Journal article
Brain structure and function as mediators of the effects of amyloid on memory
Neurology, Vol.84(11), pp.1136-1144
03/17/2015
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000001375
PMCID: PMC4371407
PMID: 25681451
Abstract
The objective of this study was to test whether effects of β-amyloid (Aβ) pathology on episodic memory were mediated by metabolism and gray matter volume in the early stages of Alzheimer disease.
This was a prospective cohort study. We measured baseline Aβ (using florbetapir-PET), brain function (using fluorodeoxyglucose-PET), and brain structure (using MRI). A mediation analysis was performed to test whether statistical effects of Aβ positivity on cross-sectional and longitudinal episodic memory were mediated by hypometabolism or regional gray matter volume in cognitively healthy controls (CN, n = 280) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 463).
Lower memory scores were associated with Aβ positivity (CN, mildly; MCI, strongly), smaller gray matter volumes (CN, few regions, including hippocampus; MCI, widespread), and hypometabolism. Smaller volumes and hypometabolism mediated effects of Aβ in MCI but not in CN. The strongest individual regions mediated up to approximately 25%. A combination of brain structure and function mediated up to approximately 40%. In several regions, gray matter atrophy and hypometabolism predicted episodic memory without being associated (at p < 0.05) with Aβ positivity.
Changes in brain structure and function appear to be, in part, downstream events from Aβ pathology, ultimately resulting in episodic memory deficits. However, Aβ pathology is also strongly related to memory deficits through mechanisms that are not quantified by these imaging measurements, and episodic memory decline is partly caused by Alzheimer disease-like brain changes independently of Aβ pathology.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Brain structure and function as mediators of the effects of amyloid on memory
- Creators
- Niklas Mattsson - From the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (N.M., P.S.I., S.M., M.W.), Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco, CA; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (N.M.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging (N.M., P.S.I., M.W.), University of California, San Francisco; Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (P.S.A.), Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and School of Public Health (W.J.), University of California, Berkeley; and Department of Psychiatry (S.M.), University of California, San Francisco. niklas.mattsson@neuro.gu.sePhilip S Insel - From the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (N.M., P.S.I., S.M., M.W.), Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco, CA; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (N.M.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging (N.M., P.S.I., M.W.), University of California, San Francisco; Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (P.S.A.), Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and School of Public Health (W.J.), University of California, Berkeley; and Department of Psychiatry (S.M.), University of California, San FranciscoPaul S Aisen - From the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (N.M., P.S.I., S.M., M.W.), Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco, CA; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (N.M.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging (N.M., P.S.I., M.W.), University of California, San Francisco; Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (P.S.A.), Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and School of Public Health (W.J.), University of California, Berkeley; and Department of Psychiatry (S.M.), University of California, San FranciscoWilliam Jagust - From the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (N.M., P.S.I., S.M., M.W.), Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco, CA; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (N.M.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging (N.M., P.S.I., M.W.), University of California, San Francisco; Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (P.S.A.), Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and School of Public Health (W.J.), University of California, Berkeley; and Department of Psychiatry (S.M.), University of California, San FranciscoScott Mackin - From the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (N.M., P.S.I., S.M., M.W.), Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco, CA; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (N.M.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging (N.M., P.S.I., M.W.), University of California, San Francisco; Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (P.S.A.), Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and School of Public Health (W.J.), University of California, Berkeley; and Department of Psychiatry (S.M.), University of California, San FranciscoMichael Weiner - From the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (N.M., P.S.I., S.M., M.W.), Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco, CA; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory (N.M.), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging (N.M., P.S.I., M.W.), University of California, San Francisco; Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (P.S.A.), Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and School of Public Health (W.J.), University of California, Berkeley; and Department of Psychiatry (S.M.), University of California, San FranciscoAlzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
- Contributors
- Laura L Boles-Ponto (Contributor) - University of Iowa, Radiology
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Neurology, Vol.84(11), pp.1136-1144
- Publisher
- United States
- DOI
- 10.1212/WNL.0000000000001375
- PMID
- 25681451
- PMCID
- PMC4371407
- ISSN
- 0028-3878
- eISSN
- 1526-632X
- Grant note
- P30 AG062421 / NIA NIH HHS P50 AG005134 / NIA NIH HHS R01 MH098062 / NIMH NIH HHS P30 AG013846 / NIA NIH HHS P30 AG010129 / NIA NIH HHS U01 AG024904 / NIA NIH HHS K01 AG030514 / NIA NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/17/2015
- Academic Unit
- Radiology; Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics
- Record Identifier
- 9984051785202771
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