Cognitive Decline in Adults Aged 65 and Older in Cumbayá, Quito, Ecuador: Prevalence and Risk Factors

Throughout the lifespan, common variations in systemic health and illness contribute to alterations in vasculature structure and function throughout the body, significantly increasing risk for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease (CVD). CVD is a prevalent cause of mortality in late life; it also promotes brain alterations, contributing to cognitive decline and, when severe, vascular dementia. Even prior to diseased states, individual variation in CVD risk is associated with structural and functional brain alterations. Yet, how cumulative asymptomatic alterations in vessel structure and function contribute to more subtle changes in brain tissue integrity and function that emerge in late life is unclear. Finally, vascular risk factors are associated with the clinical progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, recent theory posits that vascular degeneration may serve a contributory role in these conditions. This chapter reviews how lifespan changes in vascular health contribute to degenerative changes in neural tissue and the subsequent development of cognitive impairment and/or vascular dementia. It first discusses associations between vascular risk factors and cognition and also how declining vascular health may lead to cognitive impairment and dementia. Next, it identifies basic aspects of cerebrovascular anatomy and physiology sustaining tissue health and discusses how vulnerabilities of this system contribute to neurodegenerative changes. Finally, it reviews evidence of vascular contributions to AD and presents ideas for future research to better understand the full spectrum of cerebrovascular contributions to brain aging, cognitive decline, and dementia.

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Analyses of Visuospatial and Visuoperceptual Errors as Predictors of Dementia in Parkinson’s Disease Patients with Subjective Cognitive Decline and Mild Cognitive Impairment

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617720001216 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Iván Galtier ◽

Antonieta Nieto ◽

María Mata ◽

Jesús N. Lorenzo ◽

José Barroso

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Poor Performance ◽

Subjective Cognitive Decline ◽

Independent Risk Factors

ABSTRACT Objective: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are considered as the risk factors for dementia (PDD). Posterior cortically based functions, such as visuospatial and visuoperceptual (VS-VP) processing, have been described as predictors of PDD. However, no investigations have focused on the qualitative analysis of the Judgment of Line Orientation Test (JLOT) and the Facial Recognition Test (FRT) in PD-SCD and PD-MCI. The aim of this work was to study the VS-VP errors in JLOT and FRT. Moreover, these variables are considered as predictors of PDD. Method: Forty-two PD patients and 19 controls were evaluated with a neuropsychological protocol. Patients were classified as PD-SCD and PD-MCI. Analyses of errors were conducted following the procedure described by Ska, Poissant, and Joanette (1990). Follow-up assessment was conducted to a mean of 7.5 years after the baseline. Results: PD-MCI patients showed a poor performance in JLOT and FRT total score and made a greater proportion of severe intraquadrant (QO2) and interquadrant errors (IQO). PD-SCD showed a poor performance in FRT and made mild errors in JLOT. PD-MCI and QO2/IQO errors were independent risk factors for PDD during the follow-up. Moreover, the combination of both PD-MCI diagnosis and QO2/IQO errors was associated with a greater risk. Conclusions: PD-MCI patients presented a greater alteration in VS-VP processing observable by the presence of severe misjudgments. PD-SCD patients also showed mild difficulties in VS-SP functions. Finally, QO2/IQO errors in PD-MCI are a useful predictor of PDD, more than PD-MCI diagnosis alone.

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ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION: INITIATIVES & PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE

Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease ◽

10.14283/jpad.2016.111 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 1-3

Author(s):

H.M. Snyder ◽

M.C. Carrillo

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Population Based ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Public Health Perspective ◽

Reduce Risk ◽

Number Of Individuals ◽

Do So

An estimated 47 million people worldwide are living with dementia in 2015 and this number is expected to triple by 2050. There is a clear urgency for therapies and / or interventions to slow, stop or prevent dementia. Amounting evidence suggests strategies to reduce risk of development dementia may be of growing import for reducing the number of individuals affected. The Alzheimer’s Association believes, from a population based perspective that: (1) Regular physical activity and management of cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. diabetes, obesity, smoking and hypertension) have been shown to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and may reduce the risk of dementia; (2) A healthy diet and lifelong learning/cognitive training may also reduce the risk of cognitive decline. The current evidence underscores the need to communicate to the broader population what the science indicates and to do so with diverse stakeholders and consistent messaging. There has never been a better time to define and distribute global messaging on public health for dementia.

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Long-Term Cognitive Decline After Stroke: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis

Stroke ◽

10.1161/strokeaha.121.035796 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jessica W. Lo ◽

John D. Crawford ◽

David W. Desmond ◽

Hee-Joon Bae ◽

Jae-Sung Lim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Recurrent Stroke ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Older Age ◽

Individual Participant Data ◽

Individual Participant ◽

Global Cognition

Background and Purpose: Poststroke cognitive impairment is common, but the trajectory and magnitude of cognitive decline after stroke is unclear. We examined the course and determinants of cognitive change after stroke using individual participant data from the Stroke and Cognition Consortium. Methods: Nine longitudinal hospital-based cohorts from 7 countries were included. Neuropsychological test scores and normative data were used to calculate standardized scores for global cognition and 5 cognitive domains. One-step individual participant data meta-analysis was used to examine the rate of change in cognitive function and risk factors for cognitive decline after stroke. Stroke-free controls were included to examine rate differences. Based on the literature and our own data that showed short-term improvement in cognitive function after stroke, key analyses were restricted to the period beginning 1-year poststroke to focus on its long-term effects. Results: A total of 1488 patients (mean age, 66.3 years; SD, 11.1; 98% ischemic stroke) were followed for a median of 2.68 years (25th–75th percentile: 1.21–4.14 years). After an initial period of improvement through up to 1-year poststroke, decline was seen in global cognition and all domains except executive function after adjusting for age, sex, education, vascular risk factors, and stroke characteristics (−0.053 SD/year [95% CI, −0.073 to −0.033]; P <0.001 for global cognition). Recurrent stroke and older age were associated with faster decline. Decline was significantly faster in patients with stroke compared with controls (difference=−0.078 SD/year [95% CI, −0.11 to −0.045]; P <0.001 for global cognition in a subgroup analysis). Conclusions: Patients with stroke experience cognitive decline that is faster than that of stroke-free controls from 1 to 3 years after onset. An increased rate of decline is associated with older age and recurrent stroke.

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Bereavement and behavioral changes as risk factors for cognitive decline in adults with Down syndrome

Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment ◽

10.2147/ndt.s68831 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 2209 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Luciana Mascarenhas Fonseca ◽

Melaine Cristina de Oliveira ◽

Laura Maria de Figueiredo Ferreira Guilhoto ◽

Esper Abrao Cavalheiro ◽

Cassio Machado de Campos Bottino

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Down Syndrome ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Behavioral Changes

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O3-08-02: CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS ACROSS THE LIFECOURSE AND COGNITIVE DECLINE: A POOLED COHORT STUDY

Alzheimer s & Dementia ◽

10.1016/j.jalz.2019.06.4667 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

pp. P901-P901

Author(s):

Kristine Yaffe ◽

Eric Vittinghoff ◽

Patrick Stuchlik ◽

Leslie Grasset ◽

Tina D. Hoang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Cardiovascular Risk Factors

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Development of the First WHO Guidelines for Risk Reduction of Cognitive Decline and Dementia: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2021.763573 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Ruth Stephen ◽

Mariagnese Barbera ◽

Ruth Peters ◽

Nicole Ee ◽

Lidan Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Risk Reduction ◽

Individual Risk ◽

Who Guidelines ◽

Dementia Risk ◽

Dementia Prevention ◽

Multidomain Intervention ◽

Intervention Trials ◽

Individual Risk Factors

The first WHO guidelines for risk reduction of cognitive decline and dementia marked an important milestone in the field of dementia prevention. In this paper, we discuss the evidence reviewed as part of the guidelines development and present the main themes emerged from its synthesis, to inform future research and policies on dementia risk reduction. The role of intervention effect-size; the mismatch between observational and intervention-based evidence; the heterogeneity of evidence among intervention trials; the importance of intervention duration; the role of timing of exposure to a certain risk factor and interventions; the relationship between intervention intensity and response; the link between individual risk factors and specific dementia pathologies; and the need for tailored interventions emerged as the main themes. The interaction and clustering of individual risk factors, including genetics, was identified as the overarching theme. The evidence collected indicates that multidomain approaches targeting simultaneously multiple risk factors and tailored at both individual and population level, are likely to be most effective and feasible in dementia risk reduction. The current status of multidomain intervention trials aimed to cognitive impairment/dementia prevention was also briefly reviewed. Primary results were presented focusing on methodological differences and the potential of design harmonization for improving evidence quality. Since multidomain intervention trials address a condition with slow clinical manifestation—like dementia—in a relatively short time frame, the need for surrogate outcomes was also discussed, with a specific focus on the potential utility of dementia risk scores. Finally, we considered how multidomain intervention could be most effectively implemented in a public health context and the implications world-wide for other non-communicable diseases targeting common risk factors, taking into account the limited evidence in low-middle income countries. In conclusion, the evidence from the first WHO guidelines for risk reduction of cognitive decline and dementia indicated that “one size does not fit all,” and multidomain approaches adaptable to different populations and individuals are likely to be the most effective. Harmonization in trial design, the use of appropriate outcome measures, and sustainability in large at-risk populations in the context of other chronic disorders also emerged as key elements.

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