Visual Memory Performance Correlates with Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers in Cognitively Normal Individuals.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Biomarker Research

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology develops silently for years before clinical symptoms.
• Early identification of individuals at high risk for AD is crucial for better outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify cognitive factors related to early Alzheimer's disease pathology.
• To explore the relationship between cognitive performance and established AD biomarkers.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on neuropsychological test data from 1,697 healthy adults.
• Factor scores were used as predictors for structural MRI, functional connectivity, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers.

Main Results:

• EFA identified five latent cognitive factors, including Verbal Memory (Factor 1) and Visual Memory (Factor 2).
• Visual Memory (Factor 2) showed positive correlations with hippocampal volume and posterior salience network connectivity, and a negative correlation with CSF tau.
• Verbal Memory (Factor 1) correlated with hippocampal volume but not with network connectivity or CSF biomarkers.

Conclusions:

• Visual memory performance is significantly associated with Alzheimer's disease biomarkers.
• The Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT), a measure of visual memory, may be valuable for assessing and monitoring individuals in the earliest stages of AD pathology.