Project description:BackgroundPrevious studies have explored the application of non-invasive biomarkers of language dysfunction for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, language dysfunction over time may be quite heterogeneous within different diagnostic groups.MethodPatient demographics and clinical data were retrieved from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database for the participants without dementia who had measures of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers and language dysfunction. We analyzed the effect of longitudinal neuropathological and clinical correlates in the pathological process of semantic fluency and confrontation naming. The mediation effects of AD biomarkers were also explored by the mediation analysis.ResultThere were 272 subjects without dementia included in this analysis. Higher rates of decline in semantic fluency and confrontation naming were associated with a higher risk of progression to MCI or AD, and a greater decline in cognitive abilities. Moreover, the rate of change in semantic fluency was significantly associated with Aβ deposition, while confrontation naming was significantly associated with both amyloidosis and tau burden. Mediation analyses revealed that both confrontation naming and semantic fluency were partially mediated by the Aβ aggregation.ConclusionIn conclusion, the changes in language dysfunction may partly stem from the Aβ deposition, while confrontation naming can also partly originate from the increase in tau burden. Therefore, this study sheds light on how language dysfunction is partly constitutive of mild cognitive impairment and dementia and therefore is an important clinical predictor.
Project description:The relationship between mild behavioral impairment (MBI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is intricate and still not well investigated. The purpose of the study is to examine the roles of the AD imaging pathologies in modulating the associations of MBI with cognitive impairments. We analyzed 1129 participants (563 [49.86%] female), who had measures of Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q), cognition, and amyloid PET AD biomarkers from the Alzheimer's disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). We assess the longitudinal neuropathological and clinical correlates of baseline MBI via linear mixed effects and Cox proportional hazard models. The mediation analyses were used to test the mediation effects of AD pathologies on cognition. We found that MBI was associated with worse global cognition as represented by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (p < 0.001), and higher β-amyloid burden (p < 0.001). β-amyloid partially mediated the effects of MBI on cognition with the mediation percentage varied from 14.67 to 40.86% for general cognition, memory, executive, and language functions for non-dementia individuals. However, no significant associations were discovered between MBI and tau burden or neurodegeneration. Furthermore, longitudinal analyses revealed that individuals with MBI had a faster increase in brain amyloid burden (p < 0.001) and a higher risk of clinical conversion (HR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.45 to 4.01 p < 0.001). In conclusion, MBI could be an imperative prediction indicator of clinical and pathological progression. In addition, amyloid pathologies might partially mediate the influences of MBI on cognitive impairments and AD risk.
Project description:ObjectiveMetamemory refers to self-awareness of one's memory function, and the extent to which metamemory deficit impacts financial decision making is unknown. This study tested the hypothesis that metamemory deficit is associated with poor financial decision making among older adults without dementia.MethodData came from 502 community-dwelling older adults participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Metamemory deficit was determined empirically by contrasting subjective memory ratings with performance on objective memory tests. Larger discrepancy of self-rated memory scores from performance-based testing scores indicates greater deficit. Financial decision making was assessed using a performance-based measure. Multivariable regression analyses examined the association of metamemory deficit with financial decision making.ResultsParticipants had a mean age of 83 years and a mean education of 15 years. Approximately 75% were female. On average, participants answered two thirds of the financial decision making questions correctly. Female sex, older age, lower education, and lower financial literacy were correlated with poorer financial decision making. In an ordinal logistic regression model controlled for demographics and financial literacy, an 1SD increase in metamemory deficit reduced the odds of having better financial decision making by approximately 15%, OR: 0.844, 95% CI [0.719-0.991]. This association persisted after further controlling for family income, early life socioeconomic status, depressive symptoms and executive function.ConclusionsMetamemory deficit in older adults is a potential indicator of impaired financial decision making. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Project description:ObjectiveHealthcare and financial decision making among older persons has been previously associated with cognition, health and financial literacy, and risk aversion; however, the manner by which these resources support decision making remains unclear, as past studies have not systematically investigated the pathways linking these resources with decision making. In the current study, we use path analysis to examine the direct and indirect pathways linking age, education, cognition, literacy, and risk aversion with decision making. We also decomposed literacy into its subcomponents, conceptual knowledge and numeracy, in order to examine their associations with decision making.MethodParticipants were 937 community-based older adults without dementia from the Rush Memory and Aging Project who completed a battery of cognitive tests and assessments of healthcare and financial decision making, health and financial literacy, and risk aversion.ResultsAge and education exerted effects on decision making, but nearly two thirds of their effects were indirect, working mostly through cognition and literacy. Cognition exerted a strong direct effect on decision making and a robust indirect effect working primarily through literacy. Literacy also exerted a powerful direct effect on decision making, as did its subcomponents, conceptual knowledge and numeracy. The direct effect of risk aversion was comparatively weak.ConclusionsIn addition to cognition, health and financial literacy emerged as independent and primary correlates of healthcare and financial decision making. These findings suggest specific actions that might be taken to optimize healthcare and financial decision making and, by extension, improve health and well-being in advanced age. (PsycINFO Database Record
Project description:ObjectiveUse latent class analysis (LCA) to identify patterns of cognitive functioning in a sample of older adults with clinical depression and without dementia and assess demographic, psychiatric, and neurobiological predictors of class membership.MethodNeuropsychological assessment data from 121 participants in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative-Depression project (ADNI-D) were analyzed, including measures of executive functioning, verbal and visual memory, visuospatial and language functioning, and processing speed. These data were analyzed using LCA, with predictors of class membership such as depression severity, depression and treatment history, amyloid burden, and APOE e4 allele also assessed.ResultsA two-class model of cognitive functioning best fit the data, with the Lower Cognitive Class (46.1% of the sample) performing approximately one standard deviation below the Higher Cognitive Class (53.9%) on most tests. When predictors of class membership were assessed, carrying an APOE e4 allele was significantly associated with membership in the Lower Cognitive Class. Demographic characteristics, age of depression onset, depression severity, history of psychopharmacological treatment for depression, and amyloid positivity did not predict class membership.ConclusionLCA allows for identification of subgroups of cognitive functioning in a mostly cognitively intact late life depression (LLD) population. One subgroup, the Lower Cognitive Class, more likely to carry an APOE e4 allele, may be at a greater risk for subsequent cognitive decline, even though current performance on neuropsychological testing is within normal limits. These findings have implications for early identification of those at greatest risk, risk factors, and avenues for preventive intervention.
Project description:Although it is widely accepted that personal networks influence health and illness, network recall remains a major concern. This concern is heightened when studying a population that is vulnerable to cognitive decline. Given these issues, we use data from the Social Network in Alzheimer Disease project to explore similarities and discrepancies between the network perceptions of focal participants and study partners. By leveraging data on a sample of older adults with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and early stage dementia, we explore how cognitive impairment influences older adults' perceptions of their personal networks. We find that the average individual is more likely to omit weaker, peripheral ties from their self-reported networks than stronger, central ties. Despite observing only moderate levels of focal-partner corroboration across our sample, we find minimal evidence of perceptual differences across diagnostic groups. We offer two broad conclusions. First, self-reported network data, though imperfect, offer a reasonable account of the core people in one's life. Second, our findings assuage concerns that cognitively impaired older adults have skewed perceptions of their personal networks.
Project description:ObjectiveMean Diffusivity (MD) as measured by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can be used to detect microstructural alterations of the brain's gray matter (GM). A previous study found that higher education, which is a proxy for cognitive reserve (CR), was related to decreased hippocampal MD in middle-aged healthy adults, indicating decreased microstructural damage in more educated participants. Based on this study, we aimed at determining the role of hippocampal GM MD in the interaction of AD pathology and CR in older people without dementia.MethodWe used a sample of 52 cognitively normal people and 38 participants with late mild cognitive impairment (LMCI) from the ADNI database. MCI and cognitively normal participants were analyzed separately. Using linear models, we regressed hippocampal GM MD on CR (quantified by a composite score), amyloid status and the interaction of both, adjusting for age, gender and memory score.ResultsCR was not associated with hippocampal GM MD and hippocampal GM volume. Also, no interaction of amyloid status and CR was found.ConclusionOur results do not confirm an association of CR and hippocampal GM MD in older adults. In contrast to previous studies, we did not find an association between CR and microstructural, nor macrostructural alterations of the hippocampus in older adults. More research is needed to determine the influence of CR on hippocampal microstructural integrity in relation to age and AD pathology.
Project description:BackgroundAs the population ages and the prevalence of dementia increases, there is a growing emphasis on the importance of cognitive training to prevent dementia. A smartphone application-based cognitive training software program, BeauBrain Trainer (BBT), has been developed to provide better access to cognitive training for older adults. Numerous studies have revealed the effectiveness of cognitive training using a cognitive assessment tool. However, relatively few studies have evaluated brain activation using brain imaging as a result of improved cognitive function.MethodsAll participants were required to download the BBT, an Android-based application for cognitive training, onto their own smartphone or tablet computer and to engage in cognitive training at home. Older adults without dementia were enrolled in this study, including 51 participants in the intervention group and 50 participants in the control group. The BBT comprised a set of 12 cognitive tasks, including two tasks in each of the following six cognitive domains: attention, language, calculation, visuospatial function, memory, and frontal/executive function. Each cognitive task was divided into four blocks based on its level of difficulty. A 16-week cognitive training was designed to carry out cognitive tasks using a total of 48 blocks (12 tasks × 4 levels) for at least 1.5 h per day, 5 days per week. All participants in the intervention group were given BBT tasks that gradually increased in difficulty level, which they submitted through a smartphone application daily for 16 weeks. The researchers monitored the participants' task performance records on the website and encouraged participants to engage in cognitive training through regular contact. This study was conducted to investigate the improvement in cognitive function and the activation pattern of the frontal cortex in older adults participating in smartphone application-based cognitive training. The cognitive assessment tool was the BeauBrain cognitive screening test (CST), a tablet-based computerized cognitive screening test. The activation pattern of the frontal cortex was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Additionally, this study aimed to determine the positive effects of cognitive training on everyday functioning and psychological states using a questionnaire.ResultsOf 101 participants, 85 older adults without dementia (84.1%) who completed the study protocol were included in the statistical analysis. There were 41 participants (80.3%) in the intervention group and 44 participants (88.0%) in the control group. A two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the cognitive scores over a 16-week period between the intervention and control groups. According to the CST results, the intervention group exhibited a statistically significant increase in the language subtest scores, specifically the phonemic word fluency test, compared to those of the control group. The fNIRS results revealed greater activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during the STROOP incongruent task in the intervention group than did the control group. However, the effectiveness of cognitive training was not observed across a variety of rating scales, including everyday functioning, depression, self-efficacy, attention, and subjective memory complaints.ConclusionThis study revealed that a smartphone-based cognitive training application led to improvements in phonemic generative naming ability and activation of the prefrontal cortex in older adults without dementia. This study is meaningful because it confirmed that cognitive training is partially effective in enhancing frontal lobe function. It also provided information on the brain mechanisms related to the effects of cognitive training using fNIRS.
Project description:BackgroundLoneliness has been highlighted as a risk factor for dementia. However, the nature of the relationship between loneliness and cognitive function prior to onset of dementia is unclear.ObjectiveThe aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the relationship between loneliness and cognitive function in samples screened for dementia at study commencement.MethodsFive electronic databases (PubMed, PsycNET, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, Scopus) were searched from inception to August 31, 2021. A narrative review and random-effects meta-analysis were conducted on studies meeting search criteria. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020155539.ResultsThe sixteen studies that met inclusion criteria involved 30,267 individuals, with mean age ranging from 63.0 to 84.9 years. Studies varied in dementia screening criteria, measurement of loneliness and cognitive function, and statistical modeling approach. The narrative review indicated that loneliness was associated with poorer global cognition, episodic memory, working memory, visuospatial function, processing speed, and semantic verbal fluency. Results of the meta-analysis indicated that loneliness was negatively associated with global cognitive function (overall r = -0.08; 95% CI = -0.14, -0.02; n = 6). Due to lack of sufficient data and heterogeneity between studies, we were unable to explore associations with other cognitive domains or longitudinal associations.ConclusionLoneliness is associated with subtle impairment across multiple cognitive domains in older adults who were screened for dementia. Better characterization of this relationship will provide important information about how loneliness contributes to the clinical and pathological sequalae of AD and be informative for risk reduction and early detection strategies.
Project description:BackgroundFinancial 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.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate the association between financial capacity and regional cerebral tau.MethodsCross-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.ResultsSignificant 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).ConclusionGreater 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.