 0.092–0.151) than in men (B = 0.109; 95% CI 0.084–0.135). The strongest mediator was education. Childhood socioeconomic disadvantage was related to a higher rate of decline in delayed recall in both sexes, with a greater association in women. Strategies to prevent impaired late-life cognitive functioning, such as reducing childhood socioeconomic disadvantages and improving education, might have a greater benefit for women.

scholarly journals Reduced Levels of Hsa-mir-342-5p in Plasma Are Associated With Worse Cognitive Evolution in Patients With Mild Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farida Dakterzada ◽  
Iván David Benítez ◽  
Adriano Targa ◽  
Albert Lladó ◽  
Gerard Torres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Differentially Expressed Mirnas ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
Plasma Mirnas

Abstract Background: Progressive cognitive decline is the most relevant clinical symptom of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the rate of cognitive decline is highly variable between patients. Synaptic deficits are the neuropathological event most correlated with cognitive impairment in AD. Considering the important role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating synaptic plasticity, our objective was to identify the plasma miRNAs associated with the rate of cognitive decline in patients with mild AD.Methods: To discover the miRNAs related to the rate of cognitive impairment, we analysed 754 plasma miRNAs from 19 women diagnosed with mild AD using TaqMan low-density array cards. The patients were grouped based on the rate of decline in the MMSE score after two years (<4 points (N=11) and ≥ 4 points (N=8)). The differentially expressed miRNAs between the two groups were validated in an independent cohort of men and women (N=53) with mild AD using RT-qPCR.Results: In the discovery cohort, 17 miRNAs were differentially expressed according to the fold change between patients with faster declines in cognition and those with slower declines. miR-342-5p demonstrated differential expression between the groups and a good correlation with the rate of cognitive decline in the validation cohort (r=-0.28; p=0.026). This miRNA had a lower expression level in patients who suffered from more severe decline than in those who were cognitively more stable after two years (p=0.049).Conclusion: Lower levels of miR-342-5p in plasma were associated with faster cognitive decline in patients with mild AD after two years of follow-up.

scholarly journals Predict cognitive decline with clinical markers in Parkinson’s disease (PRECODE-1)

2019 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-59
Author(s):  
Heather Wilson ◽  
Gennaro Pagano ◽  
Tayyabah Yousaf ◽  
Sotirios Polychronis ◽  
Rosa De Micco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Semantic Fluency ◽  
Drug Naïve ◽  
Level 1 ◽  
Level 2

AbstractOver the course of the disease, about 80% of Parkinson’s disease patients will develop cognitive impairment. However, predictive factors associated with cognitive decline are still under investigation. Here, we investigated which clinically available markers are predictive of cognitive impairment in a cohort of early drug-naïve Parkinson’s disease patients. 294 drug-naïve Parkinson’s disease patients, who were cognitively normal at baseline, were recruited from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative. At 36-month follow-up, patients were diagnosed with cognitive impairment according to two levels: Level 1 diagnosis was defined as MoCA < 26 and Level 2 diagnosis was defined as MoCA < 26, alongside an impaired score on at least two neuropsychological tests. Predictive variables with a validated cut-off were divided into normal or abnormal measures, whilst others were divided into normal or abnormal measures based on the decile with the highest power of prediction. At 3 years’ follow-up, 122/294 Parkinson’s disease (41.5%) patients had cognitive decline. We found that age at Parkinson’s disease onset, MDS-UPDRS Part-III, Hopkin’s Learning Verbal Test-Revised Recall, Semantic Fluency Test and Symbol Digit Modalities Test were all predictors of cognitive decline. Specifically, age at Parkinson’s disease onset, Semantic Fluency Test and symbol Digit Modalities Test were predictors of cognitive decline defined by Level 2. The combination of three abnormal tests, identified as the most significant predictors of cognitive decline, gave a 63.6–86.7% risk of developing cognitive impairment defined by Level 2 and Level 1 criteria, respectively, at 36-month follow-up. Our findings show that these clinically available measures encompass the ability to identify drug-naïve Parkinson’s disease patients with the highest risk of developing cognitive impairment at the earliest stages. Therefore, by implementing this in a clinical setting, we can better monitor and manage patients who are at risk of cognitive decline.

scholarly journals Exploring the bidirectional associations between loneliness and cognitive functioning over 10 years: the English longitudinal study of ageing

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 1937-1948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiamin Yin ◽  
Camille Lassale ◽  
Andrew Steptoe ◽  
Dorina Cadar
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Word Recall ◽  
Reverse Causality ◽  
Linear Slope ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
English Longitudinal Study

Abstract Background As the population ages, cognitive decline and dementia have become major health concerns in the UK. Loneliness has been linked to cognitive decline, but the reverse causality of this association remains unclear. This study aims to examine whether there is a bidirectional relationship between loneliness and cognitive function in older English adults (age 50 years and over) over a 10-year follow-up. Methods Data came from a nationally representative sample of 5885 participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), free of stroke or dementia and followed every 2 years up to wave 7 (2014–15). At each wave, cognitive function was measured with word recall and verbal fluency tests, and loneliness was measured with the abridged version of the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. Bivariate dual change score models were used to assess the multivariate associations between loneliness and cognitive function, used interchangeably as exposures and outcomes. Results Greater loneliness at baseline was associated with poorer memory [β intercept = −0.03, standard error (SE) = 0.01, P  =  0.016] and verbal fluency (β intercept = −0.01, SE  =  001, P =  0.027) at baseline, and with a stronger linear rate of decline in both memory (β linear slope = −0.07, SE  =  001, P  ≤ 0.001) and verbal fluency (β linear slope = −0.09, SE  =  0.03, P =  0.003) over a 10-year follow-up period, although the performance on verbal fluency did not change substantially on average over this period. We also found that higher baseline memory, but not verbal fluency, predicted a slower change in loneliness (β linear slope = −0.01, SE  =  001, P =  0.004) and that a linear decline in memory was associated with an acceleration in loneliness (β quadratic slope = −0.02, SE  =  001, P  ≤ 0.001) during follow-up. Conclusions Higher loneliness is associated with poorer cognitive function at baseline and contributes to a worsening in memory and verbal fluency over a decade. These factors seem, however, to be partially intertwined, since baseline memory and its rate of decline also contribute to an increase in loneliness over time.

scholarly journals Invited Commentary: Adult Child Migration and Parental Cognitive Decline—A New Perspective on Loneliness and Social Isolation

2020 ◽  
Vol 189 (8) ◽  
pp. 770-772
Author(s):  
Tjalling J Holwerda ◽  
Emiel O Hoogendijk
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Adult Child ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Migration Status ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Child Migration

Abstract There is a growing body of research on the link between social isolation, loneliness, and health outcomes in later life, including cognitive decline and dementia. In the current issue of the Journal, Torres et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2020;189(8):761–769) present findings from a study of the association between adult child migration status and cognitive performance among parents who stayed behind in Mexico, using longitudinal data (2001–2015) from the Mexican Health and Aging Study. This is an excellent example of the role that emotional and social factors may play in the development of cognitive impairment among older adults. In their study, having an adult child in the United States was associated with a steeper decline in verbal memory scores over time, but only among women. In the light of the increasing levels of immigration worldwide, this work is highly relevant, as it touches upon a less recognized socioemotional risk factor for cognitive decline: family-member migration status. Further research on this topic should be conducted in other countries and should include assessment of the social and emotional needs of those staying behind when a family member migrates. This will increase our understanding of how social isolation and loneliness relate to cognitive decline and may contribute to new directions for interventions.

scholarly journals Reduced Levels of hsa-miR-342-5p in Plasma Are Associated With Worse Cognitive Evolution in Patients With Mild Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farida Dakterzada ◽  
Iván David Benítez ◽  
Adriano Targa ◽  
Albert Lladó ◽  
Gerard Torres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Differentially Expressed Mirnas ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
Plasma Mirnas

Abstract Background: Progressive cognitive decline is the most relevant clinical symptom of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the rate of cognitive decline is highly variable between patients. Synaptic deficits are the neuropathological event most correlated with cognitive impairment in AD. Considering the important role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating synaptic plasticity, our objective was to identify the plasma miRNAs associated with the rate of cognitive decline in patients with mild AD.Methods: To discover the miRNAs related to the rate of cognitive impairment, we analysed 754 plasma miRNAs from 19 women diagnosed with mild AD using TaqMan low-density array cards. The patients were grouped based on the rate of decline in the MMSE score after two years (<4 points (N=11) and ≥ 4 points (N=8)). The differentially expressed miRNAs between the two groups were validated in an independent cohort of men and women (N=53) with mild AD using RT-qPCR.Results: In the discovery cohort, 17 miRNAs were differentially expressed according to the fold change between patients with faster declines in cognition and those with slower declines. miR-342-5p demonstrated differential expression between the groups and a good correlation with the rate of cognitive decline in the validation cohort (r=-0.28; p=0.026). This miRNA had a lower expression level in patients who suffered from more severe decline than in those who were cognitively more stable after two years (p=0.049).Conclusion: Lower levels of miR-342-5p in plasma were associated with faster cognitive decline in patients with mild AD after two years of follow-up.

Do patients with young onset Alzheimer's disease deteriorate faster than those with late onset Alzheimer's disease? A review of the literature

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 1945-1953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Stanley ◽  
Zuzana Walker
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Young Onset ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
And Control

ABSTRACTBackground:Young onset Alzheimer's disease (YOAD; onset before 65 years of age) is thought to have a more rapid course and increased rate of progression compared to late onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). This assumption appears partly due to important clinical, structural, neuropathological, and neurochemical differences suggesting YOAD is a separate entity to LOAD. The aim in this review was to systematically identify and examine appropriate studies comparing rate of cognitive decline between patients with YOAD and patients with LOAD.Methods:A computer-based literature search was initially undertaken, followed by citation tracking and search of related papers. Primary research studies specifically focused on the rate of cognitive decline between people with YOAD and LOAD were included. Studies were described, critically analyzed, presented, and discussed in the review.Results:Four studies were included, of which three were longitudinal and one was a case-control study. Three of the included studies found a faster rate of decline in patients with YOAD, and one found no difference in rate of decline between the two groups.Conclusions:The findings of the review are mixed and conflicting, and limited by the heterogeneity of the included studies. There is a need for future research to design systematic studies that include sufficient sample sizes and follow-up periods, and control for possible confounding factors such as education level, baseline cognitive impairment, and vascular risk factors. This will help to validate the findings so far and improve our understanding of the rate of cognitive decline in people with YOAD and LOAD.

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