Impaired Odor Identification of Culturally Familiar Odorants Associated with Dementia in South Korean Older Adults

Among olfactory functions, odor identification is the most studied predictor of dementia. We aimed to verify whether patients with dementia are less aware of specific odors than cognitively normal individuals using an odor identification test, which includes odorants that are culturally familiar to South Koreans. We divided 139 older adults aged 57–79 years into the dementia and normal cognition groups. Odor identification function was assessed in all participants. We conducted hierarchical logistic regression analyses with the diagnosis of dementia as a dependent variable and three demographic characteristics, as well as 12 odor identification items, as independent variables. Impaired odor identification for herbal medicine (odds ratio (OR) = 9.420; p = 0.012) and Korean grilled meat (OR = 5.361; p = 0.019) and older age (OR = 1.176; p = 0.005) were significant predictors of dementia. Impaired odor identification of culturally familiar odorants was associated with dementia risk. This may be explained by the fact that compared with culturally non-specific universal odorants, familiar odorants are more related to episodic memory, which is impaired in the early stages of dementia. Thus, an optimal combination of odor identification items should be used for screening individuals with cognitive decline requiring further neurocognitive function tests.

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Focal Atrophy and Cerebrovascular Disease Increase Dementia Risk among Cognitively Normal Older Adults

Journal of Neuroimaging ◽

10.1111/j.1552-6569.2007.00093.x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 148-155 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Caterina Rosano ◽

Howard J. Aizenstein ◽

Minjie Wu ◽

Anne B. Newman ◽

James T. Becker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cerebrovascular Disease ◽

Cognitively Normal ◽

Dementia Risk

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Ethnic Differences Between Hispanics and Non-Hispanic Whites in Neuropsychiatric Symptoms Predict Conversion to Mild Cognitive Impairment

Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology ◽

10.1177/0891988720957087 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 089198872095708

Author(s):

Bhaskar Thakur ◽

Luis Alvarado ◽

Christopher Dodoo ◽

Ricardo Salazar ◽

Alberto J. Espay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Ethnic Differences ◽

Primary Outcome ◽

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽

Data Driven ◽

Cognitively Normal ◽

Physical Behavior ◽

Normal Individuals ◽

Normal Cognition

The aim of the study is to ascertain the neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) subtypes significantly influencing progression to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by ethnicity. In this retrospective cohort study, we included 386 cognitively normal individuals participating in the longitudinal Texas Alzheimer’s Research and Care Consortium between February 2007 and August 2014. The primary outcome was time to incident MCI. Data driven NPS subtypes at baseline were identified and the effects of these subtypes on the outcome were obtained for Hispanic and non-Hispanic ethnic cohorts and summarized with a hazard ratio (HR). Three NPS subtypes were identified and internally validated: psychomotor apathy factor (including agitation, irritability, apathy), affective mood factor (including depression, anxiety), and physical behavior factor (including nighttime behavior, eating/appetite disturbances). In adjusted analysis, a psychomotor apathy score of NPS was the best predictor for MCI (HR = 2.19, p = 0.037) among non-Hispanics whereas physical behavior score was the most predictive of MCI (HR = 2.55, p = 0.029) among Hispanics. A high score of affective mood factor also tended to increase the risk of MCI (HR = 2.09, p = 0.06) in Hispanics. Progression from normal cognition to MCI was differentially predicted by NPS subtypes in Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. These data may inform the allocation of efforts for monitoring individuals at-risk of MCI.

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Regional hyperperfusion in cognitively normal APOE ε4 allele carriers in mid-life: analysis of ASL pilot data from the PREVENT-Dementia cohort

Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry ◽

10.1136/jnnp-2020-322924 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 91 (8) ◽

pp. 861-866

Author(s):

Elizabeth Frances McKiernan ◽

Elijah Mak ◽

Maria-Eleni Dounavi ◽

Katie Wells ◽

Craig Ritchie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Hypoperfusion ◽

Cognitive Test ◽

Cognitively Normal ◽

Apoe Ε4 ◽

Cerebral Hyperperfusion ◽

Dementia Risk ◽

Normal Individuals ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Mri Scans ◽

New Biomarkers

BackgroundRegional cerebral hypoperfusion is characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Previous studies report conflicting findings in cognitively normal individuals at high risk of AD. Understanding early preclinical perfusion alterations may improve understanding of AD pathogenesis and lead to new biomarkers and treatment targets.Methods3T arterial spin labelling MRI scans from 162 participants in the PREVENT-Dementia cohort were analysed (cognitively normal participants aged 40–59, stratified by future dementia risk). Cerebral perfusion was compared vertex-wise according to APOE ε4 status and family history (FH). Correlations between individual perfusion, age and cognitive scores (COGNITO battery) were explored.ResultsRegional hyperperfusion was found in APOE ε4+group (left cingulate and lateral frontal and parietal regions p<0.01, threshold-free cluster enhancement, TFCE) and in FH +group (left temporal and parietal regions p<0.01, TFCE). Perfusion did not correlate with cognitive test scores.ConclusionsRegional cerebral hyperperfusion in individuals at increased risk of AD in mid-life may be a very early marker of functional brain change related to AD. Increased perfusion may reflect a functional ‘compensation’ mechanism, offsetting the effects of early neural damage or may itself be risk factor for accelerating spread of degenerative pathology.

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Vascular risk is not associated with Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology among cognitively normal older adults

10.1101/2021.09.01.21256275 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Murat Bilgel ◽

Alisa Bannerjee ◽

Andrea Shafer ◽

Yang An ◽

Susan M. Resnick

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Older Adults ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

White Matter ◽

White Matter Lesion ◽

Vascular Risk ◽

Cvd Risk ◽

Cognitively Normal ◽

Moderate Evidence ◽

Normal Individuals

AbstractCardiovascular disease (CVD) is associated with a higher risk of developing dementia. Studies have found that vascular risk factors are associated with greater amyloid and tau burden, which are hallmark neuropathologies of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Evidence for these associations during the preclinical stages of AD, when amyloid and tau pathologies first become detectable, is mixed. Quantifying the effect of vascular risk among cognitively normal individuals can help focus the efforts to develop therapeutic approaches aimed at modifying the course of preclinical AD.Using Bayesian analysis, we examined the relationship of amyloid and tau pathology with concurrent vascular risk among 87 cognitively normal individuals (median age 77, interquartile range 70–83) in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. We quantified vascular risk as the probability of developing CVD within 10 years using published equations from the Framingham Heart Study. Amyloid and tau pathologies were measured using positron emission tomography.As expected, amyloid positive participants had greater tau in the entorhinal cortex (EC) and inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) (difference in means = 0.09, p < 0.05 for each region), and 10-year CVD risk was positively correlated with white matter lesion burden (r = 0.24, p = 0.03). However, we did not find any associations between CVD risk and amyloid or tau. The data provided over two- and four-fold evidence towards the lack of a correlation between CVD risk and tau in the EC (Bayes factor BF = 2.4) and ITG (BF = 4.0), respectively. We found over three-fold evidence towards the lack of a difference in mean CVD risk by amyloid group (BF = 3.4). These null findings were replicated using a data-driven vascular risk score in the BLSA based on a principal component analysis of eight indicators of vascular health.Our data provide moderate evidence towards the lack of an association between vascular risk and concurrent AD neuropathology among cognitively normal older adults. This finding suggests that vascular risk and AD neuropathology may constitute independent pathways in the development of cognitive impairment and dementia.HighlightsVascular risk is associated with white matter lesion load, but not amyloid or tauModerate evidence for lack of association between vascular risk & early AD pathologyVascular risk and Alzheimer’s neuropathology may constitute independent pathways

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