title: Positive association between plasma amylin and cognition in a homebound elderly population.
abstract: Our recent study reported that amylin, a pancreatic peptide that readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, improves learning and memory in Alzheimer's disease mouse models. However, the relationship between peripheral amylin and cognition in humans is unknown. In this follow-up study, using a cross-sectional, homebound elderly population, improvement in cognitive function with increasing quartiles of plasma amylin was suggested by positive association with verbal memory (p = 0.0002) and visuoconstruction tasks (p = 0.004), and inverse association with timed measures of attention (p < 0.0001) and executive function (p = 0.04). After adjusting for demographic information, apolipoprotein E4 allele, diabetes, stroke, kidney function, and lipid profile, log10 of plasma amylin remained associated with these cognitive domains. In contrast, plasma amyloid-β peptide was not associated with these specific cognitive domains. Our study suggests that peripheral amylin may be protective for cognitive decline, especially in the domains affected by Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA Department of Alzheimer's Disease Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Wei Qiao
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA Department of Alzheimer's Disease Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Rhoda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Au
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Haihao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wallack
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Liebson
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA Department of Neurology, The First People's Hospital of Chang Zhou, China.
authors.forename: Huajie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosenzweig
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Family Medicine, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Mkaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mwamburi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA Department of Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA Department of Alzheimer's Disease Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Stern
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D028226:Amyloidosis, Familial / Q000097:blood; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D018672:Community Health Planning; D003317:Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D058228:Islet Amyloid Polypeptide / Q000097:blood*; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D058228:Islet Amyloid Polypeptide
keywords: Amylin; cognition; memory; visuospatial and executive function