The interplay of age, gender and amyloid on brain and cognition in mid-life and older adults
Deficits in memory are seen as a canonical sign of aging and a prodrome to dementia in older adults. However, our understanding of age-related cognition and brain morphology occurring throughout a broader spectrum of adulthood remains limited. We quantified the relationship between cognitive function and brain morphology (sulcal width, SW) using three cross-sectional observational datasets (PISA, AIBL, ADNI) from mid-life to older adulthood, assessing the influence of age, sex, amyloid (Aβ) and genetic risk for dementia. The data comprised cognitive, genetic and neuroimaging measures of a total of 1570 non-clinical mid-life and older adults (mean age 72, range 49-90 years, 1330 males) and 1365 age- and sex-matched adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's disease (AD). Among non-clinical adults, we found robust modes of co-variation between regional SW and multidomain cognitive function that differed between the mid-life and older age range. These cortical and cognitive profiles derived from healthy cohorts predicted out-of-sample AD and MCI. Furthermore, Aβ-deposition and educational attainment levels were associated with cognition but not SW. These findings underscoring the complex interplay between factors influencing cognition and brain structure from mid-life onwards, providing valuable insights for future research into neurodegeneration and the development of future screening algorithms.
Authors
- Michelle K. Lupton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7274-7299)
- Anna Behler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7129-7006)
- Jürgen Fripp (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9705-0079)
- Joseph Giorgio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3704-5977)
- Robert Adam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0053-7919)
- Léonie Borne (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1577-0257)
- Pierrick Bourgeat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2605-4766)
- Colin Louis Masters (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3072-7940)
- Gail Robinson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0078-0364)
- Paul T. Maruff (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6947-9537)
- Michael Breakspear (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4943-3969)
- Amelia Ceslis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5343-0018)
- Philip Mosley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1721-3419)
- Renate Thienel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0381-7828)
- Christine C. Guo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1530-0172)
- Amir Fazlollahi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5886-0511)
- Christopher C. Rowe
Institutions
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute (AU)
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health (AU)
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity (AU)
- Austin Health (AU)
- University of Newcastle Australia (AU)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Scientific Reports
- Published
- 2024-11-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-78308-3
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.54
Funders
- U.S. Department of Defense
- Alzheimer's Association
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Eli Lilly and Company
- Pfizer
- Biogen
- Meso Scale Diagnostics
- Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
- BioClinica
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
- Eisai
- Servier
- H. Lundbeck A/S
- IXICO
- National Institutes of Health
- Genentech
- Medical Research Council
- National Health and Medical Research Council