Vassilaki, Maria

Background: Little is known about the association between physical activity (PA) and cognitive trajectories in older adults. Objective: To examine the association between PA and change in memory, language, attention, visuospatial skills, and global cognition, and a potential impact of sex or Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 status. Methods: Longitudinal study derived from the population-based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, including 2,060 cognitively unimpaired males and females aged ≥70 years. Engagement in midlife (ages 50–65) and late-life (last year) PA was assessed using a questionnaire. Neuropsychological testing was done every 15 months (mean follow-up 5.8 years). We ran linear mixed-effect models to examine whether mid- or late-life PA at three intensities (mild, moderate, vigorous) was associated with cognitive z-scores. Results: Light intensity midlife PA was associated with less decline in memory function compared to the no-PA reference group (time x light PA; estimate [standard error] 0.047 [0.016], p = 0.004). Vigorous late-life PA was associated with less decline in language (0.033 [0.015], p = 0.030), attention (0.032 [0.017], p = 0.050), and global cognition (0.039 [0.016], p = 0.012). Females who were physically inactive in midlife experienced more pronounced cognitive decline than females physically active in midlife and males regardless of PA (p-values for time interaction terms with midlife PA levels and sex were all p < 0.05 for global cognition). APOE ɛ4 carriership did not moderate the association between PA and cognition. Conclusion: Engaging in PA, particularly of vigorous intensity in late-life, was associated with less pronounced decline in global and domain-specific cognition. This association may differ by sex.

IMPORTANCE Hospitalizations are associated with cognitive decline in older adults. OBJECTIVE To determine the association between hospitalization characteristics and the trajectory of cognitive function in older adults. DESIGN Population‐based longitudinal study of cognitive aging. SETTING Olmsted Medical Center and Mayo Clinic, the only centers in Olmsted County, Minnesota, with hospitalization capacity. PARTICIPANTS Individuals without dementia at baseline, with consecutive cognitive assessments from 2004 through 2017, and at least one visit after the age of 60. MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome was longitudinal changes in global cognitive z ‐score. Secondary outcomes were changes in four cognitive domains: memory, attention/executive function, language, and visuospatial skills. Hospitalization characteristics analyzed included elective versus nonelective, medical versus surgical, critical care versus no critical care admission, and long versus short duration admissions. RESULTS Of 4,587 participants, 1,622 had 1 and more hospital admission. Before hospitalization, the average slope of the global z ‐score was −0.031 units/year. After hospitalization, the rate of annual global z ‐score accelerated by −0.051 (95% CI = −0.057, −0.045) units, P < .001, resulting in an estimated annual slope after the first hospitalization of −0.082. The accelerated decline was found in all four cognitive domains (memory, visuospatial, language, and executive, all P < .001). The acceleration of the decline in global z ‐score following hospitalization was greater for medical compared to surgical hospitalizations (slope change following hospitalization = −0.064 vs −0.034 for medical vs surgical, P < .001), and nonelective compared to elective admissions (slope change following hospitalization = −0.075 vs −0.037 for nonelective vs elective, P < .001). The acceleration of cognitive decline was not different for hospitalization with intensive care unit admission versus not. CONCLUSIONS Hospitalization of older adults is associated with accelerated decline of global and domain‐specific cognitive domains, with the rate of decline dependent upon type of admission. The clinical impact of this accelerated decline will depend on the individual's baseline cognitive reserve and expected longevity.

We examined the associations between baseline neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and longitudinal changes in functional performance among 5,394 non-demented individuals aged ≥50 years (2,729 males; median age 74.2 years; 4,716 cognitively unimpaired, 678 mild cognitive impairment). After adjusting for age, sex, education, and medical comorbidities, NPS assessed by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire, clinical depression (Beck Depression Inventory score ≥13) and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory score ≥10) were significantly associated with an increase in the Functional Activities Questionnaire score, indicating functional decline over time. This association may vary depending on the degree of cognitive impairment at baseline.

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the association of baseline elevated brain amyloid and neurodegeneration with changes in activities of daily living in participants without dementia (ND; i.e., cognitively unimpaired and participants with mild cognitive impairment) at baseline in the population‐based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging.MethodsWe included 1747 ND participants with 11C‐PiB PET and MR imaging in the study, with data on activities of daily living (as assessed by the Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) and the Clinical Dementia Rating scale Sum of Boxes for functional domains (CDR‐SOB (functional)), with a median (range) of 4.3 (0.0–12.7) years of follow‐up. Abnormal (elevated; A+) 11C‐PiB‐PET retention ratio was defined as standardized uptake value ratio ≥ 1.48, and abnormal (reduced) AD signature cortical thickness as ≤ 2.68 mm (neurodegeneration; N+). Associations were examined with mixed effects models, adjusting for age, sex, education, apolipoprotein E ε4 allele carrier status, and global cognitive z‐score.ResultsMean age (SD) was 71.4 years (10.1), 46.7% were females, 195 (11.2%) had A+N‐, 442 (25.3%) had A‐N+, and 339 (19.4%) had A+N+ biomarkers. The A+N+ group had the largest annualized change in the FAQ score from baseline (difference in annual change A+N+ vs. A‐N‐; ß (SE): 0.80 (0.07)); associations were substantially attenuated when a time‐varying global cognitive composite was included in the model (A+N+ vs. A‐N‐; ß (SE): 0.31 (0.05)). CDR‐SOB (functional) findings partly agreed with FAQ score findings.InterpretationThe longitudinal increase in functional limitations is greater for individuals with abnormal neuroimaging biomarkers, especially for those with both elevated brain amyloid and neurodegeneration.

OBJECTIVE To examine the association between being a medical doctor (MD) and the risk of incident dementia. DESIGN Cohort study. SETTING Olmsted County, Minnesota. PARTICIPANTS A total of 3460 participants (including 104 MDs), aged 70 years or older, of the population‐based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. MEASUREMENTS Participants were randomly selected from the community and had comprehensive cognitive evaluations at baseline and approximately every 15 months to assess for diagnosis of dementia. For participants who withdrew from the follow‐up, dementia diagnosis was also assessed using information available in their medical record. The associations were examined using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for sex, education, and apolipoprotein E ε4, using age as the time scale. RESULTS MDs were older (vs “general population”), and most were males (93.3%). MDs without dementia at baseline did not have a significantly different risk for incident dementia (hazard ratio = 1.12; 95% confidence interval = 0.69‐1.82; P = .64) compared to the general population. CONCLUSIONS Although the study includes a small number of older, mainly male, MDs, it provides a preliminary insight on cognitive health later in life in MDs, while most previous studies examine the health of younger MDs. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to examine these associations and investigate if associations are modified by sex. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:1250–1255, 2020.