scholarly journals Representation of Older Latinxs in Cohort Studies at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 404-418
Author(s):  
David X. Marquez ◽  
Crystal M. Glover ◽  
Melissa Lamar ◽  
Sue E. Leurgans ◽  
Raj C. Shah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Research Participation ◽  
The Other ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Brain Donation ◽  
Baseline Characteristics

The Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center (RADC) conducts 5 harmonized prospective clinical-pathologic cohort studies of aging – with 1 study, the Latino Core, focused exclusively on Latinxs, 2 studies consisting of mostly non-Latinx whites, and 2 studies of mostly non-Latinx blacks. This paper contextualizes the Latino Core within the other 4 harmonized RADC cohort studies. The overall aim of the paper is to provide information from the RADC, so that researchers can learn from our participants and procedures to better advance the science of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in Latinxs. We describe an annual clinical evaluation that assesses risk factors for Alzheimer’s dementia among older adults without known dementia at enrollment. As all RADC cohort studies offer brain donation as a part of research participation, we discuss our approach to brain donation and subsequent participant decision-making among older Latinxs. We also summarize baseline characteristics of older Latinxs across the 5 RADC cohort studies in relation to the baseline characteristics of non-Latinx blacks and non-Latinx whites. Finally, we outline challenges and considerations as well as potential next steps in cognitive aging research with older Latinxs.

Structural MRI in Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
pp. 208-240
Author(s):  
Briana S. Last ◽  
Batool Rizvi ◽  
Adam M. Brickman
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cerebrovascular Disease ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Structural Mri ◽  
The Other ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Medial Temporal Lobes ◽  
Temporal Lobes ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful tool to visualize and quantitate morphological and pathological features of the aging brain. Most work that has used structural MRI to study Alzheimer’s disease (AD) focused on the spatial distribution of atrophic changes associated with disease. These studies consistently show focal atrophy beginning in medial temporal lobes in early and presymptomatic stages of AD before spreading globally throughout the cortical mantle. Normal cognitive aging—aging in the absence of major neurodegenerative disease—on the other hand follows and anterior-to-posterior gradient of atrophic change. In addition to atrophic changes, conventional structural MRI can be used to appreciate markers of small and large vessel cerebrovascular disease, including white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), cerebral microbleeds, and infarction. Studies that have examined cerebrovascular changes associated with AD also show a consistent relationship with risk and severity of clinical AD, particularly with regard to lobar microbleeds and posterior WMH. It is unclear whether cerebrovascular changes play an independent role in the clinical expression of AD or whether it is more mechanistically related, reflecting a core feature of the disease. This chapter reviews recent work on regional atrophy in AD and normal aging, as well as work on small and large cerebrovascular disease in AD.

Gist Distinctions in Healthy Cognitive Aging Versus Mild Alzheimer's Disease

2006 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra B. Chapman ◽  
Raksha Anand ◽  
Garen Sparks ◽  
C. Munro Cullum
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Main Idea ◽  
Word List ◽  
The Other ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Semantic Categories ◽  
The Third

AbstractThere is limited understanding of the effects of normal and abnormal aging on gist-based memory in relation to the massive evidence regarding detail-based memory. This void is striking given the widely accepted view that memory is rarely veridical, but most often abstracted. The present study examined the effects of healthy advanced aging and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) on three distinct forms of gist. Two of these gist forms involved a passage: transformed gist (global generalised meaning of a passage) and main-idea gist (main points of a passage). The third gist form involved a word list: categorical gist (clustering of words according to semantic categories during list recall). These gist forms were assessed in immediate and delayed recall conditions. A total of 36 participants were included: 12 cognitively healthy young seniors (65–79 years), 12 cognitively healthy old seniors (80–95 years), and 12 young seniors with mild AD (65–79 years). The findings revealed that age and dementia did not equally affect all three forms of gist. Specifically, transformed gist was relatively maintained in the cognitively healthy senior groups as compared to the other two gist forms (main-idea gist and categorical gist), whereas all three gist forms were impaired in individuals with AD. The present study suggests that transformed gist operates differently than detail-based memory in the cognitively healthy senior groups. These findings have important theoretical implications in terms of informing existing models on the interrelationship between gist and detail-based memory and clinical implications in diagnosis of AD.

scholarly journals Cognitive Dispersion Is Not Associated with Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease: Results from the European Prevention of Alzheimer’s Dementia (EPAD) v500.0 Cohort

2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-194
Author(s):  
Tam Watermeyer ◽  
Alejandra Marroig ◽  
Craig W. Ritchie ◽  
Karen Ritchie ◽  
Kaj Blennow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Csf Levels ◽  
T Tau

Background: Cognitive dispersion, variation in performance across cognitive domains, is posited as a non-invasive and cost-effective marker of early neurodegeneration. Little work has explored associations between cognitive dispersion and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers in healthy older adults. Even less is known about the influence or interaction of biomarkers reflecting brain pathophysiology or other risk factors on cognitive dispersion scores. Objective: The main aim of this study was to examine whether higher cognitive dispersion was associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of amyloid-β (Aβ42), total tau (t-tau), phosphorylated tau (p-tau), and amyloid positivity in a cohort of older adults at various severities of AD. A secondary aim was to explore which AD risk factors were associated with cognitive dispersion scores. Methods: Linear and logistic regression analyses explored the associations between dispersion and CSF levels of Aβ42, t-tau, and p-tau and amyloid positivity (Aβ42 < 1000 pg/ml). Relationships between sociodemographics, APOE ɛ4 status, family history of dementia, and levels of depression and dispersion were also assessed. Results: Dispersion did not emerge as associated with any of the analytes nor amyloid positivity. Older (β= –0.007, SE = 0.002, p = 0.001) and less educated (β= –0.009, SE = 0.003, p = 0.009) individuals showed greater dispersion. Conclusion: Dispersion was not associated with AD pathology, but was associated with age and years of education, highlighting individual differences in cognitive aging. The use of this metric as a screening tool for existing AD pathology is not supported by our analyses. Follow-up work will determine if dispersion scores can predict changes in biomarker levels and/or positivity status longitudinally.

scholarly journals MY PARENT’S BODY IS SACRED: LATINO PERSPECTIVES ON BRAIN DONATION FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE RESEARCH

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S409-S409
Author(s):  
Yadira Montoya ◽  
Guilherme M Balbim ◽  
Crystal M Glover ◽  
David X Marquez
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Research Participation ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Latino Men ◽  
Brain Donation ◽  
Donation Process ◽  
Parental Figure

Abstract Brain donation is a critical part of advancing research addressing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Latinos are at a higher risk of developing ADRD compared to non-Latino Whites. However, there is limited knowledge regarding causes and mechanisms related to ADRD health disparities among Latinos partially due to lower research participation and brain donation rates. Family members play a pivotal role in increasing brain donation rates, particularly, among underrepresented groups. In this study, we examine the perceptions of brain donation among adult children of older Latinos. We invited Latino men and women (N=15) with a parental-figure who was 65 years and over to participate in one of three focus groups. During the focus groups, participants discussed the meaning of brain donation for research, reasons to donate or not, and their reactions to the possibility of their parental-figure being a brain donor. All focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed with transcripts used for data analysis. We used a Grounded Theory Approach to analyze focus group data. Results yielded three themes: (1) social and cultural factors influencing a family’s willingness to support organ donation; (2) lack of knowledge about the brain donation process; and (3) recommendations for engaging more Latinos in ADRD research and brain donation. Findings provide insight into how family participation may facilitate increased brain donation rates in ADRD studies among older Latinos. A main recommendation for researchers is to adopt a family-centered approach throughout the research process with a focus on addressing information gaps - from recruitment to dissemination.

Elucidating the risk factors for progression from amyloid-negative amnestic mild cognitive impairment to dementia

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyung-Ji Kim ◽  
Jae-Hong Lee ◽  
E-nae Cheong ◽  
Sung-Eun Chung ◽  
Sungyang Jo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Amyloid Pet ◽  
Clinical Progression ◽  
Amnestic Mci

Background: Amyloid PET allows for the assessment of amyloid β status in the brain, distinguishing true Alzheimer’s disease from Alzheimer’s disease-mimicking conditions. Around 15–20% of patients with clinically probable Alzheimer’s disease have been found to have no significant Alzheimer’s pathology on amyloid PET. However, a limited number of studies had been conducted this subpopulation in terms of clinical progression. Objective: We investigated the risk factors that could affect the progression to dementia in patients with amyloid-negative amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: This study was a single-institutional, retrospective cohort study of patients over the age of 50 with amyloidnegative amnestic MCI who visited the memory clinic of Asan Medical Center with a follow-up period of more than 36 months. All participants underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), detailed neuropsychological testing, and fluorine-18[F18]-florbetaben amyloid PET. Results: During the follow-up period, 39 of 107 patients progressed to dementia from amnestic MCI. In comparison with the stationary group, the progressed group had a more severe impairment in verbal and visual episodic memory function and hippocampal atrophy, which showed an Alzheimer’s disease-like pattern despite the lack of evidence for significant Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Voxel-based morphometric MRI analysis revealed that the progressed group had a reduced gray matter volume in the bilateral cerebellar cortices, right temporal cortex, and bilateral insular cortices. Conclusion: Considering the lack of evidence of amyloid pathology, clinical progression of these subpopulation may be caused by other neuropathologies such as TDP-43, abnormal tau or alpha synuclein that lead to neurodegeneration independent of amyloid-driven pathway. Further prospective studies incorporating biomarkers of Alzheimer’s diseasemimicking dementia are warranted.

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