title: Positive affect predicts cerebral glucose metabolism in late middle-aged adults.
abstract: Positive affect is associated with a number of health benefits; however, few studies have examined the relationship between positive affect and cerebral glucose metabolism, a key energy source for neuronal function and a possible index of brain health. We sought to determine if positive affect was associated with cerebral glucose metabolism in late middle-aged adults (n = 133). Participants completed the positive affect subscale of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale at two time points over a two-year period and underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography scanning. After controlling for age, sex, perceived health status, depressive symptoms, anti-depressant use, family history of Alzheimer's disease, APOE ε4 status and interval between visits, positive affect was associated with greater cerebral glucose metabolism across para-/limbic, frontal, temporal and parietal regions. Our findings provide evidence that positive affect in late midlife is associated with greater brain health in regions involved in affective processing and also known to be susceptible to early neuropathological processes. The current findings may have implications for interventions aimed at increasing positive affect to attenuate early neuropathological changes in at-risk individuals.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Wm. S. Middleton Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA.|Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.|Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Nicholas
authors.affiliation: Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Siobhan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hoscheidt
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Wm. S. Middleton Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA.|Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.|Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Lindsay R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Annie M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Racine
authors.affiliation: Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.affiliation: Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Koscik
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics & Research, School of Nursing, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maritza Dowling
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Wm. S. Middleton Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA.|Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.|Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asthana
authors.affiliation: Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.|Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Bradley T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Christian
authors.affiliation: Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sager
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Wm. S. Middleton Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA.|Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.|Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Sterling C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000368:Aged; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D059906:Neuroimaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D057566:Self Report
chemical_list: D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose
keywords: FDG-PET; cerebral glucose metabolism; health; neuroimaging; positive affect; well-being