The association of Aβ amyloid and composite cognitive measures in healthy older adults and MCI
Authors
Karra D. Harrington
Yen Ying Lim
Kathryn A. Ellis
Carly Copolov
David Darby
Michael Weinborn
David Ames
Ralph N. Martins, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Greg Savage
Cassandra Szoeke
Christopher Rowe
Victor L. Villemagne
Colin L. Masters
Paul Maruff
Document Type
Journal Article
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Faculty
Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science
School
School of Medical Sciences / Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care
RAS ID
16930
Abstract
Background: To date evidence of the relationship between cognition and Aβ amyloid during the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) has been inconsistent. This study aimed to describe the nature and magnitude of the relationship between Aβ amyloid and cognitive performance of individuals without dementia. Methods: Composite cognitive measures were developed from the Australian Imaging Biomarkers and Lifestyle study neuropsychological test battery using data from 768 healthy older adults and 133 adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A subgroup of this sample (174 healthy, 53 MCI) underwent neuroimaging for Aβ amyloid. Results: Within the MCI group individuals with high Aβ amyloid showed selective impairment for memory compared with those with low Aβ amyloid; however, this difference was not evident in the healthy group. Conclusions: The current findings provide further evidence of the relationship between Aβ amyloid and cognition, with memory impairment being the primary symptom of the underlying disease during the prodromal phases of AD.
DOI
10.1017/S1041610213001087
Comments
Harrington, K., Lim, Y., Ellis, K., Copolov, C., Darby, D., Weinborn, M. , Ames, D., Martins, R. N., Savage, G., Szoeke, C., Rowe, C., Villemagne, V., Masters, C., & Maruff, P. (2013). The association of Aβ amyloid and composite cognitive measures in healthy older adults and MCI. International Psychogeriatrics, 25(10), 1667-1677. Available here