TEMPORAL ASSOCIATIONS OF SENSORY FUNCTION AND BLOOD-BASED NEURODEGENERATIVE AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE BIOMARKERS

Abstract

Abstract Sensory changes are risk factors of neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) but their relations with emerging blood-based biomarkers of neurodegeneration and AD are rather unknown. We assessed long-term temporal relationships of sensory functions and blood-based neurodegenerative and AD biomarkers.This study is based on 10-year follow-up data of n=1529 (primarily middle-aged) Beaver Dam Offspring Study participants. We conducted pure-tone audiometry, visual acuity testing, and quantified serum neurofilament light chain (NfL), total tau, and amyloid beta. Linear mixed-effects and linear regression models were used to determine longitudinal associations and the effect sizes of temporal effects.Preliminary analyses revealed that NfL increased slightly more slowly per year with every 1SD better hearing (-0.3%/year[-0.5%,-0.1%]) and vision (-0.2%/year[-0.4%,0.01%]). Effect sizes of baseline sensory function effects on NfL levels 10-years later were 3-4 times larger than effects of the opposite direction. Longer follow-up is needed to confirm whether hearing changes occur before blood-based NfL changes.