Cognitive Decline In Women Research Articles

Associations of parity and cognitive decline, depression, and chronic comorbidity in West China: Results from WCHAT study.

To investigate the associations between parity (the number of offspring a female has borne) and cognitive function, depression, and chronic comorbidity in Western China. A total of 846 women aged 50-55 years were included in the current analysis. Cognitive status was measured using a 10-item short portable mental status questionnaire (SPMSQ). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 15-item geriatric depression scale (GDS-15). Other characteristics were self-reported. The associations between parity and cognitive decline, depression, and chronic comorbidity were analyzed using univariable and multivariable models. Multivariable models were adjusted for age, ethnic group, occupation, marital status, educational level, lifestyle factors, and sleeping time. Among the enrolled women, 26.71% were either childless or had one child, 47.40% had two children, 18.32% had three children, and 7.57% had ≥4 children. Compared to women with low parity, women with two or more children exhibited a higher risk of cognitive decline. Moreover, having four or more children was significantly associated with depression and chronic comorbidity. After adjusting covariates, women with three or more children exhibited a higher risk of cognitive decline than those with low parity. However, high parity was not significantly associated with depression or chronic comorbidity after adjustment for covariates. Our study showed that ≥3 children was associated with cognitive decline in women. Longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate this conclusion and to investigate the mechanisms involved. More importantly, families and societies should pay more attention to women's long-term health outcomes related to fertility.

Endogenous Hormones and Cognitive Decline in Women: Unveiling the Complex Interplay

This narrative review delves into the area of endogenous hormones and their impact on cognitive function, with a focus on women transitioning through perimenopause. While artificial intelligence technologies have revolutionized cognitive research, the inclusion of hormonal biomarkers remains sparse. The review synthesizes findings from diverse studies exploring the relationships between estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, other sex hormones, and cognitive performance. The research question explores the potential for monitoring endogenous hormonal levels during perimenopause to predict cognitive decline and inform preventive strategies. An analysis of relevant studies reveals a complex relationship, with varying impacts on cognitive domains. Thus, high E2 levels correlate positively with verbal memory and retrieval efficiency, contrasting with lower levels associated with enhanced visual memory, and testosterone shows positive links to verbal fluency. The limitations of existing research, including heterogeneous methodologies and a dearth of premenopausal representation, emphasize the necessity for future studies. To achieve this objective, it is important to leverage data from studies implementing standardized methodologies for tracking endogenous hormonal levels while accounting for cycle phases and menopausal transition stages. Additionally, employing standardized assessments for cognitive decline and analyzing extensive datasets derived from real-world sources, such as hospital or outpatient clinic chains, and digital apps, is crucial.

Occupation, Retirement Age, and 20-Year Cognitive Decline: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study

Introduction: We examined the association of both midlife occupation and age at retirement with cognitive decline in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) biracial community-based cohort. Methods: Current or most recent occupation at ARIC baseline (1987–1989; aged 45–64 years) was categorized based on 1980 US Census major occupation groups and tertiles of the Nam-Powers-Boyd occupational status score (n = 14,090). Retirement status via annual follow-up questionnaires administered ascertained in 1999–2007 was classified as occurring before or after age 70 (n = 7,503). Generalized estimating equation models were used to examine associations of occupation and age at retirement with trajectories of global cognitive factor scores, assessed from visit 2 (1990–1992) to visit 5 (2011–2013). Models were a priori stratified by race and sex and adjusted for demographics and comorbidities. Results: Low occupational status and blue-collar occupations were associated with low baseline cognitive scores in all race-sex strata. Low occupational status and homemaker status were associated with faster decline in white women but slower decline in black women compared to high occupational status. Retirement before age 70 was associated with slower cognitive decline in white men and women and in black men. Results did not change substantially after accounting for attrition. Conclusion: Low occupational status was associated with cognitive decline in women but not in men. Earlier retirement was associated with a slower cognitive decline in white participants and in black men. Further research should explore reasons for the observed associations and race-sex differences.

Synergistic effects of age at menopause and vascular risk on cognitive decline in postmenopausal women

AbstractBackgroundMenopause‐related estrogen depletion is linked to greater vascular risk, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology, and dementia risk in women. Age‐at‐menopause and vascular risk may together influence the likelihood of developing AD in women. We investigated whether earlier menopause and elevated vascular risk independently or synergistically contribute to cognitive decline in postmenopausal women compared to men.MethodWe used data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. We included 7,678 postmenopausal women (mean age = 64.6±8.49 years, mean age‐at‐menopause = 50.1±5.02 years) and 7,678 age‐matched men (mean age = 64.6±8.49 years). Sex was operationalized using self‐reported sex at birth. Vascular risk was calculated using a summary score tallying the presence/absence of hypertension, diabetes, smoking, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Participants completed cognitive assessments at baseline and 3‐year follow‐up. Self‐reported age‐at‐menopause was categorized into tertiles: early (<49), average (49‐52), and late (>52). Linear models tested independent and interactive effects of age‐at‐menopause and vascular risk on 3‐year cognition, adjusting for baseline cognition, baseline age, education, APOE4, and test language (English/French).ResultIn women, vascular risk and age‐at‐menopause were independently associated with cognitive decline (vascular risk: β = ‐0.107, p<.001). Relative to average age‐at‐menopause, early menopause was associated with greater cognitive decline (β = ‐0.026, p = .03), whereas late menopause was associated with less decline (β = 0.025, p = .04). In men, vascular risk was also associated with greater cognitive decline (β = ‐0.112, p<.001). Next, we examined synergistic effects of age‐at‐menopause and vascular risk in postmenopausal women. Early (vs. average) menopause and elevated vascular risk interacted to accelerate cognitive decline (β = ‐0.224, p = .002). There was no interaction between late (vs. average) menopause and vascular risk (β = ‐0.073, p = .3). In a model comparing sexes (Figure 1), vascular risk was more strongly associated with cognitive decline in women with early menopause compared to men (β = ‐0.127, p = .03). In women with average or late menopause, associations of vascular risk with cognitive decline did not significantly differ from men (average: β = ‐0.010, p = .07; late: β = ‐0.024, p = .7). Sensitivity analyses additionally adjusting for physical activity, race/ethnicity, depression, alcohol, and hormone therapy yielded similar results.ConclusionEarly menopause and vascular processes may synergistically contribute to increased AD risk in women. These findings have implications for sex‐specific dementia prevention strategies.

Subjective Cognitive Decline in Women with Features Suggestive of Prodromal Parkinson's Disease.

Cognitive deficits can be present in the prodromal phase of Parkinson's disease (PD). Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) may contribute to identifying individuals with prodromal PD. The objective of this study was to examine whether SCD is more likely to be present in women with features suggestive of prodromal PD compared with women without these features. The study population comprised 12,427 women from the Nurses' Health Study selected to investigate prodromal PD. Prodromal and risk markers of PD were assessed via self-administered questionnaires. We evaluated the association of hyposmia, constipation, and probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, three major features of prodromal PD, with SCD, adjusting for age, education, body mass index, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, caffeine intake, and depression. We also explored whether SCD was associated with the probability of prodromal PD and conducted additional analyses using data from neurocognitive tests. Women experiencing the three examined nonmotor features had the worst mean SCD score and the highest odds of poor subjective cognition (odds ratio [OR] = 1.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29-2.47). This association persisted when women with objective cognitive deficits were excluded from analyses. SCD was also more common in women with a probability of prodromal PD ≥0.80, particularly among those aged younger than 75 years (OR of poor subjective cognition = 6.57 [95% CI, 2.43-17.77]). These observations were consistent with the results from analyses using neurocognitive tests, where a worse global cognitive performance was observed among women with three features. Our study suggests that self-perceived cognitive decline can be present during the prodromal phase of PD. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Advances in Mind/Body Therapies: Concept, Data and Delivery

Mind/body therapies, such as yoga, mindfulness, and guided imagery, are often touted in media reports as ways to slow cognitive decline, improve brain health, and ameliorate negative psychological symptoms such as stress and depression. However, the clinical and neurobiological evidence base for these uses in older adults is limited. Moreover, many older adults, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, have difficulty accessing these therapies due to the in-person, group formats in which they are often delivered. A major difficulty in understanding the objective benefits of mind/body therapies for subjective cognitive and psychological symptoms is infrequent measurement during clinical trials using retrospective questionnaires. Thus, increased clinical efficacy research, neurobiological research, and methodological research to identify new ways to deliver and measure the effects of mind/body therapies is urgently needed.In this general session, three presenters will discuss recent advances in mind/body therapies, including new evidence from large-scale trials, and methodological innovations enabling remote therapy delivery and the assessment of behavioral outcomes.First, Dr. Felipe Jain will discuss smartphone delivery of mind/body therapies and new technologies that use passive smartphone sensors to enable continuous measurement of behavior. The development of digital phenotypes of psychological symptoms from these fine-grained behavioral assessments will be discussed. Dr. Jain's presentation will describe a smartphone application which delivers mind/body tools, mentalizing imagery therapy (MIT), and caregiver skills, to older adult family caregivers of persons living with dementia. His talk will elucidate simultaneous capture of usage data and passive smartphone sensor data in a subset of participants in a clinical trial using the application. Statistical methods to derive individual behavioral phenotypes for symptom tracking of psychological stress and sleep will be presented.Second, Dr. Eric Lenze will share clinical and neuroimaging results of a large trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) with and without exercise aimed at improving cognitive function and brain health in older adults. His talk will include clinical effects of intervention on episodic memory and executive function, and structural brain markers including hippocampal volume and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex thickness and surface area. Finally, he will focus on sensitive analyses of functional brain connectivity from before to after treatment.Finally, Dr. Helen Lavretsky will discuss the recent trends in the methodology of conducting mind-body efficacy and effectiveness trials. She will also discuss the results of a recently completed trial of Kundalini yoga for prevention of cognitive decline in women with subjective memory complaints and at risk for AD. This will also cover clinical outcomes and the role of neural and peripheral biomarkers of response.The panel discussion will outline future research directions in mind-body therapies for treatment and prevention in older adults, with a focus on diversity and inclusion of underrepresented populations.

The Association of Obesity and Overweight with Executive Functions in Community-Dwelling Older Women.

Among the risk factors reported for cognitive decline, the literature highlights changes in body composition. Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between obesity/overweight and executive functions in cognitively normal older adult women. This cross-sectional study included 224 individuals (60-80 years), stratified into normal weight (n = 45), overweight (n = 98), and obesity (n = 81). As outcomes, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and Trail Making Test Parts A and B were assessed. We found positive correlations of BMI and WC with completion times of TMT-A and TMT-B, and a negative correlation of BMI and WC with education. ANCOVA showed an association between higher BMI and slower completion time of TMT-A, TMT-B, and ΔTMT (B-A). Impairment of executive functions of cognitively normal older women may be positively associated with obesity and negatively associated with years of education. The findings may contribute to designing strategies that make it possible to prevent cognitive decline in women during aging.

Associations between cognitive function and endogenous levels of estradiol and testosterone in adults with Type 2 diabetes?

AbstractBackgroundType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) accelerates cognitive decline in women and men. Among older women, prior reports suggest that higher endogenous estradiol levels may further accelerate the cognitive decline associated with T2D and increase risks for cognitive impairment. Testosterone may interact directly with cognitive decline in T2D, or through its conversion to estradiol via the aromatase enzyme.MethodsEstradiol (E2) and total testosterone (TT) concentrations were determined using stored serum from 996 individuals, mean (±SD) age 69±6 and not receiving hormone therapies, collected at two times (averaging 4 years apart). Serum was collected during follow‐up years 8‐18 of the Look AHEAD cohort, a randomized controlled clinical trial of a 10‐year behavioral weight loss intervention in individuals with T2D and overweight or obesity at trial enrollment. One to four standardized assessments of attention, executive function, memory, and verbal fluency were collected during follow‐up years 8‐18. Mixed effects models were used to assess associations that E2 and TT concentrations had with current body mass index (BMI) and cognitive function.ResultsGreater current BMI was associated with higher E2 concentrations in women and men, and greater TT concentrations in women, but lower TT concentrations in men (all p<0.001). The weight loss intervention did not leave a legacy of differences in E2 and TT concentrations. E2 concentrations were not associated with cognitive function in women or men. TT concentrations were not associated with cognitive function in women, but greater TT concentrations were associated with better verbal fluency in men (p<0.001), most strongly among those carrying the APOE‐e4 allele (interaction p = 0.02). While the weight loss intervention left a legacy of relatively lower cognitive functioning among women, this was not mediated by current concentrations of E2 and TT.ConclusionsContrary to prior reports, we found no evidence that higher endogenous E2 concentrations were related to worse cognitive functioning in women with T2D. Higher TT concentrations were associated with better verbal fluency in men, but not women. The legacy of modestly lower cognitive function in women left by a 10‐year weight loss intervention was unrelated to any long‐term alterations in E2 or TT concentrations.

Cognitive Function Decline in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy Is Associated with Sleep Fragmentation.

During late pregnancy, sleep deterioration is regularly observed. In concert with these observations, in previous studies by other researchers, a slight objective cognitive decline in pregnant women has been found. Sleep is essential for memory consolidation. The hypothesis of the study was that cognitive impairment could be related to sleep deterioration during pregnancy. The study included 19 pregnant women in their third trimester of pregnancy (28–40 weeks, median 33 weeks (IQR 32–37)) recruited at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical University of Warsaw, and 20 non-pregnant women as controls. The assessment was performed using the vocabulary subtest from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), D2 Test of Attention, OSPAN task (Operational Span Task) to assess cognitive performance, actigraphy to examine sleep parameters, and a set of self-report instruments: Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Ford Insomnia Response to Stress (FIRST), Regenstein Hyperarousal Scale (HS), and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Although there were no differences between the groups in WAIS (p = 0.18), pregnant women had worse scores in working memory capacity (overall number of remembered letters: p = 0.012, WM span index: p = 0.004) and a significantly lower score in attention (p = 0.03). Pregnant women also had lower sleep efficiency (p = 0.001), more awakenings from sleep (p = 0.001), longer average awakenings (p < 0.0001), longer wake after sleep onset (WASO, p < 0.0001), and longer total time in bed (p < 0.0001). In psychological assessment, pregnant women had only a higher FIRST score (p = 0.02). Using mediation analysis, we found that frequent awakening might be the major factor contributing to deterioration in working memory performance, explaining almost 40% of the total effect. In conclusion, sleep fragmentation in the third trimester of pregnancy may impair working memory consolidation. Pregnant women often complain about poor daily performance as well as non-restorative sleep. In this study, we showed that there is a relationship between lower sleep quality in pregnancy and worse cognitive functioning. We can expect a cognitive decline in women with sleep disturbances in pregnancy. Therefore, we should pay more attention to the treatment of sleep disorders in pregnancy.

Effects of functional variants of vitamin C transporter genes on apolipoprotein E E4-associated risk of cognitive decline: The Nakajima study.

Apolipoprotein E E4 (APOE4) is a risk factor for cognitive decline. A high blood vitamin C (VC) level reduces APOE4-associated risk of developing cognitive decline in women. In the present study, we aimed to examine the effects of functional variants of VC transporter genes expressed in the brain (SLC2A1, SLC2A3, and SLC23A2) on APOE4-associated risk of developing cognitive decline. This case–control study involved 393 Japanese subjects: 252 cognitively normal and 141 cognitively impaired individuals (87 mild cognitive impairment and 54 dementia). Database searches revealed that rs1279683 of SLC23A2, and rs710218 and rs841851 of SLC2A1 are functional variants that are significantly associated with the altered expression of the respective genes and genotyped as three single nucleotide variants (SNVs). When stratified by SNV genotype, we found a significant association between APOE4 and cognitive decline in minor allele carriers of rs1279683 (odds ratio [OR] 2.02, 95% CI, 1.05–3.87, p = 0.035) but not in the homozygote carriers of the major allele. Significant associations between APOE4 and cognitive decline were also observed in participants with major allele homozygotes of rs710218 (OR 2.35, 95% CI, 1.05–5.23, p = 0.037) and rs841851 (OR 3.2, 95% CI, 1.58–6.46, p = 0.0012), but not in minor allele carriers of the respective SNVs. In contrast, the three functional SNVs showed no significant effect on cognitive decline. Our results imply that functional SNVs of VC transporter genes can affect APOE4-associated risk of developing cognitive decline via altered VC levels in the brain.

Gender differences in cognitive reserve: implication for subjective cognitive decline in women

BackgroundSubjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) is a self-experienced decline in cognitive capacity with normal performance on standardized cognitive tests, showing to increase risk of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Cognitive reserve seems to influence the progression from SCD to Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and to AD. The aim of our study was to investigate gender differences in cognitive reserve evaluating how sex might modulate the role of cognitive reserve on SCD.MethodsWe included 381 SCD patients who underwent clinical evaluation, neuropsychological assessment, evaluation of premorbid intelligence by the Test di Intelligenza Breve (TIB), cognitive complaints by the Memory Assessment Clinics Questionnaire (MAC-Q), and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotyping.ResultsThe proportion between women and men was significantly different (68.7% [95% CI 63.9–73.4 vs 31.4%, 95% CI 26.6–36.0]). Women were younger than men at onset of SCD and at the baseline visit (p = 0.021), had lower years of education (p = 0.007), lower TIB scores (p < 0.001), and higher MAC-Q scores (p = 0.012). TIB was directly associated with age at onset of SCD in both women and men, while years of education was inversely associated with age at onset only in women. Multivariate analysis showed that sex influences TIB independently from years of education. TIB was directly associated with MAC-Q in men.ConclusionsSex interacts with premorbid intelligence and education level in influencing the age at onset and the severity of SCD. As the effect of education was different between men and women, we speculated that education might act as a minor contributor of cognitive reserve in women.

Gender differences in cognitive reserve: Implication for subjective cognitive decline in women

Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) is as a self-experienced decline in cognitive capacity with normal performance on standardized cognitive tests and has been shown to increase risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. The aim of our study was to evaluate factors influencing age at onset and severity of SCD.

A-8 Sex Modifies the Association between CSF Neurogranin and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Abstract Objective Neurogranin is a postsynaptic protein associated with declining memory and executive functioning in Alzheimer’s disease (ad). While previous research suggests neurogranin concentrations in ad are higher in women, it is unclear whether sex differences exist in earlier disease stages or predict different cognitive outcomes. This study investigates cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neurogranin in relation to longitudinal cognitive decline in older adults ranging from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment, assessing for interactions by sex. Method Vanderbilt Memory &amp; Aging Project participants completed baseline fasting lumbar puncture (n = 155, 73 ± 8 years) for neurogranin quantification and serial neuropsychological assessments at 18-month intervals. Linear mixed effect regression adjusting for age, sex (for main effect models), race/ethnicity, education, cognitive diagnosis, depressed mood, and APOE-ε4 carrier status. Results CSF neurogranin predicted worse cognitive decline across multiple domains (p-values &amp;lt;0.05). Sex interactions existed for Boston Naming Test (β = −0.007, p = 0.001), WAIS-IV Coding (β = −0.01, p = 0.02), Hooper Visual Orientation Test (β = −0.005, p = 0.02), and Category (animals) Fluency (β = −0.005, p = 0.048) wherein CSF neurogranin predicted worse decline among women (p-values≤0.03) but not men (p-values≥0.36). Conclusion Results suggest that among nondemented older adults, CSF neurogranin predicts worse longitudinal cognitive decline in women but not in men. Further research is needed to elucidate underlying mechanisms that may account for these differences, such as possible sex hormone factors. These findings highlight the importance of pursuing individualized prevention and treatment approaches to combat accelerated cognitive aging that take into account the possibility of multiple, divergent disease pathways preceding ad and dementia among various demographic groups.

The Association between Widowhood and Cognitive Function among Chinese Elderly People: Do Gender and Widowhood Duration Make a Difference?

Few studies have examined the effects of widowhood on cognitive function in Chinese elderly individuals. We conducted a longitudinal study to assess the association between widowhood and cognitive function and further explored gender differences in this association and the impact of widowhood duration. The analytical sample consisted of 5872 Chinese elderly people who participated in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) and were followed up from 2005 to 2014. We used the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to assess cognitive function. Widowhood duration was calculated from the self-reported year at which the spouse passed away. Multilevel growth models were employed to estimate the association between widowhood and cognitive function while adjusting for many demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Widowhood status was associated with cognitive decline among Chinese elderly individuals after adjusting for covariates (B = −0.440, 95% CI −0.727 to −0.152), and this association was only statistically significant among men (B = −0.722, 95% CI −1.104 to −0.339). Being widowed for 5 years or less (B = −0.606, 95% CI −1.112 to −0.100), 16–20 years (B = −0.937, 95% CI −1.685 to −0.190), and 21+ years (B = −1.401, 95% CI −1.967 to −0.834) predicted worse cognitive function in men, while being widowed for more than 21+ years (B = −0.655, 95% CI −1.186 to −0.124) was associated with cognitive decline in women. More attention should be directed towards widowed men and long-term widowed elderly individuals.

Cardiovascular risk and midlife cognitive decline in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.

Cardiovascular risk factors in midlife have been linked to late life risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). The relation of vascular risk factors on cognitive decline within midlife has been less studied. Using data from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, we examined associations of midlife hypertension, elevated lipid levels, diabetes, fasting glucose, central adiposity, and Framingham heart age with rates of cognitive decline in women who completed multiple cognitive assessments of processing speed, and working and verbal memory during midlife. Diabetes, elevated fasting glucose, central obesity, and heart age greater than chronological age were associated with rate of decline in processing speed during midlife. Vascular risk factors were not related to rate of decline in working or verbal memory. Midlife may be a critical period for intervening on cardiovascular risk factors to prevent or delay later life cognitive impairment and ADRD.

Sex-specific associations between lipids and cognitive decline in the middle-aged and elderly: a cohort study of Chinese adults

BackgroundStudies regarding the lipid-cognition relationship have increasingly gained popularity but have generated much mixed results. To date, few studies have focused on the difference between sexes.MethodsThis study included 6792 Chinese adults aged over 45 years (women, 48.56%; mean age, 57.28 years), who were free of severe conditions known to affect cognitive function at the baseline (2011). Blood concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and triglycerides (TG) were assessed at baseline, and both continuous and categorical values were used in final analyses. Global cognitive functions were assessed by the word recall test and the mental status test in 2011, 2013, and 2015, respectively. We graded participants into three groups according to the cognitive change slopes: no decline (≥ 0), moderate decline (median to 0), and severe decline (< median). Sex-specific associations between blood lipids and cognitive decline were analyzed using ordinal logistic models, adjusting for sociodemographic information, lifestyle behaviors, and health status.ResultsHigher baseline TC and LDL-C concentrations exhibited no significant association with 5-year cognitive decline in men but were significantly associated with greater 5-year cognitive decline in women [odds ratio (OR) 1.026, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.003, 1.050; OR 1.026, CI 1.002, 1.051, respectively]. For higher serum HDL-c levels, a significantly protective effect on cognition was observed in men, but a slightly adverse effect was found in women (not significant after Bonferroni correction). TG presented almost no effect on later cognition in either sex.ConclusionDifferent associations between sexes were observed for the lipid-cognition relationship, and maintaining serum cholesterol levels at an appropriate range may have a positive effect on cognitive health.

Habitually inactive physically – a proposed procedure of counteracting cognitive decline in women with diminished insulin sensitivity through a high-intensity circuit training program

This study verified the impact of five weeks of high-intensity circuit training (HICT) on changes in concentration of exerkines in relation to cognitive functions. Sedentary women (n = 33; age=39±13 years) were randomly assigned into the HICT (n = 21) group or the control group (n = 12). The HICT group performed 15 training sessions; meanwhile, the control group performed the HICT twice, only at baseline and at the end of the experiment. Blood samples were collected before, 1 h and 24 h after the first and last HICT, to evaluate the concentration of exerkines: brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), irisin, fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and cathepsin B (CATB) using enzyme immunoassay method. Cognitive functions and quality of life were assessed using the Vienna Test System and the Short Form Health Survey. HICT induced improvement of cognitive function and quality of life, and these changes were accompanied by an increase of BDNF and shifts in CATB concentration. HICT program caused a decrease in FGF-21 concentration, which was modified by age and insulin sensitivity. The improvement of cognitive functions was more pronounced in females, who experienced a drop in FGF-21. In summary, HICT program, that can be performed during pandemic, enhanced cognitive functions and this response was related to changes in exerkines.

Multiparity, Brain Atrophy, and Cognitive Decline.

BackgroundMultiparity – grand multiparity (i.e., five or more childbirths) in particular – has been reported to have an association with increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia or related cognitive decline in women. However, the pathological links underlying this relationship are still unknown. This study was conducted to examine the relationships of multiparity with cerebral amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition, brain atrophy, and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs).MethodsIn this study, total of 237 older women with 148 cognitively normal and 89 mild cognitive impairment from the Korean Brain Aging Study for Early Diagnosis and Prediction of Alzheimer’s Disease (KBASE) were included. Participants underwent clinical and neuropsychological assessments in addition to 11C-labeled Pittsburgh Compound B positron emission tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. The associations of parity with Aβ deposition, hippocampal volume, cortical volume, WMH volume and mini-mental status examination (MMSE) score were examined.ResultsParticipants with grand multiparity showed significantly reduced adjusted hippocampal volume, spatial pattern of atrophy for recognition of AD volume and spatial pattern of atrophy for recognition of brain aging volume even after controlling for potential confounders. Furthermore, MMSE score was also significantly lower in this group. In contrast, grand multiparity did not show any association with global Aβ retention, Aβ positivity rate, or WMH volume, regardless of covariates.ConclusionOur findings suggest that grand multiparity contributes to cognitive decline or increased dementia risk in older women by aggravating amyloid-independent hippocampal or cortical atrophy.

The Association Between High-Molecular-Weight Adiponectin, Ghrelin and Leptin and Age-Related Cognitive Decline: Results From Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam.

Age-related cognitive decline has large-scale functional and economic consequences and understanding its' pathophysiological mechanisms is therefore essential. Previous research has suggested associations between hormones adiponectin, ghrelin and leptin and neurodegenerative disease. However, their association with age-related cognitive decline has not been fully described. We examine the association between serum high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin, ghrelin and leptin and age-related cognitive decline in older adults. The associations between HMW adiponectin, ghrelin and leptin and the Mini-Mental-State-Examination, Coding task (Coding), 15 Words Test (15WT) and composite Z-score (general cognitive function) were analyzed by means of a sex-stratified multivariable linear regression analysis in a population-based cohort of 898 older adults at baseline and after 3 years of follow-up. In women, we found a positive association between HMW adiponectin and general cognitive function at baseline (fully adjusted model composite Z-score standardized regression co-efficient beta [β] = .089, p = .025). After 3 years of follow-up, HMW adiponectin was associated with more decline in general cognitive function and information processing speed (fully adjusted model composite Z-score β = -.123, p = .018; Coding β = -.116, p = .027). Ghrelin and leptin were significantly associated with memory in a baseline subgroup analysis of older women. For men, we found no significant associations at baseline or follow-up. Our results show variable associations between hormones HMW adiponectin, ghrelin and leptin and age-related cognitive decline in women but not in men. As there was no clear trend, all our results should be interpreted with caution.

APOE ε4 and the Influence of Sex, Age, Vascular Risk Factors, and Ethnicity on Cognitive Decline

We aimed to examine the relationship between Apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE*4) carriage on cognitive decline, and whether these associations were moderated by sex, baseline age, ethnicity, and vascular risk factors. Participants were 19,225 individuals aged 54-103 years from 15 longitudinal cohort studies with a mean follow-up duration ranging between 1.2 and 10.7 years. Two-step individual participant data meta-analysis was used to pool results of study-wise analyses predicting memory and general cognitive decline from carriage of one or two APOE*4 alleles, and moderation of these associations by age, sex, vascular risk factors, and ethnicity. Separate pooled estimates were calculated in both men and women who were younger (ie, 62 years) and older (ie, 80 years) at baseline. Results showed that APOE*4 carriage was related to faster general cognitive decline in women, and faster memory decline in men. A stronger dose-dependent effect was observed in older men, with faster general cognitive and memory decline in those carrying two versus one APOE*4 allele. Vascular risk factors were related to an increased effect of APOE*4 on memory decline in younger women, but a weaker effect of APOE*4 on general cognitive decline in older men. The relationship between APOE*4 carriage and memory decline was larger in older-aged Asians than Whites. In sum, APOE*4 is related to cognitive decline in men and women, although these effects are enhanced by age and carriage of two APOE*4 alleles in men, a higher numbers of vascular risk factors during the early stages of late adulthood in women, and Asian ethnicity.