Associations of brain pathology, cognitive and physical markers with age in cognitively normal individuals aged 60-102 years

Nienke Legdeur, Betty M Tijms, Elles Konijnenberg, Anouk den Braber, Mara Ten Kate, Carole H Sudre, Jori Tomassen, Maryam Badissi, Maqsood Yaqub, Frederik Barkhof, Bart N van Berckel, Dorret I Boomsma, Philip Scheltens, Henne Holstege, Andrea B Maier, Pieter Jelle Visser

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

The prevalence of brain pathologies increases with age and cognitive and physical function worsen over the lifetime. It is unclear whether these processes show a similar increase with age. We studied the association of markers for brain pathology, cognitive and physical function with age in 288 cognitively normal individuals aged 60-102 years selected from the cross-sectional EMIF-AD PreclinAD and 90+ Study at the Amsterdam UMC. An abnormal score was consistent with a score below the 5th percentile in the 60-70 years old individuals. Prevalence of abnormal scores were estimated using generalized estimating equations (GEE) models. The prevalence of abnormal handgrip strength, the Digit Symbol Substitution Test and hippocampal volume showed the fastest increase with age and abnormal MMSE score, muscle mass and amyloid aggregation the lowest. The increase in prevalence of abnormal markers was partly dependent on sex, level of education and amyloid aggregation. We did not find a consistent pattern in which markers of brain pathology and cognitive and physical processes became abnormal with age.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1609-1617
Number of pages9
JournalThe journals of gerontology. Series A : Biological sciences and medical sciences
Volume75
Issue number9
Early online date14 Aug 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sept 2020

Funding

This work was supported by the EU/EFPIA Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking EMIF grant agreement no. 115372. F.B. is supported by the NIHR biomedical research center at UCLH.

FundersFunder number
EU/EFPIA115372
National Institute for Health Research
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    Cohort Studies

    • Netherlands Twin Register (NTR)

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