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Cognitive reserve and clinical progression in Alzheimer disease : A paradoxical relationship

van Loenhoud, Anna Catharina ; van der Flier, Wiesje Maria ; Wink, Alle Meije ; Dicks, Ellen ; Groot, Colin ; Twisk, Jos ; Barkhof, Frederik ; Scheltens, Philip and Ossenkoppele, Rik LU (2019) In Neurology 93(4). p.334-346
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between cognitive reserve (CR) and clinical progression across the Alzheimer disease (AD) spectrum. METHODS: We selected 839 β-amyloid (Aβ)-positive participants with normal cognition (NC, n = 175), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 437), or AD dementia (n = 227) from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). CR was quantified using standardized residuals (W scores) from a (covariate-adjusted) linear regression with global cognition (13-item Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale) as an independent variable of interest, and either gray matter volumes or white matter hyperintensity volume as dependent variables. These W scores, reflecting whether an individual's... (More)

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between cognitive reserve (CR) and clinical progression across the Alzheimer disease (AD) spectrum. METHODS: We selected 839 β-amyloid (Aβ)-positive participants with normal cognition (NC, n = 175), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 437), or AD dementia (n = 227) from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). CR was quantified using standardized residuals (W scores) from a (covariate-adjusted) linear regression with global cognition (13-item Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale) as an independent variable of interest, and either gray matter volumes or white matter hyperintensity volume as dependent variables. These W scores, reflecting whether an individual's degree of cerebral damage is lower or higher than clinically expected, were tested as predictors of diagnostic conversion (i.e., NC to MCI/AD dementia, or MCI to AD dementia) and longitudinal changes in memory (ADNI-MEM) and executive functions (ADNI-EF). RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 24 months (interquartile range 6-42). Corrected for age, sex, APOE4 status, and baseline cerebral damage, higher gray matter volume-based W scores (i.e., greater CR) were associated with a lower diagnostic conversion risk (hazard ratio [HR] 0.22, p < 0.001) and slower decline in memory (β = 0.48, p < 0.001) and executive function (β = 0.67, p < 0.001). Stratified by disease stage, we found similar results for NC (diagnostic conversion: HR 0.30, p = 0.038; ADNI-MEM: β = 0.52, p = 0.028; ADNI-EF: β = 0.42, p = 0.077) and MCI (diagnostic conversion: HR 0.21, p < 0.001; ADNI-MEM: β = 0.43, p = 0.003; ADNI-EF: β = 0.59, p < 0.001), but opposite findings (i.e., more rapid decline) for AD dementia (ADNI-MEM: β = -0.91, p = 0.002; ADNI-EF: β = -0.77, p = 0.081). CONCLUSIONS: Among Aβ-positive individuals, greater CR related to attenuated clinical progression in predementia stages of AD, but accelerated cognitive decline after the onset of dementia.

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author collaboration
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Neurology
volume
93
issue
4
pages
334 - 346
publisher
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
external identifiers
  • scopus:85070183718
  • pmid:31266904
ISSN
1526-632X
DOI
10.1212/WNL.0000000000007821
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
52b454a2-8a49-41de-8f4a-54300f5f6148
date added to LUP
2019-08-29 13:07:59
date last changed
2024-06-27 03:37:59
@article{52b454a2-8a49-41de-8f4a-54300f5f6148,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between cognitive reserve (CR) and clinical progression across the Alzheimer disease (AD) spectrum. METHODS: We selected 839 β-amyloid (Aβ)-positive participants with normal cognition (NC, n = 175), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 437), or AD dementia (n = 227) from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). CR was quantified using standardized residuals (W scores) from a (covariate-adjusted) linear regression with global cognition (13-item Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale) as an independent variable of interest, and either gray matter volumes or white matter hyperintensity volume as dependent variables. These W scores, reflecting whether an individual's degree of cerebral damage is lower or higher than clinically expected, were tested as predictors of diagnostic conversion (i.e., NC to MCI/AD dementia, or MCI to AD dementia) and longitudinal changes in memory (ADNI-MEM) and executive functions (ADNI-EF). RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 24 months (interquartile range 6-42). Corrected for age, sex, APOE4 status, and baseline cerebral damage, higher gray matter volume-based W scores (i.e., greater CR) were associated with a lower diagnostic conversion risk (hazard ratio [HR] 0.22, p &lt; 0.001) and slower decline in memory (β = 0.48, p &lt; 0.001) and executive function (β = 0.67, p &lt; 0.001). Stratified by disease stage, we found similar results for NC (diagnostic conversion: HR 0.30, p = 0.038; ADNI-MEM: β = 0.52, p = 0.028; ADNI-EF: β = 0.42, p = 0.077) and MCI (diagnostic conversion: HR 0.21, p &lt; 0.001; ADNI-MEM: β = 0.43, p = 0.003; ADNI-EF: β = 0.59, p &lt; 0.001), but opposite findings (i.e., more rapid decline) for AD dementia (ADNI-MEM: β = -0.91, p = 0.002; ADNI-EF: β = -0.77, p = 0.081). CONCLUSIONS: Among Aβ-positive individuals, greater CR related to attenuated clinical progression in predementia stages of AD, but accelerated cognitive decline after the onset of dementia.</p>}},
  author       = {{van Loenhoud, Anna Catharina and van der Flier, Wiesje Maria and Wink, Alle Meije and Dicks, Ellen and Groot, Colin and Twisk, Jos and Barkhof, Frederik and Scheltens, Philip and Ossenkoppele, Rik}},
  issn         = {{1526-632X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{334--346}},
  publisher    = {{Lippincott Williams & Wilkins}},
  series       = {{Neurology}},
  title        = {{Cognitive reserve and clinical progression in Alzheimer disease : A paradoxical relationship}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000007821}},
  doi          = {{10.1212/WNL.0000000000007821}},
  volume       = {{93}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}