Education as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Episodic Memory and Amyloid Load in Normal Aging

Joannette, Maude; Bocti, Christian; Dupont, Pénélope Sévigny; Lavallée, Marie Maxime; Nikelski, Jim; Vallet, Guillaume T.; Chertkow, Howard; Joubert, Sven

doi:10.1093/gerona/glz235

Cited by 19 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Aside from hippocampal volume, the CR models did not contain regional measures such as parietotemporal cortical thickness or measures of WM microstructural integrity, WM hyperintensity volume, or AD-related neuropathology. As CR proxies have been previously reported to moderate the relationship between these measures and cognition (43,83,(140)(141)(142)(143), future studies could assess proxies in complete CR models containing these brain structure variables to extend the conclusions made here to a wider spectrum of brain-cognition relationships. Furthermore, there were differences in the relationship between age and cognition across both datasets.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 82%

Verbal intelligence is a more robust cross-sectional measure of cognitive reserve than level of education in healthy older adults

Boyle

Knight

Looze

et al. 2021

Preprint

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BackgroundCognitive reserve is most commonly measured using socio-behavioural proxy variables. These variables are easy to collect, have a straightforward interpretation, and are widely associated with reduced risk of dementia and cognitive decline in epidemiological studies. However, the specific proxies vary across studies and have rarely been assessed in complete models of cognitive reserve (i.e., alongside both a measure of cognitive outcome and a measure of brain structure). Complete models can test independent associations between proxies and cognitive function in addition to the moderation effect of proxies on the brain-cognition relationship. Consequently, there is insufficient empirical evidence guiding the choice of proxy measures of cognitive reserve and poor comparability across studies.MethodIn a cross-sectional study, we assessed the validity of 5 common proxies (education, occupational complexity, verbal intelligence, leisure activities, and exercise) and all possible combinations of these proxies in 2 separate community-dwelling older adult cohorts: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA; N = 313, mean age = 68.9 years, range = 54–88) and the Cognitive Reserve/Reference Ability Neural Network Study (CR/RANN; N = 234, mean age = 64.49 years, range = 50–80). 15 models were created with 3 brain structure variables (grey matter volume, hippocampal volume, and mean cortical thickness) and 5 cognitive variables (verbal fluency, processing speed, executive function, episodic memory, and global cognition).ResultsNo moderation effects were observed. There were robust positive associations with cognitive function, independent of brain structure, for 2 individual proxies (verbal intelligence and education), and 16 composites (i.e., combinations of proxies). Verbal intelligence was statistically significant in all models. Education was significant only in models with executive function as the cognitive outcome variable. Three robust composites were observed in more than two thirds of brain-cognition models: the composites of 1) occupational complexity and verbal intelligence, 2) education and verbal intelligence, and 3) education, occupational complexity and verbal intelligence. However, no composite had larger average effects nor was more robust than verbal intelligence alone.ConclusionThese results support the use of verbal intelligence as a proxy measure of CR in cross-sectional studies of cognitively healthy older adults.

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Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 82%

Verbal intelligence is a more robust cross-sectional measure of cognitive reserve than level of education in healthy older adults

Boyle

Knight

Looze

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Aside from hippocampal volume, the CR models did not contain regional measures such as parietotemporal cortical thickness or measures of WM microstructural integrity, WM hyperintensity volume, or AD-related neuropathology. As CR proxies have been previously reported to moderate the relationship between these measures and cognition [43,82,[139][140][141][142], future studies could assess proxies in complete CR models containing these brain structure variables to extend the conclusions made here to a wider spectrum of brain-cognition relationships. Furthermore, there were differences in the relationship between age and cognition across both datasets.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 83%

Verbal intelligence is a more robust cross-sectional measure of cognitive reserve than level of education in healthy older adults

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Cognitive reserve is most commonly measured using socio-behavioural proxy variables. These variables are easy to collect, have a straightforward interpretation, and are widely associated with reduced risk of dementia and cognitive decline in epidemiological studies. However, the specific proxies vary across studies and have rarely been assessed in complete models of cognitive reserve (i.e. alongside both a measure of cognitive outcome and a measure of brain structure). Complete models can test independent associations between proxies and cognitive function in addition to the moderation effect of proxies on the brain-cognition relationship. Consequently, there is insufficient empirical evidence guiding the choice of proxy measures of cognitive reserve and poor comparability across studies. Method In a cross-sectional study, we assessed the validity of 5 common proxies (education, occupational complexity, verbal intelligence, leisure activities, and exercise) and all possible combinations of these proxies in 2 separate community-dwelling older adult cohorts: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA; N = 313, mean age = 68.9 years, range = 54–88) and the Cognitive Reserve/Reference Ability Neural Network Study (CR/RANN; N = 234, mean age = 64.49 years, range = 50–80). Fifteen models were created with 3 brain structure variables (grey matter volume, hippocampal volume, and mean cortical thickness) and 5 cognitive variables (verbal fluency, processing speed, executive function, episodic memory, and global cognition). Results No moderation effects were observed. There were robust positive associations with cognitive function, independent of brain structure, for 2 individual proxies (verbal intelligence and education) and 16 composites (i.e. combinations of proxies). Verbal intelligence was statistically significant in all models. Education was significant only in models with executive function as the cognitive outcome variable. Three robust composites were observed in more than two-thirds of brain-cognition models: the composites of (1) occupational complexity and verbal intelligence, (2) education and verbal intelligence, and (3) education, occupational complexity, and verbal intelligence. However, no composite had larger average effects nor was more robust than verbal intelligence alone. Conclusion These results support the use of verbal intelligence as a proxy measure of CR in cross-sectional studies of cognitively healthy older adults.

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“…With adjustment of multivariable factors, education duration was found to be independently associated with memory cognitive function ( p < 0.05). In previous studies, more years of education moderate genetic risk and memory function associated with amyloid β by increasing cognitive function capacity ( 36 , 37 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Correlation Between Hippocampal Enlarged Perivascular Spaces and Cognition in Non-dementic Elderly Population

Sim¹,

Park

Shin

et al. 2020

Front. Neurol.

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Background and aims: The pathophysiology of hippocampal enlarged perivascular spaces (H-EPVS) and its relationship to cognitive impairment is largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between H-EPVS and cognition in non-dementic elderly population. Methods: A total of 109 subjects were prospectively enrolled. The eligibilities for inclusion were age from 55 to 85 years and Mini-Mental Status Examination score of ≥26. The Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog), Montreal Cognitive Assessment, transcranial Doppler (TCD), and brain magnetic resonance imaging results were evaluated. H-EPVS was categorized in a three-degree scale: degree 0 (no), degree 1 (1,2), and degree 2 (>2). The associations between H-EPVS and TCD parameters/cognitive test profiles were analyzed. Results: The mean age was 65.2 years, and 52.3% subjects were men. H-EPVS was found to be associated with age (degree 2 vs. degree 1 vs. degree 0, 69.20 ± 6.93 vs. 65.70 ± 5.75 vs. 63.80 ± 5.43; p = 0.030) and ADAS-Cog memory score (degree 2 vs. degree 1 vs. degree 0, 14.88 ± 4.27 vs. 12.49 ± 4.56 vs. 11.4 ± 4.23; p = 0.037). However, the pulsatility index was not related to the degree of H-EPVS. Multivariate analysis revealed medial temporal atrophy (MTA) scale score was independently associated with ADAS-Cog memory score (MTA scale sum ≥4, p = 0.011) but not with the degree of H-EPVS. MTA scale score showed correlation with H-EPVS ( r = 0.273, p = 0.004). Conclusions: Aging was associated with the development of H-EPVS in non-dementic elderly population. Memory function was found to be associated with MTA but not with the degree of H-EPVS.

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Education as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Episodic Memory and Amyloid Load in Normal Aging

Cited by 19 publications

References 40 publications

Verbal intelligence is a more robust cross-sectional measure of cognitive reserve than level of education in healthy older adults

Verbal intelligence is a more robust cross-sectional measure of cognitive reserve than level of education in healthy older adults

Verbal intelligence is a more robust cross-sectional measure of cognitive reserve than level of education in healthy older adults

Correlation Between Hippocampal Enlarged Perivascular Spaces and Cognition in Non-dementic Elderly Population

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