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Gustavson DE, Elman JA, Reynolds CA, Eyler LT, Fennema-Notestine C, Puckett OK, Panizzon MS, Gillespie NA, Neale MC, Lyons MJ, Franz CE, Kremen WS. Brain reserve in midlife is associated with executive function changes across 12 years. Neurobiol Aging 2024; 141:113-120. [PMID: 38852544 PMCID: PMC11246793 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
We examined how brain reserve in midlife, measured by brain-predicted age difference scores (Brain-PADs), predicted executive function concurrently and longitudinally into early old age, and whether these associations were moderated by young adult cognitive reserve or APOE genotype. 508 men in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA) completed neuroimaging assessments at mean age 56 and six executive function tasks at mean ages 56, 62, and 68 years. Results indicated that greater brain reserve at age 56 was associated with better concurrent executive function (r=.10, p=.040) and less decline in executive function over 12 years (r=.34, p=.001). These associations were not moderated by cognitive reserve or APOE genotype. Twin analysis suggested associations with executive function slopes were driven by genetic influences. Our findings suggest that greater brain reserve allowed for better cognitive maintenance from middle- to old age, driven by a genetic association. The results are consistent with differential preservation of executive function based on brain reserve that is independent of young adult cognitive reserve or APOE genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Gustavson
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Jeremy A Elman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Chandra A Reynolds
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Lisa T Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christine Fennema-Notestine
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Olivia K Puckett
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Matthew S Panizzon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nathan A Gillespie
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavior Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Michael C Neale
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavior Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Michael J Lyons
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carol E Franz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - William S Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Schwarz C, Franz CE, Kremen WS, Vuoksimaa E. Reserve, resilience and maintenance of episodic memory and other cognitive functions in aging. Neurobiol Aging 2024; 140:60-69. [PMID: 38733869 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
We tested if cognitive and brain reserve and maintenance explain individual differences in episodic memory and other cognitive domains from late middle to early older adulthood. We used The Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging data (n=1604 men) with episodic memory measured at mean ages of 56, 62 and 68 years, and magnetic resonance imaging data for a subsample of participants (n=321). Cognitive reserve -young adult general cognitive ability at a mean age of 20 years and, to a lesser degree, educational attainment- was positively related to episodic memory performance at each assessment, but not to memory change. We found no evidence for the associations of brain reserve or brain maintenance on memory change. Results were highly similar when looking at processing speed, executive function and verbal fluency. In conclusion, higher young adult cognitive reserve was related to better episodic memory in midlife and older adulthood, but it did not confer better cognitive maintenance with respect to memory. This supports the importance of early cognitive development in dementia prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Schwarz
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Neurology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Carol E Franz
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavioral Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - William S Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavioral Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Eero Vuoksimaa
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavioral Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Asp I, Cawley-Bennett ATJ, Frascino JC, Golshan S, Bondi MW, Smith CN. News event memory in amnestic and non-amnestic MCI, heritable risk for dementia, and subjective memory complaints. Neuropsychologia 2024; 199:108887. [PMID: 38621578 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Robust and sensitive clinical measures are needed for more accurate and earlier detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD), for staging preclinical AD, and for gauging the efficacy of treatments. Mild impairment on episodic memory tests is thought to indicate a cognitive risk of developing AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), considered to be a transitional stage between normal aging and AD. Novel tests of semantic memory, such as memory for news events, are also impaired early on but have received little clinical attention even though they may provide a novel way to assess cognitive risk for AD. We examined memory for news events in older adults with normal cognition (NC, N = 34), amnestic MCI (aMCI, N = 27), or non-aMCI (N = 10) using the Retrograde Memory News Events Test (RM-NET). We asked if news event memory was sensitive to 1) aMCI and also non-aMCI, which has rarely been examined, 2) genetic risk for dementia (positive family history of any type of dementia, presence of an APOE-4 allele, or polygenic risk for AD), and 3) subjective memory functioning judgments about the past. We found that both MCI subgroups exhibited impaired RM-NET Lifespan accuracy scores together with temporally-limited retrograde amnesia. For the aMCI group amnesia extended back 45 years prior to testing, but not beyond that time frame. The extent of retrograde amnesia could not be reliably estimated in the small non-aMCI group. The effect sizes of having MCI on the RM-NET were medium for the non-aMCI group and large for the aMCI group, whereas the effect sizes of participant characteristics on RM-NET accuracy scores were small. For the combined MCI group (N = 37), news event memory was significantly related to positive family history of dementia but was not related to the more specific genetic markers of AD risk. For the NC group, news event memory was not related to any measure of genetic risk. Objective measures of past memory from the RM-NET were not related to subjective memory judgements about the present or the recent past in either group. By contrast, when individuals subjectively compared their present versus past memory abilities, there was a significant association between this judgment and objective measures of the past from the RM-NET (direct association for the NC group and inverse for the MCI group). The RM-NET holds significant promise for early identification of those with cognitive and genetic risk factors for AD and non-AD dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Asp
- San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Jennifer C Frascino
- San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Shahrokh Golshan
- San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Mark W Bondi
- San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Christine N Smith
- San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, CA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California Irvine, CA, USA.
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Bell TR, Elman JA, Beck A, Fennema-Notestine C, Gustavson DE, Hagler DJ, Jak AJ, Lyons MJ, Puckett OK, Toomey R, Franz CE, Kremen WS. Rostral-middle locus coeruleus integrity and subjective cognitive decline in early old age. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2023; 29:763-774. [PMID: 36524301 PMCID: PMC10272292 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617722000881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Abnormal tau, a hallmark Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, may appear in the locus coeruleus (LC) decades before AD symptom onset. Reports of subjective cognitive decline are also often present prior to formal diagnosis. Yet, the relationship between LC structural integrity and subjective cognitive decline has remained unexplored. Here, we aimed to explore these potential associations. METHODS We examined 381 community-dwelling men (mean age = 67.58; SD = 2.62) in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging who underwent LC-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging and completed the Everyday Cognition scale to measure subjective cognitive decline along with their selected informants. Mixed models examined the associations between rostral-middle and caudal LC integrity and subjective cognitive decline after adjusting for depressive symptoms, physical morbidities, and family. Models also adjusted for current objective cognitive performance and objective cognitive decline to explore attenuation. RESULTS For participant ratings, lower rostral-middle LC contrast to noise ratio (LCCNR) was associated with significantly greater subjective decline in memory, executive function, and visuospatial abilities. For informant ratings, lower rostral-middle LCCNR was associated with significantly greater subjective decline in memory only. Associations remained after adjusting for current objective cognition and objective cognitive decline in respective domains. CONCLUSIONS Lower rostral-middle LC integrity is associated with greater subjective cognitive decline. Although not explained by objective cognitive performance, such a relationship may explain increased AD risk in people with subjective cognitive decline as the LC is an important neural substrate important for higher order cognitive processing, attention, and arousal and one of the first sites of AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler R. Bell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
| | - Jeremy A. Elman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
| | - Asad Beck
- Center for Neurotechnology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christine Fennema-Notestine
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
| | - Daniel E. Gustavson
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Donald J. Hagler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
| | - Amy J. Jak
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
| | - Michael J Lyons
- Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA, 02215
| | - Olivia K. Puckett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
| | - Rosemary Toomey
- Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA, 02215
| | - Carol E. Franz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
| | - William S. Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093
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Esmaili M, Farhud DD, Poushaneh K, Baghdassarians A, Ashayeri H. Executive Functions and Public Health: A Narrative Review. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 52:1589-1599. [PMID: 37744538 PMCID: PMC10512143 DOI: 10.18502/ijph.v52i8.13398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) skills are necessary for regulating the thoughts, emotions, and actions which are associated with many aspects of daily functioning. Executive dysfunction (EDFs) is present in a wide range of mental disorders. New study indicates that EFs may predict health behavior and make it easier to engage in a variety of healthy activities. In this narrative review, EFs and public health are briefly discussed. In general, 133 articles met the inclusion criteria (published 2018-2023) which were reviewed. EFs affect the mental and physical health. Besides individual problems, people with mental problems have heavy costs to society. Mental health cannot be considered separately from general health. Consequently, preventive and therapeutic approaches to mental health should be considered not only at the level of the whole society, but also at the global level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Esmaili
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University Tehran, Iran
| | - Dariush D. Farhud
- School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Basic Sciences, Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kambiz Poushaneh
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University Tehran, Iran
| | - Anita Baghdassarians
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University Tehran, Iran
| | - Hassan Ashayeri
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Vasiljevic E, Koscik RL, Jonaitis E, Betthauser T, Johnson SC, Engelman CD. Cognitive trajectories diverge by genetic risk in a preclinical longitudinal cohort. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:3108-3118. [PMID: 36723444 PMCID: PMC10390653 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We sought to characterize the timing of changes in cognitive trajectories related to genetic risk using the apolipoprotein E (APOE) score, a continuous measure of Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk. We also aimed to determine whether that timing was different when genetic risk was measured using an AD polygenic risk score (PRS) that contains APOE. METHODS We analyzed trajectories (N ≈1135) for four neuropsychological composite scores using mixed effects regression for longitudinal change across APOE scores and PRS of participants in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention, a longitudinal study of adults aged 40 to 70 at baseline, with a median participant follow-up time of 7.8 years. RESULTS We found a significant non-linear age-by-APOE score interaction in predicting cognitive decline. Cognitive trajectories diverged by APOE score at approximately 65 years of age. A 0.5 standard deviation difference in cognition between extreme percentiles of the PRS was predicted to occur 1 to 2 years before that of the APOE score. DISCUSSION Cognitive decline differs across time and APOE score. Estimates did not substantially shift with the AD PRS. HIGHLIGHTS The apolipoprotein E (APOE) score, a continuous measure, accounts for non-linear genetic risk of Alzheimer's disease. Non-linear age interacts with the APOE score to affect cognition. Cognitive decline starts to differ by APOE score levels at approximately age 65. Cognitive decline timing by polygenic risk (including APOE) is similar to APOE alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Vasiljevic
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 610 Walnut Dr., Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1180 Observatory Drive Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Rebecca Langhough Koscik
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 610 Walnut Street, 9th Floor, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Avenue, MC 2420, Madison, Wisconsin 53792, USA
| | - Erin Jonaitis
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 610 Walnut Street, 9th Floor, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Avenue, MC 2420, Madison, Wisconsin 53792, USA
| | - Tobey Betthauser
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Avenue, MC 2420, Madison, Wisconsin 53792, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1685 Highland Avenue, 5158 Medical Foundation Centennial Building, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Sterling C. Johnson
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 610 Walnut Street, 9th Floor, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Avenue, MC 2420, Madison, Wisconsin 53792, USA
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Corinne D. Engelman
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 610 Walnut Dr., Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 610 Walnut Street, 9th Floor, Madison, WI 53726, USA
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 600 Highland Avenue, MC 2420, Madison, Wisconsin 53792, USA
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Pettigrew C, Nazarovs J, Soldan A, Singh V, Wang J, Hohman T, Dumitrescu L, Libby J, Kunkle B, Gross AL, Johnson S, Lu Q, Engelman C, Masters CL, Maruff P, Laws SM, Morris JC, Hassenstab J, Cruchaga C, Resnick SM, Kitner-Triolo MH, An Y, Albert M. Alzheimer's disease genetic risk and cognitive reserve in relationship to long-term cognitive trajectories among cognitively normal individuals. Alzheimers Res Ther 2023; 15:66. [PMID: 36978190 PMCID: PMC10045505 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-023-01206-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Both Alzheimer's disease (AD) genetic risk factors and indices of cognitive reserve (CR) influence risk of cognitive decline, but it remains unclear whether they interact. This study examined whether a CR index score modifies the relationship between AD genetic risk factors and long-term cognitive trajectories in a large sample of individuals with normal cognition. METHODS Analyses used data from the Preclinical AD Consortium, including harmonized data from 5 longitudinal cohort studies. Participants were cognitively normal at baseline (M baseline age = 64 years, 59% female) and underwent 10 years of follow-up, on average. AD genetic risk was measured by (i) apolipoprotein-E (APOE) genetic status (APOE-ε2 and APOE-ε4 vs. APOE-ε3; N = 1819) and (ii) AD polygenic risk scores (AD-PRS; N = 1175). A CR index was calculated by combining years of education and literacy scores. Longitudinal cognitive performance was measured by harmonized factor scores for global cognition, episodic memory, and executive function. RESULTS In mixed-effects models, higher CR index scores were associated with better baseline cognitive performance for all cognitive outcomes. APOE-ε4 genotype and AD-PRS that included the APOE region (AD-PRSAPOE) were associated with declines in all cognitive domains, whereas AD-PRS that excluded the APOE region (AD-PRSw/oAPOE) was associated with declines in executive function and global cognition, but not memory. There were significant 3-way CR index score × APOE-ε4 × time interactions for the global (p = 0.04, effect size = 0.16) and memory scores (p = 0.01, effect size = 0.22), indicating the negative effect of APOE-ε4 genotype on global and episodic memory score change was attenuated among individuals with higher CR index scores. In contrast, levels of CR did not attenuate APOE-ε4-related declines in executive function or declines associated with higher AD-PRS. APOE-ε2 genotype was unrelated to cognition. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that APOE-ε4 and non-APOE-ε4 AD polygenic risk are independently associated with global cognitive and executive function declines among individuals with normal cognition at baseline, but only APOE-ε4 is associated with declines in episodic memory. Importantly, higher levels of CR may mitigate APOE-ε4-related declines in some cognitive domains. Future research is needed to address study limitations, including generalizability due to cohort demographic characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne Pettigrew
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1600 McElderry St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Jurijs Nazarovs
- University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, 750 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Anja Soldan
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1600 McElderry St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Vikas Singh
- University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, 750 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Jiangxia Wang
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Timothy Hohman
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1207 17th Ave South, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA
| | - Logan Dumitrescu
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1207 17th Ave South, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA
| | - Julia Libby
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1207 17th Ave South, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA
| | - Brian Kunkle
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Alden L Gross
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sterling Johnson
- University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, 750 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Qiongshi Lu
- University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, 750 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Corinne Engelman
- University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, 750 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Colin L Masters
- The Florey Institute, University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Paul Maruff
- The Florey Institute, University of Melbourne, 30 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Simon M Laws
- Centre for Precision Health and Collaborative Genomics and Translation Group, Edith Cowan University, 270 Jundaloop Drive, Jundaloop, WA, 6027, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - John C Morris
- Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Jason Hassenstab
- Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Carlos Cruchaga
- Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Susan M Resnick
- National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Melissa H Kitner-Triolo
- National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Yang An
- National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Marilyn Albert
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1600 McElderry St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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8
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Franz CE, Gustavson DE, Elman JA, Fennema-Notestine C, Hagler DJ, Baraff A, Tu XM, Wu TC, DeAnda J, Beck A, Kaufman JD, Whitsel N, Finch CE, Chen JC, Lyons MJ, Kremen WS. Associations Between Ambient Air Pollution and Cognitive Abilities from Midlife to Early Old Age: Modification by APOE Genotype. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 93:193-209. [PMID: 36970897 PMCID: PMC10827529 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) measures of ambient air pollution are associated with accelerated age-related cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). OBJECTIVE We examined associations between air pollution, four cognitive factors, and the moderating role of apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype in the understudied period of midlife. METHODS Participants were ∼1,100 men in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. Baseline cognitive assessments were from 2003 to 2007. Measures included past (1993-1999) and recent (3 years prior to baseline assessment) PM2.5 and NO2 exposure, in-person assessment of episodic memory, executive function, verbal fluency, and processing speed, and APOE genotype. Average baseline age was 56 years with a 12-year follow-up. Analyses adjusted for health and lifestyle covariates. RESULTS Performance in all cognitive domains declined from age 56 to 68. Higher PM2.5 exposures were associated with worse general verbal fluency. We found significant exposure-by-APOE genotype interactions for specific cognitive domains: PM2.5 with executive function and NO2 with episodic memory. Higher PM2.5 exposure was related to worse executive function in APOE ɛ4 carriers, but not in non-carriers. There were no associations with processing speed. CONCLUSION These results indicate negative effects of ambient air pollution exposure on fluency alongside intriguing differential modifications of cognitive performance by APOE genotype. APOE ɛ4 carriers appeared more sensitive to environmental differences. The process by which air pollution and its interaction with genetic risk for ADRD affects risk for later life cognitive decline or progression to dementia may begin in midlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol E. Franz
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Daniel E. Gustavson
- Institute for Behavior Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Jeremy A. Elman
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Christine Fennema-Notestine
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Donald J. Hagler
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Aaron Baraff
- Vietnam Era Twin Registry, VA Puget Sound Health Care, Seattle, WA
| | - Xin M. Tu
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, CA
| | - Tsung-Chin Wu
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, CA
| | - Jaden DeAnda
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Asad Beck
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Joel D. Kaufman
- Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, and General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Nathan Whitsel
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Caleb E. Finch
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Michael J. Lyons
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA
| | - William S. Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
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9
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Gustavson DE, Archer DB, Elman JA, Puckett OK, Fennema-Notestine C, Panizzon MS, Shashikumar N, Hohman TJ, Jefferson AL, Eyler LT, McEvoy LK, Lyons MJ, Franz CE, Kremen WS. Associations among executive function Abilities, free Water, and white matter microstructure in early old age. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 37:103279. [PMID: 36493704 PMCID: PMC9731853 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have investigated white matter microstructure in relation to late-life cognitive impairments, with fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) measures thought to capture demyelination and axonal degradation. However, new post-processing methods allow isolation of free water (FW), which captures extracellular fluid contributions such as atrophy and neuroinflammation, from tissue components. FW also appears to be highly relevant to late-life cognitive impairment. Here, we evaluated whether executive functions are associated with FW, and FA and MD corrected for FW (FAFWcorr and MDFWcorr). METHOD We examined 489 non-demented men in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA) at mean age 68. Two latent factors capturing 'common executive function' and 'working-memory specific' processes were estimated based on 6 tasks. Analyses focused on 11 cortical white matter tracts across three metrics: FW, FAFWcorr, and MDFWcorr. RESULTS Better 'common executive function' was associated with lower FW across 9 of the 11 tracts. There were no significant associations with intracellular metrics after false discovery rate correction. Effects also appeared driven by individuals with MCI (13.7% of the sample). Working memory-specific tasks showed some associations with FAFWcorr, including the triangularis portion of the inferior frontal gyrus. There was no evidence that cognitive reserve (i.e., general cognitive ability assessed in early adulthood) moderated these associations between executive function and FW or FA. DISCUSSION Executive function abilities in early old age are associated primarily with extracellular fluid (FW) as opposed to white matter (FAFWcorr or MDFWcorr). Moderation analyses suggested cognitive reserve does not play a strong role in these associations, at least in this sample of non-demented men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Gustavson
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA; Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Derek B Archer
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jeremy A Elman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Olivia K Puckett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christine Fennema-Notestine
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Matthew S Panizzon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Niranjana Shashikumar
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Timothy J Hohman
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Angela L Jefferson
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Lisa T Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Linda K McEvoy
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael J Lyons
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carol E Franz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - William S Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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10
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Ibnidris A, Fußer F, Kranz TM, Prvulovic D, Reif A, Pantel J, Albanese E, Karakaya T, Matura S. Investigating the Association Between Polygenic Risk Scores for Alzheimer’s Disease With Cognitive Performance and Intrinsic Functional Connectivity in Healthy Adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:837284. [PMID: 35645768 PMCID: PMC9131016 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.837284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology is present many years before the onset of clinical symptoms. AD dementia cannot be treated. Timely and early detection of people at risk of developing AD is key for primary and secondary prevention. Moreover, understanding the underlying pathology that is present in the earliest stages of AD, and the genetic predisposition to that might contribute to the development of targeted disease-modifying treatments. Objectives In this study, we aimed to explore whether genetic disposition to AD in asymptomatic individuals is associated with altered intrinsic functional connectivity as well as cognitive performance on neuropsychological tests. Methods We examined 136 cognitively healthy adults (old group: mean age = 69.32, SD = 4.23; young group: mean age = 31.34, SD = 13.12). All participants had undergone resting-state functional magnetic resonance imagining (fMRI), DNA genotyping to ascertain polygenic risk scores (PRS), and neuropsychological testing for global cognition, working memory, verbal fluency, and executive functions. Results Two-step hierarchical regression analysis revealed that higher PRS was significantly associated with lower scores in working memory tasks [Letter Number Span: ΔR2 = 0.077 (p < 0.05); Spatial Span: ΔR2 = 0.072 (p < 0.05)] in older adults (>60 years). PRS did not show significant modulations of the intrinsic functional connectivity of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) with other regions of interest in the brain that are affected in AD. Conclusion Allele polymorphisms may modify the effect of other AD risk factors. This potential modulation warrants further investigations, particularly in cognitively healthy adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliaa Ibnidris
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Aliaa Ibnidris,
| | - Fabian Fußer
- Department of Gerontopsychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine, and Psychotherapy, Pfalzklinikum, Klingenmünster, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Thorsten M. Kranz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - David Prvulovic
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Johannes Pantel
- Institute of General Practice, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Emiliano Albanese
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Tarik Karakaya
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Silke Matura
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
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