Abstract
We previously identified distinct nutrient biomarker patterns associated with both psychometric and neuroimaging indices of brain health in a cross‐sectional analysis of older adults. Those results propose that certain nutritional combinations influence global cognitive capacity, but also some relationships were more discrete and mapped to specific domains of cognition. The objective of this study was to determine if attention/working memory, episodic memory, and executive function decline is explained by nutrient biomarker patterns.Attention/Working memory (Digit Span Forward + Backward), episodic memory (CERAD) and executive function (Trails B + category fluency) Z scores were constructed. Nutrient biomarker pattern analysis of 30 biological markers of diet generated distinct nutrient biomarker patterns. Mixed‐effects estimated cognitive Z‐score change explained by the nutrient biomarker patterns.Eighty‐five non‐demented adults (53 women) with complete data had a mean age and duration of follow up of 86.4 (±10.4) and 4.6 (±1.8) years, respectively. One nutrient biomarker pattern representing a combination of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n‐3), docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n‐3), 25‐hydroxyvitamin D and pyridoxal 5‐phosphate was associated with less attention/working memory (AWM) decline after full adjustment (age, gender, education, ApoE genotype, hypertension, depression, baseline cognitive status, p=0.0099), however, these nutrients in isolation were not significant. Episodic memory and executive decline were not explained by the nutrient biomarker patterns.NBP analysis is one fruitful strategy for assessing the relationship between nutritional combinations and cognitive aging. These results suggest that long chain n‐3 PUFAs, vitamins D and B6 can jointly, but not independently prevent age‐related AWM decline. These results also highlight that indeed some aspects of cognition appear more sensitive to nutritional influence than others.Grant Funding Source: Supported by NCCAM AT004777 (GLB) NIA AG043398 (GLB), NIA‐AG08017 (JAK)
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