Initial Data and a Clinical Diagnosis Transition for the Aiginition Longitudinal Biomarker Investigation of Neurodegeneration (ALBION) Study

Objective Physical Function in the Alzheimer's Disease Continuum: Association with Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in the ALBION Study

Cognitive and physical decline, both indicators of aging, seem to be associated with each other. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether physical function parameters (walking time and handgrip strength) are related to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (amyloid-beta Aβ42, Tau, PhTau) in individuals in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) continuum. The sample was drawn from the Aiginition Longitudinal Biomarker Investigation of Neurodegeneration study, comprising 163 individuals aged 40-75 years: 112 cognitively normal (CN) and 51 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Physical function parameters were measured at baseline, a lumbar puncture was performed the same day and CSF biomarkers were analyzed using automated methods. The association between walking time, handgrip strength and CSF biomarkers was evaluated by linear correlation, followed by multivariate linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, education and APOEe4 genotype. Walking time was inversely related to CSF Aβ42 (lower CSF values correspond to increased brain deposition) in all participants (p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that this association was stronger in individuals with MCI and participants older than 60 years old, a result which remained statistically significant after adjustment for the aforementioned confounding factors. These findings may open new perspectives regarding the role of mobility in the AD continuum.

A Candidate microRNA Profile for Early Diagnosis of Sporadic Alzheimer’s Disease

Background: Late-onset or sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (sAD) is a neurodegenerative disease leading to cognitive impairment and memory loss. The underlying pathological changes take place several years prior to the appearance of the first clinical symptoms, however, the early diagnosis of sAD remains obscure. Objective: To identify changes in circulating microRNA (miR) expression in an effort to detect early biomarkers of underlying sAD pathology. Methods: A set of candidate miRs, earlier detected in biofluids from subjects at early stage of sAD, was linked to the proposed tau-driven adverse outcome pathway for memory loss. The relative expression of the selected miRs in serum of 12 cases (mild cognitive impairment, MCI) and 27 cognitively normal subjects, recruited within the ongoing Aiginition Longitudinal Biomarker Investigation Of Neurodegeneration (ALBION) study, was measured by RT-qPCR. Data on the protein levels of amyloid-β (Aβ42) and total/phosphorylated tau (t-tau/p-tau), in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and the cognitive z-scores of the participants were also retrieved. Results: Each doubling in relative expression of 13 miRs in serum changed the odds of either having MCI (versus control), or having pathological Aβ42 or pathological Aβ42 and tau (versus normal) proteins in their CSF, or was associated with the global composite z-score. Conclusion: These candidate human circulating miRs may be of great importance in early diagnosis of sAD. There is an urgent need for confirming these proposed early predictive biomarkers for sAD, contributing not only to societal but also to economic benefits.

Daily Energy Intake Distribution and Cognitive Performance in Non-Demented Individuals

Cognitive disorders have become important public health issues around the world. Studies evaluating the association between cognitive decline and food timing are lacking. The objective of this study was to examine the potential association between energy intake distribution during the day and cognitive performance in cognitively healthy and mildly cognitive impaired individuals. Data were derived from the ongoing Albion study which includes people aged 40 years or older who have a positive family history of cognitive disorder or concern about their cognitive status. A thorough dietary and cognitive assessment was performed. Participants consuming low energy intake at the beginning of the day or high energy at the end of the day had higher cognitive function compared to participants characterized by the opposite pattern. This trend remained statistically significant even after adjustment for potential confounders (p = 0.043). This study suggests that individuals with worse cognitive function may choose to eat earlier during the day, when cognitive performance is better, and it might be hypothesized that a meal pattern characterized by high energy consumption at the beginning of the day or low energy at the end of the day could be a marker of cognitive impairment.