Assessing the views of professionals, patients, and care partners concerning the use of computer tools in memory clinics: International survey study

Background: Computer tools based on artificial intelligence could aid clinicians in memory clinics in several ways, such as by supporting diagnostic decision-making, web-based cognitive testing, and the communication of diagnosis and prognosis. Objective: This study aims to identify the preferences as well as the main barriers and facilitators related to using computer tools in memory clinics for all end users, that is, clinicians, patients, and care partners. Methods: Between July and October 2020, we sent out invitations to a web-based survey to clinicians using the European Alzheimer’s Disease Centers network and the Dutch Memory Clinic network, and 109 clinicians participated (mean age 45 years, SD 10; 53/109, 48.6% female). A second survey was created for patients and care partners. They were invited via Alzheimer Europe, Alzheimer’s Society United Kingdom, Amsterdam Dementia Cohort, and Amsterdam Aging Cohort. A total of 50 patients with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, or dementia (mean age 73 years, SD 8; 17/34, 34% female) and 46 care partners (mean age 65 years, SD 12; 25/54, 54% female) participated in this survey. Results: Most clinicians reported a willingness to use diagnostic (88/109, 80.7%) and prognostic (83/109, 76.1%) computer tools. User-friendliness (71/109, 65.1%); Likert scale mean 4.5, SD 0.7), and increasing diagnostic accuracy (76/109, 69.7%; mean 4.3, SD 0.7) were reported as the main factors stimulating the adoption of a tool. Tools should also save time and provide clear information on reliability and validity. Inadequate integration with electronic patient records (46/109, 42.2%; mean 3.8, SD 1.0) and fear of losing important clinical information (48/109, 44%; mean 3.7, SD 1.2) were most frequently indicated as barriers. Patients and care partners were equally positive about the use of computer tools by clinicians, both for diagnosis (69/96, 72%) and prognosis (73/96, 76%). In addition, most of them thought favorably regarding the possibility of using the tools themselves. Conclusions: This study showed that computer tools in memory clinics are positively valued by most end users. For further development and implementation, it is essential to overcome the technical and practical barriers of a tool while paying utmost attention to its reliability and validity

Nutritional Status Is Associated With Clinical Progression in Alzheimer's Disease : The NUDAD Project

Objective: In cognitively normal adults, nutritional parameters are related to cognitive decline and incidence of dementia. Studies on the role of nutrition in predementia stages subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment, and mild stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia in a clinical setting are lacking. In the absence of a curative treatment, this evidence is important for targeting nutritional factors to potentially prevent or delay further cognitive decline. Our aim is to investigate associations of nutritional parameters with clinical progression in patients ranging from those who are cognitively normal to those who have AD dementia. Design: Longitudinal. Setting and Participants: Memory clinic, 551 patients (219 with subjective cognitive decline, 135 with mild cognitive impairment, and 197 with AD dementia), mean age 64 ± 8 years. Measurements: We assessed body mass index, fat-free mass, Mini-Nutritional Assessment, and dietary intake with the Dutch Healthy Diet food frequency questionnaire and the 238-item healthy life in an urban setting (HELIUS) food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate associations of nutritional parameters with clinical progression. Additional analyses were restricted to patients who were amyloid positive. Results: We observed clinical progression in 170 patients (31%) over 2.2 ± 0.9 years. Poorer Mini-Nutritional Assessment score [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.39 (1.18–1.64)], lower body mass index [1.15 (0.96–1.38)], lower fat-free mass [1.40 (0.93–2.10)], and a less healthy dietary pattern [1.22 (1.01–1.48)] were associated with a higher risk of clinical progression. Similar effect sizes were found in patients who were amyloid positive. Conclusions and Implications: Poorer nutritional status and a less healthy dietary pattern are associated with a higher risk of clinical progression. This study provides support for investigating whether improving nutritional status can alter the clinical trajectory of AD.</p

Energy intake and expenditure in patients with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment:The NUDAD project

Background: Malnutrition is common in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and is associated with institutionalization and increased mortality. Malnutrition is the result of a negative energy balance, which could be due to reduced dietary intake and/or higher energy expenditure. To study underlying mechanisms for malnutrition, we investigated dietary intake and resting energy expenditure (REE) of patients with AD dementia, MCI, and controls. In addition, we studied associations of global cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)) and AD biomarkers with dietary intake and REE. Methods: We included 219 participants from the NUDAD project, 71 patients with AD dementia (age 68 ± 8 years, 58% female, MMSE 24 ± 3), 52 with MCI (67 ± 8 years, 42% female, MMSE 26 ± 2), and 96 controls (62 ± 7 years, 52% female, MMSE 28 ± 2). We used a 238-item food frequency questionnaire to assess dietary intake (energy, protein, carbohydrate, and fat). In a subgroup of 92 participants (30 patients with AD dementia, 22 with MCI, and 40 controls) we measured REE with indirect calorimetry. Between-group differences in dietary intake and REE were tested with ANOVAs. In the total sample, linear regression analyses were used to explore potential associations of MMSE score and AD biomarkers with dietary intake and REE. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, education, and body mass index or fat-free mass. Results: Patients with AD dementia and MCI did not differ from controls in total energy intake (1991 ± 71 and 2172 ± 80 vs 2022 ± 61 kcal/day, p > 0.05) nor in protein, carbohydrate, or fat intake. Patients with AD dementia and MCI had a higher REE than controls (1704 ± 41 and 1754 ± 47 vs 1569 ± 34 kcal/day, p < 0.05). We did not find any association of MMSE score or AD biomarkers with dietary intake or REE. Conclusions: We found a higher REE, despite similar energy intake in patients with AD and MCI compared to controls. These findings suggest that elevated metabolism rather than reduced energy intake explains malnutrition in AD. These results could be useful to optimize dietary advice for patients with AD dementia and MCI

Plasma amyloid is associated with the rate of cognitive decline in cognitively normal elderly: the SCIENCe project

Plasma biomarkers are promising prognostic tools in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD). We aimed to investigate the relationships of baseline plasma amyloid beta (Aβ)42/Aβ40 and total Tau (tTau) with rate of cognitive decline, in comparison to relationships of baseline cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ42, tTau, and phosphorylated tau181 (pTau181) with rate of cognitive decline. We included 241 subjects with SCD (age = 61 ± 9, 40% female, Mini-Mental State Examination = 28 ± 2) with follow-up (average: 2 ± 2 years, median visits: 3 [range: 1–11]) for re-evaluation of neuropsychological test performance (attention, memory, language, and executive functioning domains). Using age, gender and education-adjusted linear mixed models, we found that lower plasma Aβ42/Aβ40 was associated with steeper rate of decline on tests for attention, memory, and executive functioning, but not language. Lower CSF Aβ42 was associated with steeper decline on tests covering all domains. Associations for plasma amyloid and cognitive decline mirror those of CSF amyloid. Plasma tTau was not associated with rate of cognitive decline, whereas CSF tTau and pTau181 were on multiple tests covering all domains

LDL cholesterol and uridine levels in blood are potential nutritional biomarkers for clinical progression in Alzheimer's disease: The NUDAD project

INTRODUCTION: We examined associations between nutritional biomarkers and clinical progression in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD)-type dementia. METHODS: We included 528 individuals (64 ± 8 years, 46% F, follow-up 2.1 ± 0.87 years) with SCD (n = 204), MCI (n = 130), and AD (n = 194). Baseline levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, homocysteine, folate, vitamin A, B12, E and uridine were measured in blood and S-adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine in cerebrospinal fluid. We determined associations between nutritional biomarkers and clinical progression using Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Twenty-two (11%) patients with SCD, 45 (35%) patients with MCI, and 100 (52%) patients with AD showed clinical progression. In SCD, higher levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were associated with progression (hazard ratio [HR] [95% confidence interval (CI)] 1.88 [1.04 to 3.41]). In AD, lower uridine levels were associated with progression (0.79 [0.63 to 0.99]). DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that LDL cholesterol and uridine play a—stage-dependent—role in the clinical progression of AD