Combining Cognitive Markers to Identify Individuals at Increased Dementia Risk: Influence of Modifying Factors and Time to Diagnosis

Payton, Nicola Maria; Rizzuto, Debora; Fratiglioni, Laura; Kivipelto, Miia; Bäckman, Lars; Laukka, Erika J.

doi:10.1017/s1355617720000272

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 77 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is paramount to define novel approaches to the study of semantic memory, because this function is informative in clinical settings. Particularly, there is a strong body of evidence emerging from single-case studies ( Garrard et al, 2005 ; van Velzen and Garrard, 2008 ; Berisha et al, 2015 ) as well as large cohort longitudinal investigations ( Snowdon et al, 1996 ; Amieva et al, 2008 ; Gustavson et al, 2020 ; Payton et al, 2020 ) indicating that declining semantic memory is among the earliest neurocognitive changes observed along the timeline of Alzheimer’s disease, at a stage when no objective measurable alteration of episodic memory performance is yet detectable. Although this study is only exploratory in nature and needs to be replicated with larger cohorts, it points at the link between aspects of the DMN and semantic control as a potential major drive behind the link between SRO and item-level semantic features.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serial Recall Order of Category Fluency Words: Exploring Its Neural Underpinnings

Marco

Venneri

2022

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Although performance on the category fluency test (CFT) is influenced by many cognitive functions (i.e., including language, executive functioning and speed of processing), item-level scoring methods of CFT performance might be a promising way to capture aspects of semantic memory that are less influenced by intervenient abilities. One such approach is based on the calculation of correlation coefficients that quantify the association between item-level features and the serial order with which words are recalled (SRO).Methods: We explored the neural underpinnings of 10 of these correlational indices in a sample of 40 healthy adults who completed a classic 1-min CFT and an MRI protocol inclusive of T1-weighted (analysed with voxel-based morphometry) and resting-state fMRI sequences for the evaluation of the default-mode network (DMN). Two sets of linear models were defined to test the association between neural maps and each correlational index: a first set in which major demographic and clinical descriptors were controlled for and a second set in which, additionally, all other 9 correlational indices were regressed out.Results: In the analysis of the DMN, ‘SRO-frequency’, ‘SRO-dominance’ and ‘SRO-body-object interaction’ correlational indices were all negatively associated with the anterior portion of the right temporoparietal junction. The ‘SRO-frequency’ correlational index was also negatively associated with the right dorsal anterior cingulate and the ‘SRO-dominance’ correlational index with the right lateral prefrontal cortex. From the second set of models, the ‘SRO-typicality’ correlational index was positively associated with the left entorhinal cortex. No association was found in relation to grey matter maps.Conclusion: The ability to retrieve more difficult words during CFT performance as measured by the correlational indices between SRO and item-level descriptors is associated with DMN expression in regions deputed to attentional reorienting and processing of salience of infrequent stimuli and dominance status. Of all item-level features, typicality appears to be that most closely linked with entorhinal functioning and may thus play a relevant role in assessing its value in testing procedures for early detection of subtle cognitive difficulties in people with suspected Alzheimer’s degeneration. Although exploratory, these findings warrant further investigations in larger cohorts.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serial Recall Order of Category Fluency Words: Exploring Its Neural Underpinnings

Marco

Venneri

2022

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“… 7 Higher education level is associated with better cognitive performance in several cognitive domains, 8 including memory, fluency, and executive function. As the association between cognitive performance and risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias is well established, 9 disparities between sexes in education are thus a potential pathway through which differences between sexes in the risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are generated. 2 , 3 , 10 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex differences and the role of education in cognitive ageing: analysis of two UK-based prospective cohort studies

Bloomberg

Dugravot

Dumurgier

et al. 2021

The Lancet Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Previous studies have shown an excess risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias among women. Education is thought to have a causal association with dementia onset. We aimed to investigate the role of education in influencing sex differences in cognitive ageing. MethodsWe analysed data from two prospective cohort studies in the UK; the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the Whitehall II study, to assess sex differences in cognitive performance and cognitive decline by birth cohort (birth year 1930-38, 1939-45, or 1946-55), before and after adjustment for education, and by high and low education level. Memory was assessed using immediate recall, for which data were available from all waves of the ELSA (2002-14) and Whitehall II (1997-2015) studies. Fluency was assessed using a semantic fluency test based on an animal naming task, with data available from all waves of the Whitehall II study and waves one to five (2002-10) and wave seven (2014) of the ELSA study. Cognitive scores were standardised separately in each study based on the mean and SD of the corresponding test among participants aged 50-59 years with secondary education. Findings 15 924 participants were included from the two studies. In pooled analyses, women had better memory scores than men in all birth cohorts, irrespective of adjustment for education (eg, at age 60 years, birth cohort 1930-38, mean difference between sexes [male scores minus female scores] -0•25 SDs [95% CI -0•32 to -0•19] after adjustment for education), and in both education level groups. Memory decline was faster in men than in women (at age 60 years, birth cohort 1946-55, mean difference in 13-year change -0•15 SDs [-0•20 to -0•09]; after adjustment for education -0•14 SDs [-0•20 to -0•08]). Men had better fluency scores than women in earlier birth cohorts and in the low education group (at age 60 years, birth cohort 1930-38, mean difference 0•20 SDs [95% CI 0•05 to 0•36]); but women had better fluency scores than men in later birth cohorts and in the high education group (at age 60 years, birth cohort 1946-55, mean difference -0•17 SDs [-0•24 to -0•10]). No sex differences were observed for fluency decline.Interpretation Our findings suggest that decreasing disparities between sexes in education, due to secular increases in educational opportunities, could attenuate sex differences in dementia risk and cognitive decline in the future.

show abstract

“…Measures of SM are particularly important to the study of cognitive ageing. Findings from large cohorts of asymptomatic adults followed up longitudinally, in fact, have revealed that performance on a major SM test, the “Category Fluency Test” (CFT) (inclusive of its analogues, e.g., the “Isaacs Set Test”), is among the earliest predictors of future progression to Alzheimer’s disease ( Amieva et al, 2008 ; Payton et al, 2020 ). Conversely, a large body of evidence indicates that SM tends to be largely preserved and even improve with healthy ageing ( Nyberg et al, 1996 , 2003 ; Park et al, 2002 ; Verhaeghen, 2003 ; Rönnlund et al, 2005 ; Small et al, 2011 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serial Recall Order and Semantic Features of Category Fluency Words to Study Semantic Memory in Normal Ageing

Marco

Blackburn

Venneri

2021

Front. Aging Neurosci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Category Fluency Test (CFT) is a common measure of semantic memory (SM). Test performance, however, is also influenced by other cognitive functions. We here propose a scoring procedure that quantifies the correlation between the serial recall order (SRO) of words retrieved during the CFT and a number of linguistic features, to obtain purer SM measures. To put this methodology to the test, we addressed a proof-of-concept hypothesis whereby, in alignment with the literature, older adults would show better SM.Methods: Ninety participants (45 aged 18–21 years; 45 aged 70–81 years) with normal neurological and cognitive functioning completed a 1-min CFT. SRO was scored as an ordinal variable incrementing by one unit for each valid entry. Each word was also scored for 16 additional linguistic features. Participant-specific normalised correlation coefficients were calculated between SRO and each feature and were analysed with group comparisons and graph theory.Results: Younger adults showed more negative correlations between SRO and “valence” (a feature of words pleasantness). This was driven by the first five words generated. When analysed with graph theory, SRO had significantly higher degree and lower betweenness centrality among older adults.Conclusion: In older adults, SM relies significantly less on pleasantness of entries typically retrieved without semantic control. Moreover, graph-theory metrics indicated better optimised links between SRO and linguistic features in this group. These findings are aligned with the principle whereby SM processes tend to solidify with ageing. Although additional work is needed in support of an SRO-based item-level scoring procedure of CFT performance, these initial findings suggest that this methodology could be of help in characterising SM in a purer form.

show abstract

Combining Cognitive Markers to Identify Individuals at Increased Dementia Risk: Influence of Modifying Factors and Time to Diagnosis

Cited by 13 publications

References 77 publications

Serial Recall Order of Category Fluency Words: Exploring Its Neural Underpinnings

Serial Recall Order of Category Fluency Words: Exploring Its Neural Underpinnings

Sex differences and the role of education in cognitive ageing: analysis of two UK-based prospective cohort studies

Serial Recall Order and Semantic Features of Category Fluency Words to Study Semantic Memory in Normal Ageing

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About