Exploring the association between amyloid-β and memory markers for Alzheimer's disease in cognitively unimpaired older adults

Parra, Mario A. and Gazes, Y. and Habeck, C. and Stern, Y. (2024) Exploring the association between amyloid-β and memory markers for Alzheimer's disease in cognitively unimpaired older adults. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, 11 (2). pp. 339-347. ISSN 2426-0266 (https://doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2024.11)

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Abstract

Memory tests vary in their sensitivity for detection of pre-symptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AD). The Visual Short-Term Memory Binding Test (VSTMBT) identifies AD-related performance deficits in older adults who are otherwise cognitively unimpaired. We investigated the association of this psychometric measure with brain amyloidosis and atrophy. Cross-sectional mixed and correlational. Cognitive Reserve Study from Columbia University. a sample of 39 cognitively unimpaired older adults (Age: M=65.3, SD=3.07) was obtained from the above study. Extensive neuropsychological and neuroimaging (MRI and amyloid-β PET) assessments were carried out. Performance on the VSTMBT allowed us to split the sample into Low Binding Cost (LBC, N=21) and High Binding Cost (HBC, N=18). Groups were matched according to age [p=0.702], years of education [0.071], and sex [p=0.291]. HBC's performance was comparable to that seen in symptomatic AD. Groups only differed in their amyloid-β deposition on PET in regions of the right ventral stream linked to visual cognition and affected early in AD pathogenesis (lateral-occipital cortex, p = 0.008; fusiform gyrus, p = 0.017; and entorhinal cortex, p = 0.046). Other regions known to be linked to low-level visual integration function also revealed increased amyloid-β deposition in HBC. VSTMB deficits are associated with neuropathogenesis (i.e., amyloid-β deposition) in the earliest affected regions in pre-symptomatic AD. The VSTMB test holds potential for the identification of cognitively unimpaired older adults with very early AD pathogenesis and may thus be a useful tool for early intervention trials or other forms of clinical research.

ORCID iDs

Parra, Mario A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2412-648X, Gazes, Y., Habeck, C. and Stern, Y.;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)