title: Effects of age and β-amyloid on cognitive changes in normal elderly people.
abstract: Age-related decline is common in multiple cognitive domains. β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, is also associated with cognitive changes in many older people. In this study, we examined a wide range of cognitive function in order to differentiate the effect of age and Aβ on cognition during aging. Using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with the radiotracer Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB), we classified normal older subjects as High PIB-Old and Low PIB-Old and applied sequential multivariate analyses (i.e., principal components analysis [PCA] and discriminant analysis) to obtain summary measures of cognitive tests encompassing multiple cognitive domains. Among 5 cognitive components, a significant age effect was observed in component scores of visual memory and executive functions, regardless of the level of Aβ. Discriminant scores (weighted scores of the 5 cognitive components) revealed a significant effect of both age and Aβ and were further associated with quantitative PIB counts. The results of the current study highlight both effects of age and Aβ on cognitive changes in normal elderly.
authors.affiliation: Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3190, USA. hwameeoh@berkeley.edu
authors.forename: Hwamee
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Cindee
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Madison
authors.forename: Thaddeus J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Haight
authors.forename: Candace
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Markley
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Jagust
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D000814:Aniline Compounds; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4 / Q000235:genetics; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012372:ROC Curve; D013844:Thiazoles; D014706:Verbal Learning; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C475519:2-(4'-(methylamino)phenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D000814:Aniline Compounds; D053327:Apolipoprotein E4; D013844:Thiazoles