Prediction of Cognitive Decline in Healthy Older Adults using fMRI

Authors

John L. Woodard, Wayne State University
Michael Seidenberg, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and ScienceFollow
Kristy A. Nielson, Marquette UniversityFollow
J Carson Smith, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Piero Antuono, Medical College of Wisconsin
Sally Durgerian, Medical College of WisconsinFollow
Leslie Guidotti, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and ScienceFollow
Qi Zhang, Medical College of WisconsinFollow
Alissa Butts, Marquette UniversityFollow
Nathan Hantke, Marquette UniversityFollow
Melissa A. Lancaster, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and ScienceFollow
Stephen M. Rao, Schey Center for Cognitive NeuroimagingFollow

Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Format of Original

15 p.

Publication Date

9-2010

Publisher

IOS Press

Source Publication

Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

Source ISSN

1387-2877

Original Item ID

doi: 10.3233/JAD-2010-091693

Abstract

Few studies have examined the extent to which structural and functional MRI, alone and in combination with genetic biomarkers, can predict future cognitive decline in asymptomatic elders. This prospective study evaluated individual and combined contributions of demographic information, genetic risk, hippocampal volume, and fMRI activation for predicting cognitive decline after an 18-month retest interval. Standardized neuropsychological testing, an fMRI semantic memory task (famous name discrimination), and structural MRI (sMRI) were performed on 78 healthy elders (73% female; mean age = 73 years, range = 65 to 88 years). Positive family history of dementia and presence of one or both apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 alleles occurred in 51.3% and 33.3% of the sample, respectively. Hippocampal volumes were traced from sMRI scans. At follow-up, all participants underwent a repeat neuropsychological examination. At 18 months, 27 participants (34.6%) declined by at least 1 SD on one of three neuropsychological measures. Using logistic regression, demographic variables (age, years of education, gender) and family history of dementia did not predict future cognitive decline. Greater fMRI activity, absence of an APOE ε4 allele, and larger hippocampal volume were associated with reduced likelihood of cognitive decline. The most effective combination of predictors involved fMRI brain activity and APOE ε4 status. Brain activity measured from task-activated fMRI, in combination with APOE ε4 status, was successful in identifying cognitively intact individuals at greatest risk for developing cognitive decline over a relatively brief time period. These results have implications for enriching prevention clinical trials designed to slow AD progression.

Comments

Accepted version. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Vol. 21, No. 3 (September 2010): 871-885. DOI. © 2010 IOS Press. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Woodard, John L.; Seidenberg, Michael; Nielson, Kristy A.; Smith, J Carson; Antuono, Piero; Durgerian, Sally; Guidotti, Leslie; Zhang, Qi; Butts, Alissa; Hantke, Nathan; Lancaster, Melissa A.; and Rao, Stephen M., "Prediction of Cognitive Decline in Healthy Older Adults using fMRI" (2010). Psychology Faculty Research and Publications. 52.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/psych_fac/52