Elevations in Serum Dickkopf-1 and Disease Progression in Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease

BackgroundExperimental studies indicate that lithium may facilitate neurotrophic/protective responses in the brain. Epidemiological and imaging studies in bipolar disorder, in addition to a few trials in Alzheimer's disease support the clinical translation of these findings. Nonetheless, there is limited controlled data about potential use of lithium to treat or prevent dementia.AimsTo determine the benefits of lithium treatment in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a clinical condition associated with high risk for Alzheimer's disease.MethodA total of 61 community-dwelling, physically healthy, older adults with MCI were randomised to receive lithium or placebo (1:1) for 2 years (double-blind phase), and followed-up for an additional 24 months (single-blinded phase) (trial registration at clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01055392). Lithium carbonate was prescribed to yield subtherapeutic concentrations (0.25–0.5 mEq/L). Primary outcome variables were the cognitive (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale – cognitive subscale) and functional (Clinical Dementia Rating – Sum of Boxes) parameters obtained at baseline and after 12 and 24 months. Secondary outcomes were neuropsychological test scores; cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of Alzheimer's disease-related biomarkers determined at 0, 12 and 36 months; conversion rate from MCI to dementia (0–48 months).ResultsParticipants in the placebo group displayed cognitive and functional decline, whereas lithium-treated patients remained stable over 2 years. Lithium treatment was associated with better performance on memory and attention tests after 24 months, and with a significant increase in CSF amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ1−42) after 36 months.ConclusionsLong-term lithium attenuates cognitive and functional decline in amnestic MCI, and modifies Alzheimer's disease-related CSF biomarkers. The present data reinforces the disease-modifying properties of lithium in the MCI–Alzheimer's disease continuum.Declaration of interestNone.

Download Full-text

Physical activity perceptions, experiences, and beliefs of older adults with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease and their care partners

Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.1139/apnm-2019-0730 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 45 (11) ◽

pp. 1216-1224 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lauren E. Bechard ◽

Dorcas Beaton ◽

Katherine S. McGilton ◽

Maria Carmela Tartaglia ◽

Sandra E. Black

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Older Adults ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Cognitively Impaired ◽

Care Partners

Physical activity (PA) participation provides functional and social benefits for persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but PA participation in these populations is low. To support health promotion initiatives for cognitively impaired older adults, this study explored the perceptions, experiences, and beliefs of older adults with cognitive impairment and their caregivers concerning PA. Ten care dyads (community-dwelling adult aged ≥65 years diagnosed with MCI or mild-to-moderate AD and their care partner) participated in semi-structured interviews informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework about their PA perceptions, experiences, and beliefs. Interpretive phenomenological analysis of interview transcripts yielded 4 emergent themes: (1) PA as a meaningful activity, (2) experience versus evidence as motivating, (3) participation is possible despite dementia, and (4) care partners as enablers. Findings from this study address a research gap concerning the PA perceptions, experiences, and beliefs of cognitively impaired older adults and their care partners. Novelty Older adults with MCI/AD want to and are capable of engaging in PA. Care partners are critical supporters of PA participation in MCI/AD. Adapted health promotion strategies could enhance PA in MCI/AD.

Download Full-text

Usability and acceptability of technology for community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a systematic literature review

Clinical Interventions in Aging ◽

10.2147/cia.s154717 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol Volume 13 ◽

pp. 863-886 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Torhild Holthe ◽

Liv Halvorsrud ◽

Dag Karterud ◽

Kari-Anne Hoel ◽

Anne Lund

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Literature Review ◽

Systematic Literature Review ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Download Full-text

Financial Capacity and Regional Cerebral Tau in Cognitively Normal Older Adults, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-201122 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Christopher Gonzalez ◽

Nicole S. Tommasi ◽

Danielle Briggs ◽

Michael J. Properzi ◽

Rebecca E. Amariglio ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Older Adults ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Early Stage ◽

Cognitively Normal ◽

Financial Capacity ◽

Posterior Cingulate ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal

Background: Financial capacity is often one of the first instrumental activities of daily living to be affected in cognitively normal (CN) older adults who later progress to amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between financial capacity and regional cerebral tau. Methods: Cross-sectional financial capacity was assessed using the Financial Capacity Instrument –Short Form (FCI-SF) in 410 CN, 199 MCI, and 61 AD dementia participants who underwent flortaucipir tau positron emission tomography from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Linear regression models with backward elimination were used with FCI-SF total score as the dependent variable and regional tau and tau-amyloid interaction as predictors of interest in separate analyses. Education, age sex, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test Total Learning, and Trail Making Test B were used as covariates. Results: Significant associations were found between FCI-SF and tau regions (entorhinal: p < 0.001; inferior temporal: p < 0.001; dorsolateral prefrontal: p = 0.01; posterior cingulate: p = 0.03; precuneus: p < 0.001; and supramarginal gyrus: p = 0.005) across all participants. For the tau-amyloid interaction, significant associations were found in four regions (amyloid and dorsolateral prefrontal tau interaction: p = 0.005; amyloid and posterior cingulate tau interaction: p = 0.005; amyloid and precuneus tau interaction: p < 0.001; and amyloid and supramarginal tau interaction: p = 0.002). Conclusion: Greater regional tau burden was modestly associated with financial capacity impairment in early-stage AD. Extending this work with longitudinal analyses will further illustrate the utility of such assessments in detecting clinically meaningful decline, which may aid clinical trials of early-stage AD.

Download Full-text

P2-126: Clinical, cognitive, neuropsychiatric and genetic predictors of conversion from amnestic mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease in Chinese older adults

Alzheimer s & Dementia ◽

10.1016/j.jalz.2011.05.1014 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. S349-S349

Author(s):

Leung-wing Chu

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Older Adults ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Chinese Older Adults ◽

Genetic Predictors

Download Full-text

Predicting biomarkers in intact older adults and those with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment, and mild Alzheimer’s Disease using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology ◽

10.1080/13803395.2021.2023476 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 1-18

Author(s):

Kayla R. Suhrie ◽

Dustin B. Hammers ◽

Sariah M. Porter ◽

Ava M. Dixon ◽

Jace B. King ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Older Adults ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Neuropsychological Status ◽

Repeatable Battery

Download Full-text

Individuals With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease Benefit From Audiovisual Speech Cues and Supportive Sentence Context

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2021_jslhr-20-00402 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Alexandre Chauvin ◽

Shari Baum ◽

Natalie A. Phillips

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Older Adults ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Speech Perception ◽

Sentence Context ◽

Speech Perception In Noise ◽

Healthy Older Adults ◽

Speech Cues

Purpose Speech perception in noise becomes difficult with age but can be facilitated by audiovisual (AV) speech cues and sentence context in healthy older adults. However, individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) may present with deficits in AV integration, potentially limiting the extent to which they can benefit from AV cues. This study investigated the benefit of these cues in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), individuals with AD, and healthy older adult controls. Method This study compared auditory-only and AV speech perception of sentences presented in noise. These sentences had one of two levels of context: high (e.g., “Stir your coffee with a spoon”) and low (e.g., “Bob didn't think about the spoon”). Fourteen older controls ( M age = 72.71 years, SD = 9.39), 13 individuals with MCI ( M age = 79.92 years, SD = 5.52), and nine individuals with probable Alzheimer's-type dementia ( M age = 79.38 years, SD = 3.40) completed the speech perception task and were asked to repeat the terminal word of each sentence. Results All three groups benefited (i.e., identified more terminal words) from AV and sentence context. Individuals with MCI showed a smaller AV benefit compared to controls in low-context conditions, suggesting difficulties with AV integration. Individuals with AD showed a smaller benefit in high-context conditions compared to controls, indicating difficulties with AV integration and context use in AD. Conclusions Individuals with MCI and individuals with AD do benefit from AV speech and semantic context during speech perception in noise (albeit to a lower extent than healthy older adults). This suggests that engaging in face-to-face communication and providing ample context will likely foster more effective communication between patients and caregivers, professionals, and loved ones.

Download Full-text

Judgment in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's disease

Dementia & Neuropsychologia ◽

10.1590/s1980-57642011dn05040007 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 297-302 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Patrícia Helena Figueirêdo Vale Capucho ◽

Sonia Maria Dozzi Brucki

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Older Adults ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Contextual Factors ◽

Available Information ◽

Research Studies

Abstract Judgment is the capacity to make decisions after considering available information, contextual factors, possible solutions and probable outcomes. Our aim was to investigate previous research studies regarding assessment of judgment in older adults with different degrees of cognitive impairment. To this end, a search of Pubmed and Lilacs electronic databases for studies published from January 1990 until August 2011 in English, Spanish and Portuguese was carried out. The terms used were "judgment" combined with the terms "dementia" or "Mild Cognitive Impairment" (MCI) or "Alzheimer's disease" (AD). Some studies showed that MCI and AD patients had impaired judgment. There is a lack of specific methods to measure judgment capacity, and data on judgment abilities in older adults with MCI and dementia are scarce. No studies with specific measures of judgment capacity in other dementias were found.

Download Full-text