Gender-specificities in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment

Beinhoff, Ulrike; Tumani, Hayrettin; Brettschneider, Johannes; Bittner, Daniel; Riepe, Matthias W.

doi:10.1007/s00415-008-0726-9

Cited by 73 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(56 reference statements)

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“…The finding that women did better than men on the Digit Symbol-Coding test is consistent with previous research showing that older women tend to do better on tasks of cognitive performance than do older men (Aartsen, Martin, Zimprich, & Longitudinal Aging Study, Amsterdam, 2004) and that the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in people aged 71-89 years appears higher in men than in women (Petersen et al, 2010). Similarly, prior studies have found that women have better verbal memory than men (Aartsen et al, 2004;Gale, Baxter, Connor, Herring, & Comer, 2007;van Hooren et al, 2007), although there may not be sex differences in visual memory (Beinhoff, Tumani, Brettschneider, Bittner, & Riepe, 2008;Gale et al, 2007). Thus, while a sex difference in memory could have potentially affected performance on the Digit Symbol-Coding subtest in this age group, females tend to perform better on measures of processing (or perceptual) speed than males (Hedges & Nowell, 1995), and this sex difference was observed in the standardization sample for Digit-Symbol Coding (Irwing, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Cognitive function in older adults according to current socioeconomic status

Zhang

Gale

Erickson

et al. 2015

Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition

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Cognitive function may be influenced by education, socioeconomic status, sex, and health status. Furthermore, aging interacts with these factors to influence cognition and dementia risk in late life. Factors that may increase or decrease successful cognitive aging are of critical importance, particularly if they are modifiable. The purpose of this study was to determine if economic status in late life is associated with cognition independent of socioeconomic status in early life. Cross-sectional demographic, socioeconomic, and cognitive function data were obtained in 2592 older adults (average age 71.6 years) from the Center for Disease Control's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and analyzed with linear regression modeling. Cognitive function, as measured with a test of processing speed, was significantly associated with poverty index scores after adjusting for educational attainment as an estimate of childhood socioeconomic status, ethnic background, age, health status, and sex (P < 0.001). Our findings suggest that current economic status is independently associated with cognitive function in adults over age 60 years.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Cognitive function in older adults according to current socioeconomic status

Zhang

Gale

Erickson

et al. 2015

Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition

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“…Regarding the influence of sociodemographic factors, the fact that female gender predicts gains in memory corroborates previous findings that women profit more from CT programs especially in the memory domain, although [34] found effects for verbal, not figural memory which fit better to the hypothesis of a "gender-specific cognitive reserve" [68], which assumes larger plasticity in verbal episodic memory in women. Thus, our finding that gains in non-verbal long-term memory, attention and set-shifting was predicted by female gender needs further investigation.…”

Section: E Kalbe Et Al Healthsupporting

confidence: 85%

Computerized Cognitive Training in Healthy Older Adults: Baseline Cognitive Level and Subjective Cognitive Concerns Predict Training Outcome

Kalbe¹,

Bintener²,

Ophey³

et al. 2018

Health

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Computerized cognitive training (CCT) can improve cognition in older adults. However, specific programs for this target group have rarely been developed, and predictors of training success are largely unclear. In a randomized controlled pilot trial, we examined effects of a six-week CCT, tailored to the cognitive profile of healthy older adults (EG, n = 21) as compared to a nonspecific CCT (CG, n = 18) matched in frequency and intensity. No interaction effects between Group and Time were found. However, within-group analysis showed significant gains in verbal and non-verbal memory, executive and visuospatial functions and subjective cognitive concerns (SCC) in the EG, while the CG only benefitted in non-verbal memory and set-shifting. Low cognitive performance and lower SCC at baseline were the most consistent predictors of cognitive gains in the EG. Thus, CCTs specifically tailored to older adults seem advantageous compared to non-specific CCT. Further, we conclude that SCC may be related to reduced cognitive plasticity.

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“…These results suggest a diminution of the female advantage but not an elimination. Others have also reported an elimination 28 or even a reversal 29 of the female advantage in verbal memory in AD dementia. Smaller HpVR were associated with poorer delayed recall performance and trended towards an association with immediate recall (p 5 0.10) among patients with AD dementia.…”

mentioning

confidence: 95%

Better verbal memory in women than men in MCI despite similar levels of hippocampal atrophy

et al. 2016

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Objective: To examine sex differences in the relationship between clinical symptoms related to Alzheimer disease (AD) (verbal memory deficits) and neurodegeneration (hippocampal volume/ intracranial volume ratio [HpVR]) across AD stages. Methods:The sample included 379 healthy participants, 694 participants with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and 235 participants with AD and dementia from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative who completed the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using linear regression to examine the interaction between sex and HpVR on RAVLT across and within diagnostic groups adjusting for age, education, and APOE e4 status.Results: Across groups, there were significant sex 3 HpVR interactions for immediate and delayed recall (p , 0.01). Women outperformed men among individuals with moderate to larger HpVR, but not among individuals with smaller HpVR. In diagnosis-stratified analyses, the HpVR 3 sex interaction was significant in the aMCI group, but not in the control or AD dementia groups, for immediate and delayed recall (p , 0.01). Among controls, women outperformed men on both outcomes irrespective of HpVR (p , 0.001). In AD dementia, better RAVLT performance was independently associated with female sex (immediate, p 5 0.04) and larger HpVR (delayed, p 5 0.001). The cognitive reserve theory posits that favorable premorbid factors including higher education and IQ delay the onset of clinical deficits despite Alzheimer disease (AD)-related neurodegeneration because compensatory mechanisms are more readily engaged (e.g., alternate brain networks or cognitive strategies). Conclusion:1-3 The theory predicts that the onset of accelerated cognitive decline is closer in time to AD dementia diagnosis in individuals with greater cognitive reserve; however, after onset, their decline is more rapid because neurodegeneration is more advanced at that point. [4][5][6] Throughout life, women outperform men on verbal memory tasks. [7][8][9] We predict that this female advantage may reflect a sex-specific form of cognitive reserve resulting in a delay in the clinical manifestation of memory impairment until more advanced neurodegeneration overwhelms the female advantage and decline begins. Thereafter, we predict that women decline From the Einstein Aging Study and the

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Gender-specificities in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment

Abstract: We interpret the results in light of a gender-specific cognitive reserve and conclude that the gender-specificity of neuropsychological performance needs to be accounted for in clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Cited by 73 publications

References 39 publications

Cognitive function in older adults according to current socioeconomic status

Cognitive function in older adults according to current socioeconomic status

Computerized Cognitive Training in Healthy Older Adults: Baseline Cognitive Level and Subjective Cognitive Concerns Predict Training Outcome

Better verbal memory in women than men in MCI despite similar levels of hippocampal atrophy

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