title: Blood metabolite markers of cognitive performance and brain function in aging.
abstract: We recently showed that Alzheimer's disease patients have lower plasma concentrations of the phosphatidylcholines (PC16:0/20:5; PC16:0/22:6; and PC18:0/22:6) relative to healthy controls. We now extend these findings by examining associations between plasma concentrations of these PCs with cognition and brain function (measured by regional resting state cerebral blood flow; rCBF) in non-demented older individuals. Within the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging neuroimaging substudy, participants underwent cognitive assessments and brain (15)O-water positron emission tomography. Plasma phosphatidylcholines concentrations (PC16:0/20:5, PC16:0/22:6, and PC18:0/22:6), cognition (California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT), Trail Making Test A&B, the Mini-Mental State Examination, Benton Visual Retention, Card Rotation, and Fluencies-Category and Letter), and rCBF were assessed. Lower plasma phosphatidylcholine concentrations were associated with lower baseline memory performance (CVLT long delay recall task-PC16:0/20:5: -2.17-1.39-0.60 p = 0.001 (β with 95% confidence interval subscripts)) and lower rCBF in several brain regions including those associated with memory performance and higher order cognitive processes. Our findings suggest that lower plasma concentrations of PC16:0/20:5, PC16:0/22:6, and PC18:0/22:6 are associated with poorer memory performance as well as widespread decreases in brain function during aging. Dysregulation of peripheral phosphatidylcholine metabolism may therefore be a common feature of both Alzheimer's disease and age-associated differences in cognition.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Unit, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA School of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Brittany N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Unit, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Yi-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: Brain Aging and Behavior Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beason-Held
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitner-Triolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kraut
authors.affiliation: Center of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Seth T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lirette
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
authors.forename: B Gwen
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Windham
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Griswold
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Legido-Quigley
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Unit, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA thambisettym@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Madhav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thambisetty
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000097:blood*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease's; biomarker; phosphatidylcholine; positron emission tomography imaging; verbal memory