Abstract
Identifying biological correlates of late life cognitive function is important if we are to ascertain biomarkers for, and develop treatments to help reduce, age-related cognitive decline. Here, we investigated the associations between plasma levels of 90 neurology-related proteins (Olink® Proteomics) and general fluid cognitive ability in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936, N = 798), Lothian Birth Cohort 1921 (LBC1921, N = 165), and the INTERVAL BioResource (N = 4451). In the LBC1936, 22 of the proteins were significantly associated with general fluid cognitive ability (β between −0.11 and −0.17). MRI-assessed total brain volume partially mediated the association between 10 of these proteins and general fluid cognitive ability. In an age-matched subsample of INTERVAL, effect sizes for the 22 proteins, although smaller, were all in the same direction as in LBC1936. Plasma levels of a number of neurology-related proteins are associated with general fluid cognitive ability in later life, mediated by brain volume in some cases.
Highlights
Identifying biological correlates of late life cognitive function is important if we are to ascertain biomarkers for, and develop treatments to help reduce, age-related cognitive decline
Global atrophy, grey matter and white matter volumes, white matter microstructure and measures such as white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and perivascular spaces (PVS)—which are markers of cerebral small-vessel disease (SVD)—have been associated with reduced cognitive ability and risk of dementia in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies[2,3,4,5,6,7]
In the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936) cohort we tested for association with brain volumes, PVS and white matter tract measures derived from quantitative tractography
Summary
Identifying biological correlates of late life cognitive function is important if we are to ascertain biomarkers for, and develop treatments to help reduce, age-related cognitive decline. Plasma levels of a number of neurology-related proteins are associated with general fluid cognitive ability in later life, mediated by brain volume in some cases. Peripheral blood proteins, including inflammatory markers[14,15] and S100β16, have previously been associated with cognitive ability and/or MRI brain measures, but until recently, it has been relatively difficult and cost-prohibitive to measure multiple proteins in large numbers of plasma samples[17], which is what is required if we are to develop biomarkers of cognitive function in later life in an accessible biological sample. We investigated whether any associations between the neurology-related plasma protein levels and general fluid cognitive ability were mediated by structural brain variables. We hypothesised that some of the neurology-related proteins would be associated with general fluid cognitive ability in older individuals, and that some of these associations would be mediated by structural brain variables
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
