Partner bereavement and brain pathologies: a propensity score matching study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jee Wook Kim ◽  
Min Soo Byun ◽  
Jun Ho Lee ◽  
Dahyun Yi ◽  
Min Jung Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Propensity Score Matching ◽  
Cerebral White Matter ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Pittsburgh Compound B ◽  
Cerebrovascular Injury ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Lifetime Partner

Abstract Background: Partner bereavement is one of life’s greatest stresses and has been suggested to trigger or accelerate cognitive decline and dementia. However, little information is available about potential brain pathologies underlying the association between partner bereavement and cognitive decline. Aims: We aimed to test the hypothesis that lifetime partner bereavement is associated with in vivo human brain pathologies underlying cognitive decline. Method: A total of 319 ever-married older adults between 61 and 90 years of age underwent comprehensive clinical assessments and multimodal brain imaging including [11C] Pittsburgh compound B-positron emission tomography (PET), AV-1451 PET, [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET, and magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Participants were classified as experiencing no partner bereavement or partner bereavement, and comparisons using propensity score matching (59 cases and 59 controls) were performed. Partner bereavement was significantly associated with higher cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMH) volume compared to no partner bereavement. Interactions and subsequent subgroup analyses showed that partner bereavement was significantly associated with higher WMH in the older (>75 years) subgroup and among those with no- or low-skill occupations. In addition, partner bereavement at 60 years or over affect WMH volume compared to no partner bereavement, whereas partner bereavement at 60 years did not. No group differences were observed in other brain pathologies between partner bereavement categories. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the partner bereavement may contribute to dementia or cognitive decline by increasing cerebrovascular injury, particularly in older individuals and those with no- or low-skill occupations.

scholarly journals Coffee intake and decreased amyloid pathology in human brain

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jee Wook Kim ◽  
◽  
Min Soo Byun ◽  
Dahyun Yi ◽  
Jun Ho Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter Hyperintensities ◽  
Cerebral White Matter ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Multimodal Neuroimaging ◽  
Coffee Intake ◽  
Pittsburgh Compound B ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Amyloid Aβ ◽  
Fluorodeoxyglucose Pet

Abstract Several epidemiological and preclinical studies supported the protective effect of coffee on Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, it is still unknown whether coffee is specifically related with reduced brain AD pathologies in human. Hence, this study aims to investigate relationships between coffee intake and in vivo AD pathologies, including cerebral beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposition, the neurodegeneration of AD-signature regions, and cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMH). A total of 411 non-demented older adults were included. Participants underwent comprehensive clinical assessment and multimodal neuroimaging including [11C] Pittsburgh compound B-positron emission tomography (PET), [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose PET, and magnetic resonance imaging scans. Lifetime and current coffee intake were categorized as follows: no coffee or <2 cups/day (reference category) and ≥2 cups/day (higher coffee intake). Lifetime coffee intake of ≥2 cups/day was significantly associated with a lower Aβ positivity compared to coffee intake of <2 cups/day, even after controlling for potential confounders. In contrast, neither lifetime nor current coffee intake was not related to hypometabolism, atrophy of AD-signature region, and WMH volume. The findings suggest that higher lifetime coffee intake may contribute to lowering the risk of AD or related cognitive decline by reducing pathological cerebral amyloid deposition.

Associations of Neprilysin Activity in CSF with Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timo Grimmer ◽  
Oliver Goldhardt ◽  
Igor Yakushev ◽  
Marion Ortner ◽  
Christian Sorg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Fdg Pet ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Neuronal Injury ◽  
Pittsburgh Compound B ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Amyloid Load ◽  
Alzheimer’S Pathology

Background: Neprilysin (NEP) cleaves amyloid-β 1–42 (Aβ42) in the brain. Hence, we aimed to elucidate the effect of NEP on Aβ42 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and on in vivo brain amyloid load using amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) with [11C]PiB (Pittsburgh compound B). In addition, associations with the biomarkers for neuronal injury, CSF-tau and FDG-PET, were investigated. Methods: Associations were calculated using global and voxel-based (SPM8) linear regression analyses in the same cohort of 23 highly characterized Alzheimer’s disease patients. Results: CSF-NEP was significantly inversely associated with CSF-Aβ42 and positively with the extent of neuronal injury as measured by CSF-tau and FDG-PET. Conclusions: Our results on CSF-NEP are compatible with the assumption that local degradation, amongst other mechanisms of amyloid clearance, plays a role in the development of Alzheimer’s pathology. In addition, CSF-NEP is associated with the extent and the rate of neurodegeneration.

scholarly journals Neuropathological correlates and genetic architecture of microglial activation in elderly human brain

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Felsky ◽  
Tina Roostaei ◽  
Kwangsik Nho ◽  
Shannon L. Risacher ◽  
Elizabeth M. Bradshaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Genetic Architecture ◽  
Microglial Activation ◽  
Brain Health ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Genome Wide

AbstractMicroglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, have important roles in brain health. However, little is known about the regulation and consequences of microglial activation in the aging human brain. We assessed the effect of microglial activation in the aging human brain by calculating the proportion of activated microglia (PAM), based on morphologically defined stages of activation in four regions sampled postmortem from up to 225 elderly individuals. We found that cortical and not subcortical PAM measures were strongly associated with β-amyloid, tau-related neuropathology, and rates of cognitive decline. Effect sizes for PAM measures are substantial, comparable to that of APOE ɛ4, the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Mediation modeling suggests that PAM accelerates accumulation of tau pathology leading to cognitive decline, supporting an upstream role for microglial activation in Alzheimer’s disease. Genome-wide analyses identified a common variant (rs2997325) influencing cortical PAM that also affected in vivo microglial activation measured by positron emission tomography using [11C]-PBR28 in an independent cohort. Finally, we identify overlaps of PAM’s genetic architecture with those of Alzheimer’s disease, educational attainment, and several other traits.

scholarly journals Associations Between Perceived Fatigability and Amyloid Status in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 208-209
Author(s):  
Ryan Dougherty ◽  
Amal Wanigatunga ◽  
Murat Bilgel ◽  
Yang An ◽  
Eleanor Simonsick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Perceived Exertion ◽  
Volume Ratio ◽  
Rating Of Perceived Exertion ◽  
Pittsburgh Compound B ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Baltimore Longitudinal Study ◽  
Distribution Volume Ratio ◽  
Cortical Distribution

Abstract Higher level of and greater longitudinal increase in perceived fatigability are linked to cognitive decline and lower brain volumes in older adults. However, it remains unclear whether perceived fatigability is associated with Alzheimer’s disease-related brain pathology. In the BLSA, 163 participants without neurological disease or cognitive impairment (aged 74.7+/-8.4 years, 45% men) were assessed for perceived fatigability using rating of perceived exertion after a 5-minute (0.67 m/s) treadmill walk and Aß burden using 11C-Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) positron emission tomography. Forty-four participants were PiB+ based on a mean cortical distribution volume ratio (DVR) cut point of 1.066. After adjusting for demographics, body composition, comorbidities and ApoE-e4, higher perceived fatigability was not associated with PiB+ status (OR=0.84; 95% CI: 0.69, 1.05). Results suggest perceived fatigability may contribute to cognitive decline through pathways other than Aß pathology. Future studies should target other mechanisms linking perceived fatigability and cognitive decline.

scholarly journals Spatial patterns of tau deposition are associated with amyloid, ApoE, sex, and cognitive decline in older adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 2155-2164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana B. Pereira ◽  
Theresa M. Harrison ◽  
Renaud La Joie ◽  
Suzanne L. Baker ◽  
William J. Jagust
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Pittsburgh Compound B ◽  
Asymptomatic Individuals

Abstract Purpose The abnormal deposition of tau begins before the onset of clinical symptoms and seems to target specific brain networks. The aim of this study is to identify the spatial patterns of tau deposition in cognitively normal older adults and assess whether they are related to amyloid-β (Aβ), APOE, sex, and longitudinal cognitive decline. Methods We included 114 older adults with cross-sectional flortaucipir (FTP) and Pittsburgh Compound-B PET in addition to longitudinal cognitive testing. A voxel-wise independent component analysis was applied to FTP images to identify the spatial patterns of tau deposition. We then assessed whether tau within these patterns differed by Aβ status, APOE genotype, and sex. Linear mixed effects models were built to test whether tau in each component predicted cognitive decline. Finally, we ordered the spatial components based on the frequency of high tau deposition to model tau spread. Results We found 10 biologically plausible tau patterns in the whole sample. There was greater tau in medial temporal, occipital, and orbitofrontal components in Aβ-positive compared with Aβ-negative individuals; in the parahippocampal component in ε3ε3 compared with ε2ε3 carriers; and in temporo-parietal and anterior frontal components in women compared with men. Higher tau in temporal and frontal components predicted longitudinal cognitive decline in memory and executive functions, respectively. Tau deposition was most frequently observed in medial temporal and ventral cortical areas, followed by lateral and primary areas. Conclusions These findings suggest that the spatial patterns of tau in asymptomatic individuals are clinically meaningful and are associated with Aβ, APOE ε2ε3, sex and cognitive decline. These patterns could be used to predict the regional spread of tau and perform in vivo tau staging in older adults.

scholarly journals Association of anxiety with subcortical amyloidosis in cognitively normal older adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 2599-2607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard J. Hanseeuw ◽  
Victoria Jonas ◽  
Jonathan Jackson ◽  
Rebecca A. Betensky ◽  
Dorene M. Rentz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Staging System ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Cognitively Normal ◽  
Preclinical Ad ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Subcortical Regions

Abstract Late-life anxiety has been associated with increased progression from normal cognition to amnestic MCI, suggesting that anxiety may be a neuropsychiatric symptom of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathological changes and a possible marker of anatomical progression in preclinical AD. This study examined whether cortical or subcortical amyloidosis, indicating earlier or later stages of preclinical AD, was associated with greater self-reported anxiety among 118 cognitively normal volunteers, aged 65–90 years, and whether this association was stronger in APOEε4 carriers. Participants underwent Pittsburgh Compound B Positron Emission Tomography (PiB-PET) to assess fibrillar amyloid-β burden in cortical and subcortical regions, and measurement of anxiety using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-anxiety subscale. Higher PiB-PET measures in the subcortex (striatum, amygdala, and thalamus), but not in the cortex, were associated with greater anxiety, adjusting for demographics, cognition, and depression. Findings were similar using a cortico-striatal staging system and continuous PET measurements. Anxiety was highest in APOEε4 carriers with subcortical amyloidosis. This work supports in vivo staging of amyloid-β deposition in both cortical and subcortical regions as a promising approach to the study of neuropsychiatric symptoms such as anxiety in cognitively normal older individuals. Elevated anxiety symptoms in combination with high-risk biological factors such as APOEε4 and subcortical amyloid-β may identify participants closest to MCI for secondary prevention trials.

Functional characterization of human brown adipose tissue metabolism

2020 ◽  
Vol 477 (7) ◽  
pp. 1261-1286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Anne Richard ◽  
Hannah Pallubinsky ◽  
Denis P. Blondin
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Brown Adipose Tissue ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Human Infants ◽  
Positron Emission ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
Treatment Of Obesity ◽  
And Function

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has long been described according to its histological features as a multilocular, lipid-containing tissue, light brown in color, that is also responsive to the cold and found especially in hibernating mammals and human infants. Its presence in both hibernators and human infants, combined with its function as a heat-generating organ, raised many questions about its role in humans. Early characterizations of the tissue in humans focused on its progressive atrophy with age and its apparent importance for cold-exposed workers. However, the use of positron emission tomography (PET) with the glucose tracer [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) made it possible to begin characterizing the possible function of BAT in adult humans, and whether it could play a role in the prevention or treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). This review focuses on the in vivo functional characterization of human BAT, the methodological approaches applied to examine these features and addresses critical gaps that remain in moving the field forward. Specifically, we describe the anatomical and biomolecular features of human BAT, the modalities and applications of non-invasive tools such as PET and magnetic resonance imaging coupled with spectroscopy (MRI/MRS) to study BAT morphology and function in vivo, and finally describe the functional characteristics of human BAT that have only been possible through the development and application of such tools.

Besondere Förderung von Kern- kompetenzen an Spezialgymnasien?

2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen Baumert ◽  
Michael Becker ◽  
Marko Neumann ◽  
Roumiana Nikolova
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Propensity Score Matching

Der vorliegende Beitrag geht der Frage nach, ob Schülerinnen und Schüler, die nach der vierten Klasse in Berlin in ein grundständiges Gymnasium wechseln, in Abhängigkeit vom Profil des besuchten Gymnasiums im Vergleich zu Grundschülern mit vergleichbaren Lernvoraussetzungen unterschiedliche Lernzuwächse im Leseverständnis, in Mathematik und Englisch erreichen. Auf der Datengrundlage der ELEMENT-Studie wurde die Leistungsentwicklung von Schülerinnen und Schülern an grundständigen Gymnasien (N = 1758) und Grundschulen (N = 3169) während der 5. und 6. Jahrgangsstufe mithilfe von Propensity Score Matching-Analysen (PSM) modelliert. Nach Kontrolle von leistungsrelevanten Unterschieden zwischen den Schülergruppen am Ende der 4. Jahrgangsstufe zeigten sich für das Leseverständnis am Ende der 6. Klasse keine statistisch signifikanten Unterschiede. Für die Mathematikleistung ließen sich Unterschiede lediglich zugunsten eines grundständigen Gymnasiums, das zum Untersuchungszeitpunkt noch kein spezifisches Profil entwickelt hatte, nachweisen. In der Domäne Englisch, in der die curricularen Unterschiede zwischen den Schulzweigen stärker akzentuiert sind, wurden positive Ergebnisse im Vergleich zu den Grundschulen für die so genannten Schnellläuferzüge, die englisch-bilingualen Klassen und das grundständige Gymnasium ohne spezifisches Profil ermittelt. Die Lernstände am Ende der 6. Klasse in den altsprachlichen Gymnasien fielen dagegen im Vergleich zu den Grundschulen geringer aus. Die Befunde widersprechen der Annahme, dass mit dem frühen Übergang auf ein grundständiges Gymnasium automatisch eine besondere Förderung der Lesefähigkeit und des mathematischen Verständnisses besonders leistungsfähiger Schülerinnen und Schüler erreicht werde. Die Ergebnisse zu den Englischleistungen weisen hingegen darauf hin, dass Unterschiede in der Leistungsentwicklung auftreten können, sofern die Aufteilung auf Schulen mit unterschiedlichen Bildungsprogrammen mit curricularen Unterschieden im Unterricht einhergeht. Methodische und inhaltliche Implikationen der Befunde und Grenzen ihrer Generalisierbarkeit werden diskutiert.

Validating Four Standard Scales in Spiritually Practicing and Nonpracticing Samples Using Propensity Score Matching

2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niko Kohls ◽  
Harald Walach
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Propensity Score Matching ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Propensity Scores ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Experimental Manipulation ◽  
Brief Symptom Inventory ◽  
Time Interaction ◽  
Social Support Scale ◽  
Lower Test

Validation studies of standard scales in the particular sample that one is studying are essential for accurate conclusions. We investigated the differences in answering patterns of the Brief-Symptom-Inventory (BSI), Transpersonal Trust Scale (TPV), Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC), and a Social Support Scale (F-SoZu) for a matched sample of spiritually practicing (SP) and nonpracticing (NSP) individuals at two measurement points (t1, t2). Applying a sample matching procedure based on propensity scores, we selected two sociodemographically balanced subsamples of N = 120 out of a total sample of N = 431. Employing repeated measures ANOVAs, we found an intersample difference in means only for TPV and an intrasample difference for F-SoZu. Additionally, a group × time interaction effect was found for TPV. While Cronbach’s α was acceptable and comparable for both samples, a significantly lower test-rest-reliability for the BSI was found in the SP sample (rSP = .62; rNSP = .78). Thus, when researching the effects of spiritual practice, one should not only look at differences in means but also consider time stability. We recommend propensity score matching as an alternative for randomization in variables that defy experimental manipulation such as spirituality.

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