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Dried Blood Spot Collection of Health Biomarkers to Maximize Participation in Population Studies
Published on: January 28, 2014
Biomarkers
Simona Buscarnera1, Marco Canevelli2, Giuseppe Bruno1,3
1Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Background:
Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be identified through biomarkers of amyloid (A) and tau (T) pathology. Frailty, a measure of biological aging, could impact the association between AD neuropathology and its clinical manifestation. We aimed to investigate the relationship between frailty and AD biomarkers among people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) attending a university memory clinic.
Method:
Data were collected from a cohort of patients with MCI at the Memory Center of Geneva University Hospital (Switzerland). Frailty was assessed using a 35-item frailty index (FI). A and T positivity were determined through amyloid and tau PET or CSF analysis. Participants were divided into two subgroups: i) A+T+ (both amyloid and tau positive), and ii) E/N (either A+ or T+, neither A+ nor T+), including all other combinations of A/T status. We first explored the correlation between FI, age, and education. Demographics, FI scores, and neuropsychological test results were then compared between these two groups. Logistic regression models, adjusted for age, sex, and education, were used to examine the association between FI and AT positivity.
Result:
120 patients were included. FI was positively correlated with age and inversely with education. A+T+ patients exhibited lower FI scores compared to E/N participants (0.13 ± 0.10 vs. 0.15 ± 0.08, p = 0.01). Logistic regressions found a negative association between FI and A+T+ (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.32 - 0.90; p = 0.02).
Conclusion:
Frailty is associated with a lower likelihood of AD biomarker positivity in patients with MCI. Frailty might reflect alternative pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to cognitive impairment.
Insights
Frailty is linked to a reduced likelihood of Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker positivity in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This suggests frailty may indicate other brain changes contributing to cognitive decline.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Gerontology
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis relies on amyloid (A) and tau (T) biomarkers.
- Frailty, a marker of biological aging, may influence how AD neuropathology presents clinically.
- Understanding frailty's role in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is crucial for accurate diagnosis and prognosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between frailty and AD biomarkers (amyloid and tau) in patients with MCI.
- To determine if frailty influences the presence of amyloid and tau pathology in individuals experiencing cognitive decline.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 120 MCI patients from a university memory clinic was analyzed.
- Frailty was assessed using a 35-item frailty index (FI).
- Amyloid and tau positivity were determined via PET scans or CSF analysis, categorizing participants into A+T+ or E/N groups.
Main Results:
- Frailty index (FI) scores were positively correlated with age and negatively with education.
- Patients with both amyloid and tau positivity (A+T+) had significantly lower FI scores than those without (E/N group).
- Logistic regression revealed a negative association between frailty and A+T+ status, indicating lower frailty with higher likelihood of biomarker positivity.
Conclusions:
- Frailty is associated with a decreased likelihood of positive amyloid and tau biomarkers in MCI patients.
- Frailty may represent alternative biological pathways contributing to cognitive impairment, distinct from typical AD pathology.
- Further research is needed to explore the complex interplay between frailty, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases.
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