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Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Generalized Psychophysiological Interaction (PPI) Analysis of Memory Related Connectivity in Individuals at Genetic Risk for Alzheimer's Disease
Published on: November 14, 2017
Multi-domain AD risk burden and plasma biomarkers in cognitively unimpaired adults
Michelle Y Li1, Paulina Tolosa-Tort1, Margo B Heston2
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Introduction:
Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology accumulates decades before symptom onset, yet how the cumulative effect of genetic, familial, and modifiable lifestyle risk burden jointly affects plasma biomarker levels and trajectories in cognitively unimpaired older adults remains unknown.
Methods:
We analyzed data from 261 participants in the PREVENT-AD cohort. A composite risk score integrating APOE ε4 status, polygenic score, family history, and modifiable/lifestyle risk was examined against six plasma biomarkers using linear regression and linear mixed-effects models.
Results:
APOE ε4 was the strongest predictor of plasma biomarker levels. Higher composite risk burden was associated with elevated ptau181, ptau217, ptau217/Aβ42, and GFAP levels, and lower Aβ42/40 levels. A higher risk burden was predictive of accelerated ptau181 accumulation.
Discussion:
Cumulative AD risk burden is broadly associated with plasma biomarker levels and specifically predicts accelerated ptau181 accumulation in cognitively unimpaired older adults, supporting structured composite risk profiling as a framework for AD risk stratification.
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