Lower cerebral blood flow is associated with faster cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease

Objective: To determine whether lower cerebral blood flow (CBF) is associated with faster cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: We included 88 patients with dementia due to AD from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort. Mean follow-up was 2 ± 1 years. Linear mixed models were used to determine associations of lower whole brain and regional pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling measured CBF with rate of cognitive decline as measured with repeated mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Model 1 was adjusted for age, sex, and education. Model 2 was additionally adjusted for normalized gray matter volume, medial temporal lobe atrophy, white matter hyperintensities, microbleeds, and lacunes. Analyses were repeated after partial volume correction (PVC) of CBF. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: Patients were 65 ± 7 years old, 44 (50 %) were women, and mean baseline MMSE was 22 ± 4. Annual decline (β[SE]) on the MMSE was estimated at -2.11 (0.25) points per year. Lower whole brain (β[SE]-0.50[0.25]; p ≤ 0.05) and parietal (β[SE]-0.59[0.25]; p < 0.05) CBF were associated with faster cognitive decline. PVC cortical CBF was not associated with cognitive decline. Conclusions: Lower CBF, in particular in the posterior brain regions, may have value as a prognostic marker for rate of cognitive decline in AD. Key points: • In AD, lower CBF is associated with more rapid cognitive decline. • Decreasing CBF does not reach a plateau early in AD. • PcASL-CFB has additive value to conventional structural MRI measures in AD

Twenty-four hour blood pressure variability and the prevalence and the progression of cerebral white matter hyperintensities

Blood pressure variability (BPV) is related to cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMH), but longitudinal studies assessing WMH progression are scarce. Patients with cardiovascular disease and control participants of the Heart-Brain Connection Study underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and repeated brain MRI at baseline and after 2 years. Using linear regression, we determined whether different measures of BPV (standard deviation, coefficient of variation, average real variability (ARV), variability independent of the mean) and nocturnal dipping were associated with WMH and whether this association was mediated or moderated by baseline cerebral perfusion. Among 177 participants (mean age: 65.9 ± 8.1 years, 33.9% female), the absence of diastolic nocturnal dipping was associated with higher WMH volume at baseline (β = 0.208, 95%CI: 0.025-0.392), but not with WMH progression among 91 participants with follow-up imaging. None of the BPV measures were associated with baseline WMH. Only 24-hour diastolic ARV was significantly associated with WMH progression (β = 0.144, 95%CI: 0.030-0.258), most profound in participants with low cerebral perfusion at baseline (p-interaction = 0.042). In conclusion, absent diastolic nocturnal dipping and 24-hour diastolic ARV were associated with higher WMH volume. Whilst requiring replication, these findings suggest that blood pressure patterns and variability may be a target for prevention of small vessel disease

Neuropsychiatric and Cognitive Symptoms Across the Alzheimer Disease Clinical Spectrum: Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Associations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and trajectories of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in relation to cognitive functioning in a cohort of β-amyloid-positive (A+) individuals across the Alzheimer disease (AD) clinical spectrum.  METHODS: In this single-center observational study, we included all individuals who visited the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam and had a clinical diagnosis of subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or probable AD dementia and were A+. We measured NPS with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), examining total scores and the presence of specific NPI domains. Cognition was assessed across 5 cognitive domains and with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). We examined trajectories including model-based trends for NPS and cognitive functioning over time. We used linear mixed models to relate baseline NPI scores to cognitive functioning at baseline (whole-sample) and longitudinal time points (subsample n = 520, mean 1.8 [SD 0.7] years follow-up).  RESULTS: We included 1,524 A+ individuals from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort with A+ SCD (n = 113), A+ MCI (n = 321), or A+ AD dementia (n = 1,090). NPS were prevalent across all clinical AD stages (≥1 NPS 81.4% in SCD, 81.2% in MCI, 88.7% in dementia; ≥1 clinically relevant NPS 54.0% in SCD, 50.5% in MCI, 66.0% in dementia). Cognitive functioning showed a uniform gradual decline; while in contrast, large intraindividual heterogeneity of NPS was observed over time across all AD groups. At baseline, we found associations between NPS and cognition in dementia that were most pronounced for NPI total scores and MMSE (range β = -0.18 to -0.11, false discovery rate [FDR]-adjusted p 0.05). There were no associations between baseline NPS and cognitive functioning over time in any clinical stage (range β = -0.13 to 0.44, all FDR-adjusted p > 0.05).  DISCUSSION: NPS and cognitive symptoms are both prevalent across the AD clinical spectrum, but show a different evolution during the course of the disease

Neuropsychiatric and Cognitive Symptoms Across the Alzheimer Disease Clinical Spectrum: Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Associations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and trajectories of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in relation to cognitive functioning in a cohort of β-amyloid-positive (A+) individuals across the Alzheimer disease (AD) clinical spectrum.  METHODS: In this single-center observational study, we included all individuals who visited the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam and had a clinical diagnosis of subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or probable AD dementia and were A+. We measured NPS with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), examining total scores and the presence of specific NPI domains. Cognition was assessed across 5 cognitive domains and with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). We examined trajectories including model-based trends for NPS and cognitive functioning over time. We used linear mixed models to relate baseline NPI scores to cognitive functioning at baseline (whole-sample) and longitudinal time points (subsample n = 520, mean 1.8 [SD 0.7] years follow-up).  RESULTS: We included 1,524 A+ individuals from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort with A+ SCD (n = 113), A+ MCI (n = 321), or A+ AD dementia (n = 1,090). NPS were prevalent across all clinical AD stages (≥1 NPS 81.4% in SCD, 81.2% in MCI, 88.7% in dementia; ≥1 clinically relevant NPS 54.0% in SCD, 50.5% in MCI, 66.0% in dementia). Cognitive functioning showed a uniform gradual decline; while in contrast, large intraindividual heterogeneity of NPS was observed over time across all AD groups. At baseline, we found associations between NPS and cognition in dementia that were most pronounced for NPI total scores and MMSE (range β = -0.18 to -0.11, false discovery rate [FDR]-adjusted p &lt; 0.05), while there were no cross-sectional relationships in SCD and MCI (range β = -0.32 to 0.36, all FDR-adjusted p &gt; 0.05). There were no associations between baseline NPS and cognitive functioning over time in any clinical stage (range β = -0.13 to 0.44, all FDR-adjusted p &gt; 0.05).  DISCUSSION: NPS and cognitive symptoms are both prevalent across the AD clinical spectrum, but show a different evolution during the course of the disease

Neuropsychiatric and Cognitive Symptoms Across the Alzheimer Disease Clinical Spectrum: Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Associations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and trajectories of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in relation to cognitive functioning in a cohort of β-amyloid-positive (A+) individuals across the Alzheimer disease (AD) clinical spectrum. METHODS: In this single-center observational study, we included all individuals who visited the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam and had a clinical diagnosis of subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or probable AD dementia and were A+. We measured NPS with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), examining total scores and the presence of specific NPI domains. Cognition was assessed across 5 cognitive domains and with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). We examined trajectories including model-based trends for NPS and cognitive functioning over time. We used linear mixed models to relate baseline NPI scores to cognitive functioning at baseline (whole-sample) and longitudinal time points (subsample n = 520, mean 1.8 [SD 0.7] years follow-up). RESULTS: We included 1,524 A+ individuals from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort with A+ SCD (n = 113), A+ MCI (n = 321), or A+ AD dementia (n = 1,090). NPS were prevalent across all clinical AD stages (≥1 NPS 81.4% in SCD, 81.2% in MCI, 88.7% in dementia; ≥1 clinically relevant NPS 54.0% in SCD, 50.5% in MCI, 66.0% in dementia). Cognitive functioning showed a uniform gradual decline; while in contrast, large intraindividual heterogeneity of NPS was observed over time across all AD groups. At baseline, we found associations between NPS and cognition in dementia that were most pronounced for NPI total scores and MMSE (range β = -0.18 to -0.11, false discovery rate [FDR]-adjusted p 0.05). There were no associations between baseline NPS and cognitive functioning over time in any clinical stage (range β = -0.13 to 0.44, all FDR-adjusted p > 0.05). DISCUSSION: NPS and cognitive symptoms are both prevalent across the AD clinical spectrum, but show a different evolution during the course of the disease

Neuropsychiatric and Cognitive Symptoms Across the Alzheimer Disease Clinical Spectrum: Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Associations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and trajectories of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in relation to cognitive functioning in a cohort of β-amyloid-positive (A+) individuals across the Alzheimer disease (AD) clinical spectrum. METHODS: In this single-center observational study, we included all individuals who visited the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam and had a clinical diagnosis of subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or probable AD dementia and were A+. We measured NPS with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), examining total scores and the presence of specific NPI domains. Cognition was assessed across 5 cognitive domains and with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). We examined trajectories including model-based trends for NPS and cognitive functioning over time. We used linear mixed models to relate baseline NPI scores to cognitive functioning at baseline (whole-sample) and longitudinal time points (subsample n = 520, mean 1.8 [SD 0.7] years follow-up). RESULTS: We included 1,524 A+ individuals from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort with A+ SCD (n = 113), A+ MCI (n = 321), or A+ AD dementia (n = 1,090). NPS were prevalent across all clinical AD stages (≥1 NPS 81.4% in SCD, 81.2% in MCI, 88.7% in dementia; ≥1 clinically relevant NPS 54.0% in SCD, 50.5% in MCI, 66.0% in dementia). Cognitive functioning showed a uniform gradual decline; while in contrast, large intraindividual heterogeneity of NPS was observed over time across all AD groups. At baseline, we found associations between NPS and cognition in dementia that were most pronounced for NPI total scores and MMSE (range β = -0.18 to -0.11, false discovery rate [FDR]-adjusted p 0.05). There were no associations between baseline NPS and cognitive functioning over time in any clinical stage (range β = -0.13 to 0.44, all FDR-adjusted p > 0.05). DISCUSSION: NPS and cognitive symptoms are both prevalent across the AD clinical spectrum, but show a different evolution during the course of the disease

Quantitative amyloid PET in Alzheimer's disease: the AMYPAD prognostic and natural history study

Introduction: The Amyloid Imaging to Prevent Alzheimer's Disease (AMYPAD) Prognostic and Natural History Study (PNHS) aims at understanding the role of amyloid imaging in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AMYPAD PNHS adds semi quantitative amyloid PET imaging to several European parent cohorts (PCs) to predict AD-related progression as well as address methodological challenges in amyloid PET. Methods: AMYPAD PNHS is an open-label, prospective, multi-center, cohort study recruiting from multiple PCs. Around 2000 participants will undergo baseline amyloid positron emission tomography (PET), half of whom will be invited for a follow-up PET 12 at least 12 months later. Results: Primary include several amyloid PET measurements (Centiloid, SUVr, BPND, R-1), and secondary are their changes from baseline, relationship to other amyloid markers (cerebrospinal fluid and visual assessment), and predictive value of AD-related decline. Expected Impact: Determining the role of amyloid PET for the understanding of this complex disease and potentially improving secondary prevention trials