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Goodridge R, Turchan M, Liu D, Hohman TJ, Jefferson AL, Gifford KA. P1-288: DEVELOPMENT OF AN INFORMANT-REPORT SUBJECTIVE COGNITIVE DECLINE QUESTIONNAIRE. Alzheimers Dement 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2019.06.843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Moore EE, Liu D, Pechman KR, Acosta LMY, Bell SP, Shashikumar N, Ahmed HA, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Landman BA, Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Jefferson AL. P3-301: MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT STAGING YIELDS BIOMARKER DIFFERENCES, LONGITUDINAL COGNITIVE DECLINE, AND GREY MATTER ATROPHY. Alzheimers Dement 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2019.06.5066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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153
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Armstrong N, Dumitrescu L, Huang CW, An Y, Doshi J, Erus G, Davatzikos C, Hohman TJ, Resnick SM. P1-392: ASSOCIATION OF HIPPOCAMPAL VOLUME POLYGENIC PREDICTOR SCORE WITH CHANGE IN COGNITION AND BRAIN VOLUMES AMONG COGNITIVELY HEALTHY OLDER ADULTS. Alzheimers Dement 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2019.06.997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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154
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Mahoney ER, Dumitrescu L, Nudelman KN, Buckley RF, Gifford KA, Jefferson AL, Hohman TJ. P3-137: THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN TELOMERE LENGTH AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION IS MODIFIED BY BIOMARKERS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. Alzheimers Dement 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2019.06.3165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Moore AM, Mahoney ER, Dumitrescu L, De Jager PL, Koran MEI, Petyuk VA, Robinson RAS, Goyal S, Schneider JA, Bennett DA, Jefferson AL, Hohman TJ. P3-138: APOE
ε 4
-SPECIFIC ASSOCIATIONS OF VEGF
GENE FAMILY EXPRESSION WITH COGNITIVE AGING AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. Alzheimers Dement 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2019.06.3166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Wasserman V, Emrani S, Matusz EF, Miller D, Garrett KD, Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Jefferson AL, Au R, Swenson R, Libon DJ. Visual and Verbal Serial List Learning in Patients with Statistically-Determined Mild Cognitive Impairment. Innov Aging 2019; 3:igz009. [PMID: 31065596 PMCID: PMC6499409 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igz009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objective Prior research with patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) suggests that visual versus verbal episodic memory test performance may be more sensitive to emergent illness. However, little research has examined visual versus verbal episodic memory performance as related to MCI subtypes. Research Design and Methods Patients were diagnosed with non-MCI, amnestic MCI (aMCI), and combined mixed/dysexecutive MCI (mixed/dys MCI). Visual and verbal episodic memory were assessed with the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) and the 12-word Philadelphia (repeatable) Verbal Learning Test (P[r]VLT), respectively. Results BVMT-R and P(r)VLT scores yielded similar between-group patterns of performance. Non-MCI patients scored better than other groups on all parameters. aMCI and mixed/dys MCI did not differ on immediate or delayed free recall. Both delayed BVMT-R and P(r)VLT recognition test performance dissociated all three groups. Logistic regression analyses found that BVMT-R delayed free recall and delayed recognition scores correctly classified more patients with MCI (75.40%) than analogous P(r)VLT scores (66.20%). Visual versus verbal memory within-group analyses found no differences among non-MCI patients; P(r)VLT immediate free recall was worse among aMCI patients, but BVMT-R immediate free recall and delayed recognition were worse among mixed/dys MCI patients. Discussion and Implications Between-group analyses found convergent patterns of performance such that both tests identified elements of amnesia. However, logistic and within-group analyses found differing performance patterns suggesting that impaired visual episodic memory performance may be specific to emergent illness in mixed/dys MCI. Complementary but divergent neurocognitive networks may underlie visual versus verbal episodic memory performance in some patients with MCI.
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Passiak BS, Liu D, Kresge HA, Cambronero FE, Pechman KR, Osborn KE, Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Schrag MS, Davis LT, Jefferson AL. Perivascular spaces contribute to cognition beyond other small vessel disease markers. Neurology 2019; 92:e1309-e1321. [PMID: 30814324 PMCID: PMC6511092 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000007124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To cross-sectionally relate multiple small vessel disease (SVD) neuroimaging markers to cognition among older adults. METHODS Vanderbilt Memory & Aging Project participants free of clinical dementia and stroke (n = 327, age 73 ± 7 years, 59% male, 40% with mild cognitive impairment) completed neuropsychological assessment and 3T MRI to measure white matter hyperintensities (WMH), perivascular spaces (PVS), cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), and lacunes. Linear regressions related each SVD marker to neuropsychological performances and adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, cognitive diagnosis, APOE ε4 presence, Framingham Stroke Risk Profile, and intracranial volume. RESULTS WMH related to the most neuropsychological measures, including the Boston Naming Test, Animal Naming, Coding, Number Sequencing, Executive Function Composite, and Hooper Visual Organization Test performances (p ≤ 0.01). PVS related to multiple information processing and executive function performances (p ≤ 0.02). Lacunes and CMBs related to fewer measures than expected. Combined models simultaneously testing multiple statistically significant SVD predictors suggested that WMH, PVS, and CMBs each independently related to information processing and executive function performances; however, compared to other SVD markers, PVS remained statistically significant in models related to information processing and executive functioning performances. CONCLUSIONS As expected, increased WMH corresponded to poorer performances across multiple cognitive domains. PVS, previously considered a benign neuroimaging feature in older adults, may have important clinical implications because PVS was related to information processing and executive function performances even in combined models. On the basis of models with multiple SVD predictors, WMH, PVS, and CMBs may each reflect a separate pathway of small vessel injury.
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Dumitrescu L, Mayeda ER, Sharman K, Moore AM, Hohman TJ. Sex Differences in the Genetic Architecture of Alzheimer's Disease. CURRENT GENETIC MEDICINE REPORTS 2019; 7:13-21. [PMID: 31360619 PMCID: PMC6662731 DOI: 10.1007/s40142-019-0157-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Summarize sex-specific contributors to the genetic architecture of Alzheimer's disease (AD). RECENT FINDINGS There are sex differences in the effects of Apolipoprotein E (APOE), genes along the APOE pathway, and genes along the neurotrophic signaling pathway in predicting AD. Reported sex differences are largely driven by stronger associations among females. Evidence also suggests that genetic predictors of amyloidosis are largely shared across sexes, while sex-specific genetic effects emerge downstream of amyloidosis and drive the clinical manifestation of AD. SUMMARY There is a lack of comprehensive assessments of sex differences in genome-wide analyses of AD and a need for more systematic reporting a sex-stratified genetic effects. The emerging emphasis on sex as a biological variable provides an opportunity for transdisciplinary collaborations aimed at addressing major analytical challenges that have hampered advancements in the field. Ultimately, sex-specific genetic association studies represent a logical first step towards precision medicine.
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Emrani S, Libon DJ, Lamar M, Price CC, Jefferson AL, Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Nation DA, Delano-Wood L, Jak A, Bangen KJ, Bondi MW, Brickman AM, Manly J, Swenson R, Au R. Assessing Working Memory in Mild Cognitive Impairment with Serial Order Recall. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 61:917-928. [PMID: 29254087 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Working memory (WM) is often assessed with serial order tests such as repeating digits backward. In prior dementia research using the Backward Digit Span Test (BDT), only aggregate test performance was examined. OBJECTIVE The current research tallied primacy/recency effects, out-of-sequence transposition errors, perseverations, and omissions to assess WM deficits in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS Memory clinic patients (n = 66) were classified into three groups: single domain amnestic MCI (aMCI), combined mixed domain/dysexecutive MCI (mixed/dys MCI), and non-MCI where patients did not meet criteria for MCI. Serial order/WM ability was assessed by asking participants to repeat 7 trials of five digits backwards. Serial order position accuracy, transposition errors, perseverations, and omission errors were tallied. RESULTS A 3 (group)×5 (serial position) repeated measures ANOVA yielded a significant group×trial interaction. Follow-up analyses found attenuation of the recency effect for mixed/dys MCI patients. Mixed/dys MCI patients scored lower than non-MCI patients for serial position 3 (p < 0.003) serial position 4 (p < 0.002); and lower than both group for serial position 5 (recency; p < 0.002). Mixed/dys MCI patients also produced more transposition errors than both groups (p < 0.010); and more omissions (p < 0.020), and perseverations errors (p < 0.018) than non-MCI patients. CONCLUSIONS The attenuation of a recency effect using serial order parameters obtained from the BDT may provide a useful operational definition as well as additional diagnostic information regarding working memory deficits in MCI.
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Jansen IE, Savage JE, Watanabe K, Bryois J, Williams DM, Steinberg S, Sealock J, Karlsson IK, Hägg S, Athanasiu L, Voyle N, Proitsi P, Witoelar A, Stringer S, Aarsland D, Almdahl IS, Andersen F, Bergh S, Bettella F, Bjornsson S, Brækhus A, Bråthen G, de Leeuw C, Desikan RS, Djurovic S, Dumitrescu L, Fladby T, Hohman TJ, Jonsson PV, Kiddle SJ, Rongve A, Saltvedt I, Sando SB, Selbæk G, Shoai M, Skene NG, Snaedal J, Stordal E, Ulstein ID, Wang Y, White LR, Hardy J, Hjerling-Leffler J, Sullivan PF, van der Flier WM, Dobson R, Davis LK, Stefansson H, Stefansson K, Pedersen NL, Ripke S, Andreassen OA, Posthuma D. Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies new loci and functional pathways influencing Alzheimer's disease risk. Nat Genet 2019; 51:404-413. [PMID: 30617256 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-018-0311-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1236] [Impact Index Per Article: 247.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is highly heritable and recent studies have identified over 20 disease-associated genomic loci. Yet these only explain a small proportion of the genetic variance, indicating that undiscovered loci remain. Here, we performed a large genome-wide association study of clinically diagnosed AD and AD-by-proxy (71,880 cases, 383,378 controls). AD-by-proxy, based on parental diagnoses, showed strong genetic correlation with AD (rg = 0.81). Meta-analysis identified 29 risk loci, implicating 215 potential causative genes. Associated genes are strongly expressed in immune-related tissues and cell types (spleen, liver, and microglia). Gene-set analyses indicate biological mechanisms involved in lipid-related processes and degradation of amyloid precursor proteins. We show strong genetic correlations with multiple health-related outcomes, and Mendelian randomization results suggest a protective effect of cognitive ability on AD risk. These results are a step forward in identifying the genetic factors that contribute to AD risk and add novel insights into the neurobiology of AD.
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Gifford KA, Liu D, Neal JE, Babicz MA, Thompson JL, Walljasper LE, Wiggins ME, Turchan M, Pechman KR, Osborn KE, Acosta LMY, Bell SP, Hohman TJ, Libon DJ, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Jefferson AL. The 12-Word Philadelphia Verbal Learning Test Performances in Older Adults: Brain MRI and Cerebrospinal Fluid Correlates and Regression-Based Normative Data. Dement Geriatr Cogn Dis Extra 2018; 8:476-491. [PMID: 30631339 PMCID: PMC6323369 DOI: 10.1159/000494209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background/Aims This study evaluated neuroimaging and biological correlates, psychometric properties, and regression-based normative data of the 12-word Philadelphia Verbal Learning Test (PVLT), a list-learning test. Methods Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project participants free of clinical dementia and stroke (n = 230, aged 73 ± 7 years) completed a neuropsychological protocol and brain MRI. A subset (n = 111) underwent lumbar puncture for analysis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and axonal integrity cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. Regression models related PVLT indices to MRI and CSF biomarkers adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, APOE-ε4 carrier status, cognitive status, and intracranial volume (MRI models). Secondary analyses were restricted to participants with normal cognition (NC; n = 127), from which regression-based normative data were generated. Results Lower PVLT performances were associated with smaller medial temporal lobe volumes (p < 0.05) and higher CSF tau concentrations (p < 0.04). Among NC, PVLT indices were associated with white matter hyperintensities on MRI and an axonal injury biomarker (CSF neurofilament light; p < 0.03). Conclusion The PVLT appears sensitive to markers of neurodegeneration, including temporal regions affected by AD. Conversely, in cognitively normal older adults, PVLT performance seems to relate to white matter disease and axonal injury, perhaps reflecting non-AD pathways to cognitive change. Enhanced normative data enrich the clinical utility of this tool.
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Deming Y, Dumitrescu L, Barnes LL, Thambisetty M, Kunkle B, Gifford KA, Bush WS, Chibnik LB, Mukherjee S, De Jager PL, Kukull W, Huentelman M, Crane PK, Resnick SM, Keene CD, Montine TJ, Schellenberg GD, Haines JL, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Larson EB, Johnson SC, Albert M, Moghekar A, Del Aguila JL, Fernandez MV, Budde J, Hassenstab J, Fagan AM, Riemenschneider M, Petersen RC, Minthon L, Chao MJ, Van Deerlin VM, Lee VMY, Shaw LM, Trojanowski JQ, Peskind ER, Li G, Davis LK, Sealock JM, Cox NJ, Goate AM, Bennett DA, Schneider JA, Jefferson AL, Cruchaga C, Hohman TJ. Sex-specific genetic predictors of Alzheimer's disease biomarkers. Acta Neuropathol 2018; 136:857-872. [PMID: 29967939 PMCID: PMC6280657 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-018-1881-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of amyloid-β 42 (Aβ42) and tau have been evaluated as endophenotypes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) genetic studies. Although there are sex differences in AD risk, sex differences have not been evaluated in genetic studies of AD endophenotypes. We performed sex-stratified and sex interaction genetic analyses of CSF biomarkers to identify sex-specific associations. Data came from a previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) of CSF Aβ42 and tau (1527 males, 1509 females). We evaluated sex interactions at previous loci, performed sex-stratified GWAS to identify sex-specific associations, and evaluated sex interactions at sex-specific GWAS loci. We then evaluated sex-specific associations between prefrontal cortex (PFC) gene expression at relevant loci and autopsy measures of plaques and tangles using data from the Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project. In Aβ42, we observed sex interactions at one previous and one novel locus: rs316341 within SERPINB1 (p = 0.04) and rs13115400 near LINC00290 (p = 0.002). These loci showed stronger associations among females (β = - 0.03, p = 4.25 × 10-8; β = 0.03, p = 3.97 × 10-8) than males (β = - 0.02, p = 0.009; β = 0.01, p = 0.20). Higher levels of expression of SERPINB1, SERPINB6, and SERPINB9 in PFC was associated with higher levels of amyloidosis among females (corrected p values < 0.02) but not males (p > 0.38). In total tau, we observed a sex interaction at a previous locus, rs1393060 proximal to GMNC (p = 0.004), driven by a stronger association among females (β = 0.05, p = 4.57 × 10-10) compared to males (β = 0.02, p = 0.03). There was also a sex-specific association between rs1393060 and tangle density at autopsy (pfemale = 0.047; pmale = 0.96), and higher levels of expression of two genes within this locus were associated with lower tangle density among females (OSTN p = 0.006; CLDN16 p = 0.002) but not males (p ≥ 0.32). Results suggest a female-specific role for SERPINB1 in amyloidosis and for OSTN and CLDN16 in tau pathology. Sex-specific genetic analyses may improve understanding of AD's genetic architecture.
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Moore EE, Hohman TJ, Badami FS, Pechman KR, Osborn KE, Acosta LMY, Bell SP, Babicz MA, Gifford KA, Anderson AW, Goldstein LE, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Jefferson AL. Neurofilament relates to white matter microstructure in older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2018; 70:233-241. [PMID: 30036759 PMCID: PMC6119102 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neurofilament light (NFL) is a protein biomarker of axonal injury. To study whether NFL is associated with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measurements of white matter (WM) microstructure, Vanderbilt Memory & Aging Project participants with normal cognition (n = 77), early mild cognitive impairment (n = 15), and MCI (n = 55) underwent lumbar puncture to obtain CSF and 3T brain MRI. Voxel-wise analyses cross-sectionally related NFL to DTI metrics, adjusting for demographic and vascular risk factors. Increased NFL correlated with multiple DTI metrics (p-values < 0.05). An NFL × diagnosis interaction (excluding early mild cognitive impairment) on WM microstructure (p-values < 0.05) was detected, with associations strongest among MCI. Multiple NFL × CSF biomarker interactions were detected. Associations between NFL and worse WM metrics were strongest among amyloid-β42-negative, tau-positive, and suspected nonamyloid pathology participants. Findings suggest increased NFL, a biomarker of axonal injury, is correlated with compromised WM microstructure. Results highlight the role of elevated NFL in predicting WM damage in cognitively impaired older adults who are amyloid-negative, tau-positive, or meet suspected nonamyloid pathology criteria.
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Lane EM, Hohman TJ, Jefferson AL. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 interactions with Alzheimer's disease biomarkers. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 11:1779-1786. [PMID: 27817134 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-016-9636-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) have been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and brain atrophy. Some evidence suggests a potential synergistic effect of IGFBP-2 and AD neuropathology on neurodegeneration, while other evidence suggests the effect of IGFBP-2 on neurodegeneration is independent of AD neuropathology. Therefore, the current study investigated the interaction between plasma IGFBP-2 and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of AD neuropathology on hippocampal volume and cognitive function. AD Neuroimaging Initiative data were accessed (n = 354, 75 ± 7 years, 38 % female), including plasma IGFBP-2, CSF total tau, CSF Aβ-42, MRI-quantified hippocampal volume, and neuropsychological performances. Mixed effects regression models evaluated the interaction between IGFBP-2 and AD biomarkers on hippocampal volume and neuropsychological performance, adjusting for age, sex, education, APOE ε4 status, and cognitive diagnosis. A baseline interaction between IGFBP-2 and CSF Aβ-42 was observed in relation to left (t(305) = -6.37, p = 0.002) and right hippocampal volume (t(305) = -7.74, p = 0.001). In both cases, higher IGFBP-2 levels were associated with smaller hippocampal volumes but only among amyloid negative individuals. The observed interaction suggests IGFBP-2 drives neurodegeneration through a separate pathway independent of AD neuropathology.
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Bown C, Liu D, Cambronero FE, Pechman KR, Khan O, Davis LT, Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Donahue MJ, Jefferson AL. P1‐446: ANATOMICAL VARIATION IN THE CIRCLE OF WILLIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH WHITE MATTER HYPERINTENSITIES IN OLDER ADULTS. Alzheimers Dement 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Osborn KE, Liu D, Pechman KR, Cambronero FE, Kresge HA, Herbener S, Wang H, Bogner J, Thompson J, Lambros S, Walljasper L, Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Donahue MJ, Jefferson AL. P2‐456: CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND CEREBROVASCULAR REACTIVITY PREDICT COGNITIVE TRAJECTORY IN OLDER ADULTS. Alzheimers Dement 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.1149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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167
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Hohman TJ. F5‐03‐04: IDENTIFYING MOLECULAR PATHWAYS OF RESILIENCE. Alzheimers Dement 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.2979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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168
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Gifford KA, Turchan M, Liu D, Hohman TJ, Pechman KR, Osborn KE, Bogner J, Kresge HA, Herbener S, Lambros S, Thompson J, Walljasper L, Wang H, Acosta LM, Bell S, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Libon DJ, Jefferson AL. P3‐495: VERBAL EPISODIC MEMORY IS PREFERENTIALLY RELATED TO WHITE MATTER INTEGRITY IN COGNITIVELY NORMAL OLDER ADULTS: THE VANDERBILT MEMORY & AGING PROJECT. Alzheimers Dement 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.1859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Cambronero FE, Liu D, Bown C, Pechman KR, Khan O, Kresge HA, Herbener S, Wang H, Bogner J, Thompson J, Lambros S, Walljasper L, Davis LT, Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Donahue MJ, Jefferson AL. P2‐354: POSTERIOR COMMUNICATING ARTERY VARIATION IN THE CIRCLE OF WILLIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH COMPROMISED TEMPORAL LOBE HEMODYNAMICS IN OLDER ADULTS. Alzheimers Dement 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.1045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Fletcher E, Zahodne LB, Hohman TJ, Gavett BE, DeCarli CS, Mungas D. P3‐410: COGNITIVE RESERVE, BRAIN RESERVE AND BRAIN MAINTENANCE: MOVING FROM CONCEPT TO MEASUREMENT. Alzheimers Dement 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.1773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Moore EE, Liu D, Pechman KR, Terry JG, Nair S, Cambronero FE, Bell SP, Gifford KA, Anderson AW, Hohman TJ, Carr JJ, Jefferson AL. Increased Left Ventricular Mass Index Is Associated With Compromised White Matter Microstructure Among Older Adults. J Am Heart Assoc 2018; 7:JAHA.118.009041. [PMID: 29945917 PMCID: PMC6064880 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.118.009041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Background Left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy is associated with cerebrovascular disease and cognitive decline. Increased LV mass index is a subclinical imaging marker that precedes overt LV hypertrophy. This study relates LV mass index to white matter microstructure and cognition among older adults with normal cognition and mild cognitive impairment. Methods and Results Vanderbilt Memory & Aging Project participants free of clinical stroke, dementia, and heart failure (n=318, 73±7 years, 58% male, 39% mild cognitive impairment) underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging, cardiac magnetic resonance, and neuropsychological assessment. Voxelwise analyses related LV mass index (g/m2) to diffusion tensor imaging metrics. Models adjusted for age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, Framingham Stroke Risk Profile, cognitive diagnosis, and apolipoprotein E–ε4 status. Secondary analyses included a LV mass index×diagnosis interaction term with follow‐up models stratified by diagnosis. With identical covariates, linear regression models related LV mass index to neuropsychological performances. Increased LV mass index related to altered white matter microstructure (P<0.05). In models stratified by diagnosis, associations between LV mass index and diffusion tensor imaging were present among mild cognitive impairment participants only (P<0.05). LV mass index was related only to worse visuospatial memory performance (β=−0.003, P=0.036), an observation that would not withstand correction for multiple testing. Conclusions In the absence of prevalent heart failure and clinical stroke, increased LV mass index corresponds to altered white matter microstructure, particularly among older adults with clinical symptoms of prodromal dementia. Findings highlight the potential link between subclinical LV remodeling and cerebral white matter microstructure vulnerability.
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Gifford KA, Liu D, Neal JE, Acosta LMY, Bell SP, Wiggins ME, Wisniewski KM, Godfrey M, Logan LA, Hohman TJ, Pechman KR, Libon DJ, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Jefferson AL. Validity and Normative Data for the Biber Figure Learning Test: A Visual Supraspan Memory Measure. Assessment 2018; 27:1320-1334. [PMID: 29809069 DOI: 10.1177/1073191118773870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The Biber Figure Learning Test (BFLT), a visuospatial serial figure learning test, was evaluated for biological correlates and psychometric properties, and normative data were generated. Nondemented individuals (n = 332, 73 ± 7, 41% female) from the Vanderbilt Memory & Aging Project completed a comprehensive neuropsychological protocol. Adjusted regression models related BFLT indices to structural brain magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers of brain health. Regression-based normative data were generated. Lower BFLT performances (Total Learning, Delayed Recall, Recognition) related to smaller medial temporal lobe volumes and higher CSF tau concentrations but not CSF amyloid. BFLT indices were most strongly correlated with other measures of verbal and nonverbal memory and visuospatial skills. The BFLT provides a comprehensive assessment of all aspects of visuospatial learning and memory and is sensitive to biomarkers of unhealthy brain aging. Enhanced normative data enriches the clinical utility of this visual serial figure learning test for use with older adults.
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Osborn KE, Liu D, Samuels LR, Moore EE, Cambronero FE, Acosta LMY, Bell SP, Babicz MA, Gordon EA, Pechman KR, Davis LT, Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Jefferson AL. Cerebrospinal fluid β-amyloid 42 and neurofilament light relate to white matter hyperintensities. Neurobiol Aging 2018; 68:18-25. [PMID: 29702372 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are associated with poorer brain health, but their pathophysiological substrates remain elusive. To better understand the mechanistic underpinnings of WMHs among older adults, this study examined in vivo cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of β-amyloid42 deposition (Aβ42), hyperphosphorylated tau pathology, neurodegeneration (total tau), and axonal injury (neurofilament light [NFL]) in relation to log-transformed WMHs volume. Participants free of clinical stroke and dementia were drawn from the Vanderbilt Memory & Aging Project (n = 148, 72 ± 6 years). Linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, intracranial volume, modified Framingham Stroke Risk Profile (excluding points assigned for age), cognitive diagnosis, and APOE-ε4 carrier status. Aβ42 (β = -0.001, p = 0.007) and NFL (β = 0.0003, p = 0.01) concentrations related to WMHs but neither hyperphosphorylated tau nor total tau associations with WMHs reached statistical significance (p-values > 0.21). In a combined model, NFL accounted for 3.2% of unique variance in WMHs and Aβ42 accounted for an additional 4.3% beyond NFL, providing novel evidence of the co-occurrence of at least 2 distinct pathways for WMHs among older adults, including amyloid deposition and axonal injury.
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174
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Beason-Held LL, Hohman TJ, Venkatraman V, An Y, Resnick SM. Brain network changes and memory decline in aging. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 11:859-873. [PMID: 27319002 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-016-9560-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
One theory of age-related cognitive decline proposes that changes within the default mode network (DMN) of the brain impact the ability to successfully perform cognitive operations. To investigate this theory, we examined functional covariance within brain networks using regional cerebral blood flow data, measured by 15O-water PET, from 99 participants (mean baseline age 68.6 ± 7.5) in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging collected over a 7.4 year period. The sample was divided in tertiles based on longitudinal performance on a verbal recognition memory task administered during scanning, and functional covariance was compared between the upper (improvers) and lower (decliners) tertile groups. The DMN and verbal memory networks (VMN) were then examined during the verbal memory scan condition. For each network, group differences in node-to-network coherence and individual node-to-node covariance relationships were assessed at baseline and in change over time. Compared with improvers, decliners showed differences in node-to-network coherence and in node-to-node relationships in the DMN but not the VMN during verbal memory. These DMN differences reflected greater covariance with better task performance at baseline and both increasing and declining covariance with declining task performance over time for decliners. When examined during the resting state alone, the direction of change in DMN covariance was similar to that seen during task performance, but node-to-node relationships differed from those observed during the task condition. These results suggest that disengagement of DMN components during task performance is not essential for successful cognitive performance as previously proposed. Instead, a proper balance in network processes may be needed to support optimal task performance.
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Kresge HA, Khan OA, Wagener MA, Liu D, Terry JG, Nair S, Cambronero FE, Gifford KA, Osborn KE, Hohman TJ, Pechman KR, Bell SP, Wang TJ, Carr JJ, Jefferson AL. Subclinical Compromise in Cardiac Strain Relates to Lower Cognitive Performances in Older Adults. J Am Heart Assoc 2018; 7:JAHA.117.007562. [PMID: 29440034 PMCID: PMC5850190 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.117.007562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Global longitudinal strain (GLS), reflecting total shortening of the myocardium during the cardiac cycle, has emerged as a more precise myocardial function measure than left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Longitudinal strain may be selectively affected in subclinical heart disease, even in the presence of normal LVEF. This study examines subclinical cardiac dysfunction, assessed by GLS and LVEF, and cognition among older adults. METHODS AND RESULTS Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project participants who were free of clinical dementia, stroke, and heart failure (n=318, 73±7 years, 58% male) completed neuropsychological assessment and cardiac magnetic resonance to quantify GLS and LVEF. Linear regression models related GLS and LVEF to neuropsychological performances, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, Framingham Stroke Risk Profile, cognitive diagnosis, and APOE*ε4 status. Models were repeated with a cardiac×cognitive diagnosis interaction term. Compromised GLS (reflected by higher values) related to worse naming (β=-0.07, P=0.04), visuospatial immediate recall (β=-0.83, P=0.03), visuospatial delayed recall (β=-0.22, P=0.03), and verbal delayed recall (β=-0.11, P=0.007). LVEF did not relate to worse performance on any measure (P>0.18). No diagnostic interactions were observed. CONCLUSIONS Our study results are among the first to suggest that compromised GLS relates to worse episodic memory and language performance among older adults who are free of clinical dementia, stroke, and heart failure. Subclinical cardiac dysfunction may correlate with cognitive health in late life, even when LVEF remains normal. The results add to growing evidence that GLS may be a more sensitive and preferred method for quantifying subclinical changes in cardiac function.
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Koran MEI, Wagener M, Hohman TJ. Sex differences in the association between AD biomarkers and cognitive decline. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 11:205-213. [PMID: 26843008 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-016-9523-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Women are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD) in terms of both disease prevalence and severity. Previous autopsy work has suggested that, in the presence of AD neuropathology, females are more susceptible to the clinical manifestation of AD. This manuscript extends that work by evaluating whether sex alters the established associations between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker levels and brain aging outcomes (hippocampal volume, cognition). Participants were drawn from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and included individuals with normal cognition (n = 348), mild cognitive impairment (n = 565), and AD (n = 185). We leveraged mixed effects regression models to assess the interaction between sex and baseline cerebrospinal fluid biomarker levels of amyloid-β42 (Aβ-42) and total tau on cross-sectional and longitudinal brain aging outcomes. We found a significant interaction between sex and Aβ-42 on longitudinal hippocampal atrophy (p = 0.002), and longitudinal decline in memory (p = 0.017) and executive function (p = 0.025). Similarly, we observed an interaction between sex and total tau level on longitudinal hippocampal atrophy (p = 0.008), and longitudinal decline in executive function (p = 0.034). Women with Aβ-42 and total tau levels indicative of worse pathological changes showed more rapid hippocampal atrophy and cognitive decline. The sex difference was particularly pronounced among individuals with MCI, with lower education, and varied by APOE ε4 allele. These results suggest females may be more susceptible to the clinical manifestation of AD.
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Hohman TJ, Dumitrescu L, Oksol A, Wagener M, Gifford KA, Jefferson AL. APOE allele frequencies in suspected non-amyloid pathophysiology (SNAP) and the prodromal stages of Alzheimer's Disease. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188501. [PMID: 29190651 PMCID: PMC5708777 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomarker definitions for preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have identified individuals with neurodegeneration (ND+) without β-amyloidosis (Aβ-) and labeled them with suspected non-AD pathophysiology (SNAP). We evaluated Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε2 and ε4 allele frequencies across biomarker definitions—Aβ-/ND- (n = 268), Aβ+/ND- (n = 236), Aβ-/ND+ or SNAP (n = 78), Aβ+/ND+ (n = 204)—hypothesizing that SNAP would have an APOE profile comparable to Aβ-/ND-. Using AD Neuroimaging Initiative data (n = 786, 72±7 years, 48% female), amyloid status (Aβ+ or Aβ-) was defined by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ-42 levels, and neurodegeneration status (ND+ or ND-) was defined by hippocampal volume from MRI. Binary logistic regression related biomarker status to APOE ε2 and ε4 allele carrier status, adjusting for age, sex, education, and cognitive diagnosis. Compared to the biomarker negative (Aβ-/ND-) participants, higher proportions of ε4 and lower proportions of ε2 carriers were observed among Aβ+/ND- (ε4: OR = 6.23, p<0.001; ε2: OR = 0.53, p = 0.03) and Aβ+/ND+ participants (ε4: OR = 12.07, p<0.001; ε2: OR = 0.29, p = 0.004). SNAP participants were statistically comparable to biomarker negative participants (p-values>0.30). In supplemental analyses, comparable results were observed when coding SNAP using amyloid imaging and when using CSF tau levels. In contrast to APOE, a polygenic risk score for AD that excluded APOE did not show an association with amyloidosis or neurodegeneration (p-values>0.15), but did show an association with SNAP defined using CSF tau (β = 0.004, p = 0.02). Thus, in a population with low levels of cerebrovascular disease and a lower prevalence of SNAP than the general population, APOE and known genetic drivers of AD do not appear to contribute to the neurodegeneration observed in SNAP. Additional work in population based samples is needed to better elucidate the genetic contributors to various etiological drivers of SNAP.
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Jefferson AL, Liu D, Gupta DK, Pechman KR, Watchmaker JM, Gordon EA, Rane S, Bell SP, Mendes LA, Davis LT, Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Wang TJ, Donahue MJ. Lower cardiac index levels relate to lower cerebral blood flow in older adults. Neurology 2017; 89:2327-2334. [PMID: 29117962 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000004707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess cross-sectionally whether lower cardiac index relates to lower resting cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) among older adults. METHODS Vanderbilt Memory & Aging Project participants free of stroke, dementia, and heart failure were studied (n = 314, age 73 ± 7 years, 59% male, 39% with mild cognitive impairment). Cardiac index (liters per minute per meter squared) was quantified from echocardiography. Resting CBF (milliliters per 100 grams per minute) and hypercapnia-induced CVR were quantified from pseudo-continuous arterial spin-labeling MRI. Linear regressions with ordinary least-square estimates related cardiac index to regional CBF, with adjustment for age, education, race/ethnicity, Framingham Stroke Risk Profile score (systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medication use, diabetes mellitus, current cigarette smoking, left ventricular hypertrophy, prevalent cardiovascular disease [CVD], atrial fibrillation), APOE ε4 status, cognitive diagnosis, and regional tissue volume. RESULTS Lower cardiac index corresponded to lower resting CBF in the left (β = 2.4, p = 0.001) and right (β = 2.5, p = 0.001) temporal lobes. Results were similar when participants with prevalent CVD and atrial fibrillation were excluded (left temporal lobe β = 2.3, p = 0.003; right temporal lobe β = 2.5, p = 0.003). Cardiac index was unrelated to CBF in other regions assessed (p > 0.25) and CVR in all regions (p > 0.05). In secondary cardiac index × cognitive diagnosis interaction models, cardiac index and CBF associations were present only in cognitively normal participants and affected a majority of regions assessed with effects strongest in the left (p < 0.0001) and right (p < 0.0001) temporal lobes. CONCLUSIONS Among older adults without stroke, dementia, or heart failure, systemic blood flow correlates with cerebral CBF in the temporal lobe, independently of prevalent CVD, but not CVR.
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Schneider BC, Liu D, Cambronero FE, Osborn KE, Pechman KR, Gordon EA, Badami F, Hohman TJ, Gifford KA, Davis LT, Jefferson AL. [P2–386]: ABNORMAL CARDIAC STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION MEASURES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED PERIVASCULAR SPACES IN OLDER ADULTS. Alzheimers Dement 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2017.06.1041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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180
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Emrani S, Lamar M, Price CC, Ginsberg T, Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Jefferson AL, Kerwin M, Swenson R, Libon DJ. [P3–435]: WORKING MEMORY DEFICITS IN STATISTICALLY DETERMINED MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT: A COMPETITIVE CUEING ANALYSIS. Alzheimers Dement 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2017.06.1653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Moore EE, Hohman TJ, Badami F, Pechman KR, Gordon EA, Acosta LA, Bell S, Babicz M, Gifford KA, Anderson A, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Jefferson AL. [O1–08–02]: ELEVATED CEREBROSPINAL FLUID NEUROFILAMENT LIGHT LEVELS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH COMPROMISED WHITE MATTER INTEGRITY AMONG OLDER ADULTS. Alzheimers Dement 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2017.07.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Gifford KA, Badami F, Hohman TJ, Moore EE, Pechman KR, Gordon EA, Acosta LM, Bell S, Babicz M, Anderson A, Zetterberg H, Jefferson AL. [P3–297]: SUBJECTIVE COGNITIVE DECLINE AND NEUROIMAGING AND CEREBROSPINAL FLUID MARKERS OF CEREBROVASCULAR HEALTH: THE VANDERBILT MEMORY AND AGING PROJECT. Alzheimers Dement 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2017.06.1511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Hohman TJ, Dumitrescu L, Cox NJ, Jefferson AL. Genetic resilience to amyloid related cognitive decline. Brain Imaging Behav 2017; 11:401-409. [PMID: 27743375 PMCID: PMC5392179 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-016-9615-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid deposition in the absence of overt clinical impairment. There is substantial heterogeneity in the long-term clinical outcomes among amyloid positive individuals, yet limited work has focused on identifying molecular factors driving resilience from amyloid-related cognitive impairment. We apply a recently developed predicted gene expression analysis (PrediXcan) to identify genes that modify the association between baseline amyloid deposition and longitudinal cognitive changes. Participants free of clinical AD (n = 631) were selected from the AD Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) who had a baseline positron emission tomography measure of amyloid deposition (quantified as a standard uptake value ratio), longitudinal neuropsychological data, and genetic data. PrediXcan was used to impute gene expression levels across 15 heart and brain tissues. Mixed effect regression models assessed the interaction between predicted gene expression levels and amyloid deposition on longitudinal cognitive outcomes. The predicted gene expression levels for two genes in the coronary artery (CNTLN, PROK1) and two genes in the atrial appendage (PRSS50, PROK1) interacted with amyloid deposition on episodic memory performance. The predicted gene expression levels for two additional genes (TMC4 in the basal ganglia and HMBS in the aorta) interacted with amyloid deposition on executive function performance. Post-hoc analyses provide additional validation of the HMBS and PROK1 effects across two independent subsets of ADNI using two additional metrics of amyloid deposition. These results highlight a subset of unique candidate genes of resilience and provide evidence that cell-cycle regulation, angiogenesis, and heme biosynthesis likely play a role in AD progression.
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Jefferson AL, Gifford KA, Acosta LMY, Bell SP, Donahue MJ, Davis LT, Gottlieb J, Gupta DK, Hohman TJ, Lane EM, Libon DJ, Mendes LA, Niswender K, Pechman KR, Rane S, Ruberg FL, Su YR, Zetterberg H, Liu D. The Vanderbilt Memory & Aging Project: Study Design and Baseline Cohort Overview. J Alzheimers Dis 2017; 52:539-59. [PMID: 26967211 DOI: 10.3233/jad-150914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vascular health factors frequently co-occur with Alzheimer's disease (AD). A better understanding of how systemic vascular and cerebrovascular health intersects with clinical and pathological AD may inform prevention and treatment opportunities. OBJECTIVE To establish the Vanderbilt Memory & Aging Project, a case-control longitudinal study investigating vascular health and brain aging, and describe baseline methodology and participant characteristics. METHODS From September 2012 to November 2014, 335 participants age 60- 92 were enrolled, including 168 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI, 73±8 years, 41% female) and 167 age-, sex-, and race-matched cognitively normal controls (NC, 72±7 years, 41% female). At baseline, participants completed a physical and frailty examination, fasting blood draw, neuropsychological assessment, echocardiogram, cardiac MRI, and brain MRI. A subset underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection. RESULTS As designed, participant groups were comparable for age (p = 0.31), sex (p = 0.95), and race (p = 0.65). MCI participants had greater Framingham Stroke Risk Profile scores (p = 0.008), systolic blood pressure values (p = 0.008), and history of left ventricular hypertrophy (p = 0.04) than NC participants. As expected, MCI participants performed worse on all neuropsychological measures (p-values < 0.001), were more likely to be APOEɛ4 carriers (p = 0.02), and had enhanced CSF biomarkers, including lower Aβ42 (p = 0.02), higher total tau (p = 0.004), and higher p-tau (p = 0.02) compared to NC participants. CONCLUSION Diverse sources of baseline and longitudinal data will provide rich opportunities to investigate pathways linking vascular and cerebrovascular health, clinical and pathological AD, and neurodegeneration contributing to novel strategies to delay or prevent cognitive decline.
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Bell SP, Liu D, Samuels LR, Saraf AA, Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Jefferson AL. Late-Life Body Mass Index, Rapid Weight Loss, Apolipoprotein E ε4 and the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Incident Dementia. J Nutr Health Aging 2017; 21:1259-1267. [PMID: 29188888 PMCID: PMC5736008 DOI: 10.1007/s12603-017-0906-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine the effect of late-life body mass index (BMI) and rapid weight loss on incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). DESIGN Prospective longitudinal cohort study. SETTING National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) Uniform Data Set, including 34 past and current National Institute on Aging-funded AD Centers across the United States. PARTICIPANTS 6940 older adults (n=5061 normal cognition [NC]; n=1879 MCI). MEASUREMENTS BMI (kg/m2) and modified Framingham Stroke Risk Profile (FSRP) score (sex, age, systolic blood pressure, anti-hypertension medication, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, prevalent cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation) were assessed at baseline. Cognition and weight were assessed annually. RESULTS Multivariable binary logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, race, education, length of follow-up, and modified FSRP related late-life BMI to risk of diagnostic conversion from NC to MCI or AD and from MCI to AD. Secondary analyses related late-life BMI to diagnostic conversion in the presence of rapid weight loss (>5% decrease in 12 months) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4. During a mean 3.8-year follow-up period, 12% of NC participants converted to MCI or AD and 49% of MCI participants converted to AD. Higher baseline BMI was associated with a reduced probability of diagnostic conversion, such that for each one-unit increase in baseline BMI there was a reduction in diagnostic conversion for both NC (OR=0.977, 95%CI 0.958-0.996, p=0.015) and MCI participants (OR=0.962, 95%CI 0.942-0.983, p<0.001). The protective effect of higher baseline BMI did not persist in the setting of rapid weight loss but did persist when adjusting for APOE ε4. CONCLUSIONS Higher late-life BMI is associated with a lower risk of incident MCI and AD but is not protective in the presence of rapid weight loss.
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Varma VR, Varma S, An Y, Hohman TJ, Seddighi S, Casanova R, Beri A, Dammer EB, Seyfried NT, Pletnikova O, Moghekar A, Wilson MR, Lah JJ, O’Brien RJ, Levey AI, Troncoso JC, Albert MS, Thambisetty M. Alpha-2 macroglobulin in Alzheimer's disease: a marker of neuronal injury through the RCAN1 pathway. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:13-23. [PMID: 27872486 PMCID: PMC5726508 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2016] [Revised: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical changes that precede the onset of symptoms and eventual diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are a target for potential preventive interventions. A large body of evidence suggests that inflammation is closely associated with AD pathogenesis and may be a promising target pathway for such interventions. However, little is known about the association between systemic inflammation and preclinical AD pathophysiology. We first examined whether the acute-phase protein, alpha-2 macroglobulin (A2M), a major component of the innate immune system, was associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) markers of neuronal injury in preclinical AD and risk of incident AD in the predictors of cognitive decline among normal individuals (BIOCARD) cohort. We find that A2M concentration in blood is significantly associated with CSF concentrations of the neuronal injury markers, tau and phosphorylated tau, and that higher baseline serum A2M concentration is associated with an almost threefold greater risk of progression to clinical symptoms of AD in men. These findings were replicated in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging (ADNI) study. Then, utilizing a systems level approach combining large multi-tissue gene expression datasets with mass spectrometry-based proteomic analyses of brain tissue, we identified an A2M gene network that includes regulator of calcineurin (RCAN1), an inhibitor of calcineurin, a well-characterized tau phosphatase. A2M gene and protein expression in the brain were significantly associated with gene and protein expression levels of calcineurin. Collectively these novel findings suggest that A2M is associated with preclinical AD, reflects early neuronal injury in the disease course and may be responsive to tau phosphorylation in the brain through the RCAN1-calcineurin pathway.
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Hohman TJ, McLaren DG, Mormino EC, Gifford KA, Libon DJ, Jefferson AL. Asymptomatic Alzheimer disease: Defining resilience. Neurology 2016; 87:2443-2450. [PMID: 27815399 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000003397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To define robust resilience metrics by leveraging CSF biomarkers of Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology within a latent variable framework and to demonstrate the ability of such metrics to predict slower rates of cognitive decline and protection against diagnostic conversion. METHODS Participants with normal cognition (n = 297) and mild cognitive impairment (n = 432) were drawn from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Resilience metrics were defined at baseline by examining the residuals when regressing brain aging outcomes (hippocampal volume and cognition) on CSF biomarkers. A positive residual reflected better outcomes than expected for a given level of pathology (high resilience). Residuals were integrated into a latent variable model of resilience and validated by testing their ability to independently predict diagnostic conversion, cognitive decline, and the rate of ventricular dilation. RESULTS Latent variables of resilience predicted a decreased risk of conversion (hazard ratio < 0.54, p < 0.0001), slower cognitive decline (β > 0.02, p < 0.001), and slower rates of ventricular dilation (β < -4.7, p < 2 × 10-15). These results were significant even when analyses were restricted to clinically normal individuals. Furthermore, resilience metrics interacted with biomarker status such that biomarker-positive individuals with low resilience showed the greatest risk of subsequent decline. CONCLUSIONS Robust phenotypes of resilience calculated by leveraging AD biomarkers and baseline brain aging outcomes provide insight into which individuals are at greatest risk of short-term decline. Such comprehensive definitions of resilience are needed to further our understanding of the mechanisms that protect individuals from the clinical manifestation of AD dementia, especially among biomarker-positive individuals.
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Bell S, Liu D, Neal JE, Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Jefferson AL. O4‐06‐02: Frailty is Associated with Subjective Cognitive Decline in Older Female Adults without Dementia: The Vanderbilt Memory & Aging Project. Alzheimers Dement 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.06.638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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189
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Pechman KR, Davis LT, Pridmore MD, Elliot SL, Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Jefferson AL. P1‐323: Comparison of Hippocampal Segmentation Methods to Differentiate Participants with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Normal Cognition: The Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project. Alzheimers Dement 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.06.1074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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190
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Gifford KA, Hohman TJ, Babicz M, Logan LA, Martin-Willet R, Seabolt C, Thursby M, Wiggins ME, Wisniewski KM, Jefferson AL. P2‐336: Disentangling Depression from Subjective Cognitive Decline in Non‐Demented Older Adults: The Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project. Alzheimers Dement 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.06.1466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Gifford KA, Libon DJ, Babicz M, Hohman TJ, Lane EM, Logan LA, Martin-Willet R, Pechman KR, Pridmore MD, Seabolt C, Thursby M, Wiggins ME, Wisniewski KM, Jefferson AL. P1‐207: A Competitive Queuing Analysis of Visual Working Memory Deficits in Non‐Demented Older Adults: the Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project. Alzheimers Dement 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.06.955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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192
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Hohman TJ, Cooke-Bailey JN, Reitz C, Jun G, Naj A, Beecham GW, Liu Z, Carney RM, Vance JM, Cuccaro ML, Rajbhandary R, Vardarajan BN, Wang LS, Valladares O, Lin CF, Larson EB, Graff-Radford NR, Evans D, De Jager PL, Crane PK, Buxbaum JD, Murrell JR, Raj T, Ertekin-Taner N, Logue MW, Baldwin CT, Green RC, Barnes LL, Cantwell LB, Fallin MD, Go RCP, Griffith P, Obisesan TO, Manly JJ, Lunetta KL, Kamboh MI, Lopez OL, Bennett DA, Hardy J, Hendrie HC, Hall KS, Goate AM, Lang R, Byrd GS, Kukull WA, Foroud TM, Farrer LA, Martin ER, Pericak-Vance MA, Schellenberg GD, Mayeux R, Haines JL, Thornton-Wells TA. Global and local ancestry in African-Americans: Implications for Alzheimer's disease risk. Alzheimers Dement 2016; 12:233-43. [PMID: 26092349 PMCID: PMC4681680 DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2015.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Revised: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION African-American (AA) individuals have a higher risk for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) than Americans of primarily European ancestry (EA). Recently, the largest genome-wide association study in AAs to date confirmed that six of the Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related genetic variants originally discovered in EA cohorts are also risk variants in AA; however, the risk attributable to many of the loci (e.g., APOE, ABCA7) differed substantially from previous studies in EA. There likely are risk variants of higher frequency in AAs that have not been discovered. METHODS We performed a comprehensive analysis of genetically determined local and global ancestry in AAs with regard to LOAD status. RESULTS Compared to controls, LOAD cases showed higher levels of African ancestry, both globally and at several LOAD relevant loci, which explained risk for AD beyond global differences. DISCUSSION Exploratory post hoc analyses highlight regions with greatest differences in ancestry as potential candidate regions for future genetic analyses.
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Hohman TJ, Bush WS, Jiang L, Brown-Gentry KD, Torstenson ES, Dudek SM, Mukherjee S, Naj A, Kunkle BW, Ritchie MD, Martin ER, Schellenberg GD, Mayeux R, Farrer LA, Pericak-Vance MA, Haines JL, Thornton-Wells TA. Discovery of gene-gene interactions across multiple independent data sets of late onset Alzheimer disease from the Alzheimer Disease Genetics Consortium. Neurobiol Aging 2016; 38:141-150. [PMID: 26827652 PMCID: PMC4735733 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD) has a complex genetic etiology, involving locus heterogeneity, polygenic inheritance, and gene-gene interactions; however, the investigation of interactions in recent genome-wide association studies has been limited. We used a biological knowledge-driven approach to evaluate gene-gene interactions for consistency across 13 data sets from the Alzheimer Disease Genetics Consortium. Fifteen single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-SNP pairs within 3 gene-gene combinations were identified: SIRT1 × ABCB1, PSAP × PEBP4, and GRIN2B × ADRA1A. In addition, we extend a previously identified interaction from an endophenotype analysis between RYR3 × CACNA1C. Finally, post hoc gene expression analyses of the implicated SNPs further implicate SIRT1 and ABCB1, and implicate CDH23 which was most recently identified as an AD risk locus in an epigenetic analysis of AD. The observed interactions in this article highlight ways in which genotypic variation related to disease may depend on the genetic context in which it occurs. Further, our results highlight the utility of evaluating genetic interactions to explain additional variance in AD risk and identify novel molecular mechanisms of AD pathogenesis.
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194
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Jefferson AL, Hohman TJ, Liu D, Haj-Hassan S, Gifford KA, Benson EM, Skinner JS, Lu Z, Sparling J, Sumner EC, Bell S, Ruberg FL. Adverse vascular risk is related to cognitive decline in older adults. J Alzheimers Dis 2015; 44:1361-73. [PMID: 25471188 DOI: 10.3233/jad-141812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related risk factors are associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This association is less well-defined in normal cognition (NC) or prodromal AD (mild cognitive impairment, MCI). OBJECTIVE Cross-sectionally and longitudinally relate a vascular risk index to cognitive outcomes among elders free of clinical dementia. METHODS 3,117 MCI (74 ± 8 years, 56% female) and 6,603 NC participants (72 ± 8 years, 68% female) were drawn from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. A composite measure of vascular risk was defined using the Framingham Stroke Risk Profile (FSRP) score (i.e., age, systolic blood pressure, anti-hypertensive medication, diabetes, cigarette smoking, CVD history, atrial fibrillation). Ordinary linear regressions and generalized linear mixed models related baseline FSRP to cross-sectional and longitudinal cognitive outcomes, separately for NC and MCI, adjusting for age, gender, race, education, and follow-up time (in longitudinal models). RESULTS In NC participants, increasing FSRP was related to worse baseline global cognition, information processing speed, and sequencing abilities (p-values <0.0001) and a worse longitudinal trajectory on all cognitive measures (p-values <0.0001). In MCI, increasing FSRP correlated with worse longitudinal delayed memory (p = 0.004). In secondary models using an age-excluded FSRP score, associations persisted in NC participants for global cognition, naming, information processing speed, and sequencing abilities. CONCLUSIONS An adverse vascular risk profile is associated with worse cognitive trajectory, especially global cognition, naming, and information processing speed, among NC elders. Future studies are needed to understand how effective management of CVD and related risk factors can modify cognitive decline to identify the ideal timeframe for primary prevention implementation.
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Gifford KA, Liu D, Hohman TJ, Xu M, Han X, Romano RR, Fritzsche LR, Abel T, Jefferson AL. A Mutual Self- and Informant-Report of Cognitive Complaint Correlates with Neuropathological Outcomes in Mild Cognitive Impairment. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0141831. [PMID: 26539829 PMCID: PMC4634952 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study examines whether different sources of cognitive complaint (i.e., self and informant) predict Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neuropathology in elders with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods Data were drawn from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center Uniform and Neuropathology Datasets (observational studies) for participants with a clinical diagnosis of MCI and postmortem examination (n = 1843, 74±8 years, 52% female). Cognitive complaint (0.9±0.5 years prior to autopsy) was classified into four mutually exclusive groups: no complaint, self-only, informant-only, or mutual (both self and informant) complaint. Postmortem neuropathological outcomes included amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Proportional odds regression related complaint to neuropathology, adjusting for age, sex, race, education, depressed mood, cognition, APOE4 status, and last clinical visit to death interval. Results Mutual complaint related to increased likelihood of meeting NIA/Reagan Institute (OR = 6.58, p = 0.004) and Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease criteria (OR = 5.82, p = 0.03), and increased neurofibrillary tangles (OR = 3.70, p = 0.03), neuritic plaques (OR = 3.52, p = 0.03), and diffuse plaques (OR = 4.35, p = 0.02). Informant-only and self-only complaint was not associated with any neuropathological outcome (all p-values>0.12). Conclusions In MCI, mutual cognitive complaint relates to AD pathology whereas self-only or informant-only complaint shows no relation to pathology. Findings support cognitive complaint as a marker of unhealthy brain aging and highlight the importance of obtaining informant corroboration to increase confidence of underlying pathological processes.
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Vega JN, Hohman TJ, Pryweller JR, Dykens EM, Thornton-Wells TA. Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Individuals with Down Syndrome and Williams Syndrome Compared with Typically Developing Controls. Brain Connect 2015; 5:461-75. [PMID: 25712025 PMCID: PMC4601631 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2014.0266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) analysis, which examines temporal correlations of low-frequency (<0.1 Hz) blood oxygen level-dependent signal fluctuations between brain regions, has dramatically improved our understanding of the functional architecture of the typically developing (TD) human brain. This study examined rsFC in Down syndrome (DS) compared with another neurodevelopmental disorder, Williams syndrome (WS), and TD. Ten subjects with DS, 18 subjects with WS, and 40 subjects with TD each participated in a 3-Tesla MRI scan. We tested for group differences (DS vs. TD, DS vs. WS, and WS vs. TD) in between- and within-network rsFC connectivity for seven functional networks. For the DS group, we also examined associations between rsFC and other cognitive and genetic risk factors. In DS compared with TD, we observed higher levels of between-network connectivity in 6 out 21 network pairs but no differences in within-network connectivity. Participants with WS showed lower levels of within-network connectivity and no significant differences in between-network connectivity relative to DS. Finally, our comparison between WS and TD controls revealed lower within-network connectivity in multiple networks and higher between-network connectivity in one network pair relative to TD controls. While preliminary due to modest sample sizes, our findings suggest a global difference in between-network connectivity in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders compared with controls and that such a difference is exacerbated across many brain regions in DS. However, this alteration in DS does not appear to extend to within-network connections, and therefore, the altered between-network connectivity must be interpreted within the framework of an intact intra-network pattern of activity. In contrast, WS shows markedly lower levels of within-network connectivity in the default mode network and somatomotor network relative to controls. These findings warrant further investigation using a task-based procedure that may help disentangle the relationship between brain function and cognitive performance across the spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Hohman TJ, Chibnik L, Bush WS, Jefferson AL, De Jaeger PL, Thornton-Wells TA, Bennett DA, Schneider JA. GSK3β Interactions with Amyloid Genes: An Autopsy Verification and Extension. Neurotox Res 2015; 28:232-8. [PMID: 26194614 PMCID: PMC4625986 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-015-9541-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Revised: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Glyocogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) through the phosphorylation of tau. Recent work has suggested that GSK3β also plays a role in the amyloid pathway of AD through genetic interactions with APP and APBB2 on in vivo measures of amyloid. This project extends the previously identified genotype interactions to an autopsy measure of amyloid, while also testing the same interactions leveraging gene expression data quantified in the prefrontal cortex. 797 participants (251 cognitively normal, 196 mild cognitive impairment, and 350 Alzheimer's disease) were drawn from the Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project. A mean score of amyloid load was calculated across eight brain regions, gene expression levels from frozen sections of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were quantified using RNA amplification, and expression signals were generated using Beadstudio. Three SNPs previously identified in genetic interactions were genotyped using the Illumina 1M genotyping chip. Covariates included age, sex, education, and diagnosis. We were able to evaluate 2 of the 3 previously identified interactions, of which the interaction between GSK3β (rs334543) and APBB2 (rs2585590) was found in this autopsy sample (p = 0.04). We observed a comparable interaction between GSK3β and APBB2 when comparing the highest tertile of gene expression to the lowest tertile, t(1) = -2.03, p = 0.043. These results provide additional evidence of a genetic interaction between GSK3β and APBB2 and further suggest that GSK3β is involved in the pathophysiology of both of the primary neuropathologies of Alzheimer's disease.
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Hohman TJ, Samuels LR, Liu D, Gifford KA, Mukherjee S, Benson EM, Abel T, Ruberg FL, Jefferson AL. Stroke risk interacts with Alzheimer's disease biomarkers on brain aging outcomes. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 36:2501-8. [PMID: 26119224 PMCID: PMC4523400 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers and stroke risk factors independently predict cognitive impairment, likely through independent disease pathways. However, limited work has sought to describe the dynamic interplay between these important risk factors. This article evaluated the interaction between stroke risk and AD biomarkers on hippocampal volume and cognitive performance. We first evaluated the interaction between stroke risk factors and AD biomarkers using data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI, n = 1202). We then extended our findings to an independent autopsy data set from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC, n = 1122) using measures of AD pathology. Stroke risk was quantified using the Framingham Stroke Risk Profile. In ADNI, stroke risk interacted with tau and amyloid levels in relation to baseline and longitudinal cognitive performance. Similarly, in NACC, stroke risk interacted with amyloid and tau positivity on cognitive performance. The effect of stroke risk factors on cognition was strongest in the absence of AD biomarkers or neuropathology, providing additional evidence that AD biomarkers and stroke risk factors relate to cognition through independent pathways.
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Hohman TJ, Bell SP, Jefferson AL. The role of vascular endothelial growth factor in neurodegeneration and cognitive decline: exploring interactions with biomarkers of Alzheimer disease. JAMA Neurol 2015; 72:520-9. [PMID: 25751166 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2014.4761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE A subset of older adults present post mortem with Alzheimer disease (AD) pathologic features but without any significant clinical manifestation of dementia. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been implicated in staving off AD-related neurodegeneration. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether VEGF levels are associated with brain aging outcomes (hippocampal volume and cognition) and to further evaluate whether VEGF modifies relations between AD biomarkers and brain aging outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Biomarker analysis using neuroimaging and neuropsychological outcomes from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. This prospective longitudinal study across North America included individuals with normal cognition (n = 90), mild cognitive impairment (n = 130), and AD (n = 59) and began in October 2004, with follow-up ongoing. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Cerebrospinal fluid VEGF was cross-sectionally related to brain aging outcomes (hippocampal volume, episodic memory, and executive function) using a general linear model and longitudinally using mixed-effects regression. Alzheimer disease biomarker (cerebrospinal fluid β-amyloid 42 and total tau)-by-VEGF interactions evaluated the effect of VEGF on brain aging outcomes in the presence of enhanced AD biomarkers. RESULTS Vascular endothelial growth factor was associated with baseline hippocampal volume (t277 = 2.62; P = .009), longitudinal hippocampal atrophy (t858 = 2.48; P = .01), and longitudinal decline in memory (t1629 = 4.09; P < .001) and executive function (t1616 = 3.00; P = .003). Vascular endothelial growth factor interacted with tau in predicting longitudinal hippocampal atrophy (t845 = 4.17; P < .001), memory decline (t1610 = 2.49; P = .01), and executive function decline (t1597 = 3.71; P < .001). Vascular endothelial growth factor interacted with β-amyloid 42 in predicting longitudinal memory decline (t1618 = -2.53; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Elevated cerebrospinal fluid VEGF was associated with more optimal brain aging in vivo. The neuroprotective effect appeared strongest in the presence of enhanced AD biomarkers, suggesting that VEGF may be particularly beneficial in individuals showing early hallmarks of the AD cascade. Future work should evaluate the interaction between VEGF expression in vitro and pathologic burden to address potential mechanisms.
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Fritzsche L, Hohman TJ, Jefferson AL, Gifford KA. P4‐101: Anxiety mediates endorsement of subjective cognitive decline questions in non‐demented older adults. Alzheimers Dement 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2015.06.1807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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