Evidence ofrelated brain vulnerabilities in verbal memory systems in midlife women
Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine
Abstract INTRODUCTION Women carrying the apolipoprotein E4 (allele have a greater risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) from ages 65‐75 years compared to men, yet the effects ofon cognitive and neuroimaging outcomes among midlife women remain poorly understood. We investigatedrelated differences in memory‐based functional neuroimaging outcomes in cognitively normal, midlife postmenopausal women. alz71635-sec-0010 METHODS We measured blood‐oxygen‐level‐dependent activation and hippocampal functional connectivity during a functional magnetic resonance imaging verbal encoding task. Linear regression models testeddifferences (carriers vs. non‐carriers) and associations of neuroimaging indices with verbal memory measures and plasma AD biomarkers, adjusting for age, race, and education. alz71635-sec-0020 RESULTS Among 145 women from MsBrain,carriers and non‐carriers did not differ in verbal memory performance or AD biomarker levels. During verbal encoding,carriers had significantly decreased activation and hippocampal functional connectivity in several regions compared to non‐carriers. alz71635-sec-0030 DISCUSSION ‐related functional brain differences are present by midlife in postmenopausal women. alz71635-sec-0040 Highlights We examined apolipoprotein E4 (effects on functional brain patterns in 145 midlife women. There were nogroup differences in cognition or plasma Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker levels. Carriers had less activation and connectivity during encoding than non‐carrie
Abstract
Abstract INTRODUCTION Women carrying the apolipoprotein E4 (allele have a greater risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) from ages 65‐75 years compared to men, yet the effects ofon cognitive and neuroimaging outcomes among midlife women remain poorly understood. We investigatedrelated differences in memory‐based functional neuroimaging outcomes in cognitively normal, midlife postmenopausal women. alz71635-sec-0010 METHODS We measured blood‐oxygen‐level‐dependent activation and hippocampal functional connectivity during a functional magnetic resonance imaging verbal encoding task. Linear regression models testeddifferences (carriers vs. non‐carriers) and associations of neuroimaging indices with verbal memory measures and plasma AD biomarkers, adjusting for age, race, and education. alz71635-sec-0020 RESULTS Among 145 women from MsBrain,carriers and non‐carriers did not differ in verbal memory performance or AD biomarker levels. During verbal encoding,carriers had significantly decreased activation and hippocampal functional connectivity in several regions compared to non‐carriers. alz71635-sec-0030 DISCUSSION ‐related functional brain differences are present by midlife in postmenopausal women. alz71635-sec-0040 Highlights We examined apolipoprotein E4 (effects on functional brain patterns in 145 midlife women. There were nogroup differences in cognition or plasma Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker levels. Carriers had less activation and connectivity during encoding than non‐carriers. Functional brain differences may emerge prior to other adverse effects of. bullet alz71635-list-0001 highlights