Objective: The preeminent in vivo cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are amyloid β 1–42 (Aβ42), phosphorylated Tau (p-tau), and total Tau (t-tau). The goal of this study was to examine how well traditional (total and delayed recall) and process-based (recency ratio [Rr]) measures derived from Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning test (AVLT) were associated with these biomarkers. Method: Data from 235 participants (M age = 65.5, SD = 6.9), who ranged from cognitively unimpaired to mild cognitive impairment, and for whom CSF values were available, were extracted from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention. Bayesian regression analyses were carried out using CSF scores as outcomes, AVLT scores as predictors, and controlling for demographic data and diagnosis. Results: We found moderate evidence that Rr was associated with both CSF p-tau (Bayesian factor [BFM] = 5.55) and t-tau (BFM = 7.28), above and beyond the control variables, while it did not correlate with CSF Aβ42 levels. In contrast, total and delayed recall scores were not linked with any of the AD biomarkers, in separate analyses. When comparing all memory predictors in a single regression, Rr remained the strongest predictor of CSF t-tau levels (BFM = 3.57). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that Rr may be a better cognitive measure than commonly used AVLT scores to assess CSF levels of p-tau and t-tau in nondemented individuals.

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Background: Depressive symptomatology is associated with cognitive decline and greater risk for dementia. Studies have examined this association using self-report measures such as the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1991). Although the CES-D was originally designed as a 20-item scale, certain items have been reported to misrepresent depressive symptoms due to sex and cultural differences, which are addressed in the 14-item version of this measure (Carleton et al., 2013). The aim of this study was to examine how the CES-D total score from the 14-item version compared to the 20-item version in predicting progression to cognitive decline from a cognitively unimpaired baseline, across genders.Method: Data were extracted from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention.A total of 1,055 participants were included who were cognitively unimpaired and stable at baseline and had at least one follow-up assessment. Bivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted using follow-up consensus diagnosis as outcome (cognitively unimpaired stable vs. cognitive unimpaired declining, mild cognitive impairment or dementia); baseline total CES-D scores from either the 14-item or 20-item version were used as predictors in separate analyses; age at last follow-up assessment, age difference between baseline and last follow-up assessment, years of education, and polygenic risk score were covariates (see Table 1). Result:In female participants, we observed that the logistic regression model with the total CES-D score from the 14-item version was statistically significant (χ2(5) = 54.674, p = .001) and explained 15.2% (Nagelkerke R 2 ) of the variance in predicting cognitive decline; this result was comparable to that with the 20-item version, which was also statistically significant (χ2(5) = 53.276, p = .001) and explained 14.8% of the variance. In male participants, the model with the total score from the 14-item version was statistically significant (χ2(5) = 14.846, p = .011) and explained 9.9% of the variance, whereas the model with the total score from the 20-item version was statistically significant (χ2(5) = 14.070, p = .015) and explained 9.4% of the variance. Conclusion:Our findings suggest that the total CES-D score from the 14-item version is comparable to, if not slightly better than, the score from the 20-item version in predicting progression to a clinical level of cognitive decline in both males and females.

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INTRODUCTION: We propose a novel method to assess delayed primacy in the CERAD memory test. We then examine whether this measure predicts post mortem Alzheimers disease (AD) neuropathology in individuals who were clinically unimpaired at baseline. METHODS: A total of 1096 individuals were selected from the Rush Alzheimers Disease Center database registry. All participants were clinically unimpaired at baseline, and had subsequently undergone brain autopsy. Average age at baseline was 78.8 (6.92). A Bayesian regression analysis was carried out with global pathology as outcome; demographic, clinical and APOE data as covariates; and cognitive predictors, including delayed primacy. RESULTS: Global AD pathology was best predicted by delayed primacy. Secondary analyses showed that delayed primacy was mostly associated with neuritic plaques, whereas total delayed recall was associated with neurofibrillary tangles. DISCUSSION: We conclude that CERAD-derived delayed primacy is a useful metric for early detection and diagnosis of AD in unimpaired individuals.