Riding the merry-go-round of racial disparities in ADRD research.

INTRODUCTION: With the rapid expansion of the aging population, the burden of Alzheimer's disease related dementias (ADRD) is anticipated to increase in racialized and minoritized groups who are at disproportionately higher risk. To date, research emphasis has been on further characterizing the existence of racial disparities in ADRD through comparisons to groups racialized as White that are assumed to be normative. Much of the literature on this comparison insinuates that racialized and minoritized groups experience poorer outcomes due to genetics, culture, and/or health behaviors. METHODS: This perspective shines a light on a category of ADRD research that employs ahistorical methodological approaches to describe racial disparities in ADRD that puts us on a merry-go-round of research with no benefits to society. METHODS: This commentary provides historical context for the use of race in ADRD research and justification for the study of structural racism. The commentary concludes with recommendations to guide future research.

Neighborhood segregation and cognitive change: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: We investigated associations between neighborhood racial/ethnic segregation and cognitive change. METHODS: We used data (n = 1712) from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Racial/ethnic segregation was assessed using Getis-Ord (Gi*) z-scores based on American Community Survey Census tract data (higher Gi* = greater spatial clustering of participant's race/ethnicity). Global cognition and processing speed were assessed twice, 6 years apart. Adjusted multilevel linear regression tested associations between Gi* z-scores and cognition. Effect modification by race/ethnicity, income, education, neighborhood socioeconomic status, and neighborhood social support was tested. RESULTS: Participants were on average 67 years old; 43% were White, 11% Chinese, 29% African American/Black, 17% Hispanic; 40% had high neighborhood segregation (Gi* > 1.96). African American/Black participants with greater neighborhood segregation had greater processing speed decline in stratified analyses, but no interactions were significant. DISCUSSION: Segregation was associated with greater processing speed declines among African American/Black participants. Additional follow-ups and comprehensive cognitive batteries may further elucidate these findings. HIGHLIGHTS: A study of neighborhood racial/ethnic segregation and change in cognition. Study was based on a racially and geographically diverse, population-based cohort of older adults. Racial/ethnic segregation (clustering) was measured by the Getis-ord (Gi*) statistic. We saw faster processing speed decline among Black individuals in segregated neighborhoods.

The structural and social determinants of Alzheimer's disease related dementias.

INTRODUCTION: The projected growth of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related dementia (ADRD) cases by midcentury has expanded the research field and impelled new lines of inquiry into structural and social determinants of health (S/SDOH) as fundamental drivers of disparities in AD/ADRD. METHODS: In this review, we employ Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory as a framework to posit how S/SDOH impact AD/ADRD risk and outcomes. RESULTS: Bronfenbrenner defined the "macrosystem" as the realm of power (structural) systems that drive S/SDOH and that are the root cause of health disparities. These root causes have been discussed little to date in relation to AD/ADRD, and thus, macrosystem influences, such as racism, classism, sexism, and homophobia, are the emphasis in this paper. DISCUSSION: Under Bronfenbrenner's macrosystem framework, we highlight key quantitative and qualitative studies linking S/SDOH with AD/ADRD, identify scientific gaps in the literature, and propose guidance for future research. HIGHLIGHTS: Ecological systems theory links structural/social determinants to AD/ADRD. Structural/social determinants accrue and interact over the life course to impact AD/ADRD. Macrosystem is made up of societal norms, beliefs, values, and practices (e.g., laws). Most macro-level determinants have been understudied in the AD/ADRD literature.

Global rural health disparities in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: State of the science.

INTRODUCTION: Individuals living in rural communities are at heightened risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), which parallels other persistent place-based health disparities. Identifying multiple potentially modifiable risk factors specific to rural areas that contribute to ADRD is an essential first step in understanding the complex interplay between various barriers and facilitators. METHODS: An interdisciplinary, international group of ADRD researchers convened to address the overarching question of: "What can be done to begin minimizing the rural health disparities that contribute uniquely to ADRD?" In this state of the science appraisal, we explore what is known about the biological, behavioral, sociocultural, and environmental influences on ADRD disparities in rural settings. RESULTS: A range of individual, interpersonal, and community factors were identified, including strengths of rural residents in facilitating healthy aging lifestyle interventions. DISCUSSION: A location dynamics model and ADRD-focused future directions are offered for guiding rural practitioners, researchers, and policymakers in mitigating rural disparities. HIGHLIGHTS: Rural residents face heightened Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) risks and burdens due to health disparities. Defining the unique rural barriers and facilitators to cognitive health yields insight. The strengths and resilience of rural residents can mitigate ADRD-related challenges. A novel "location dynamics" model guides assessment of rural-specific ADRD issues.

Evaluating Racial/Ethnic Equity in Planning-Related U.S. Health Impact Assessments Involving Parks and Greenspaces: A Review.

Problem research strategy and findings: Health impact assessment (HIA) reports are used by government agencies, other organizations, and stakeholders to evaluate potential health effects of plans/policies/projects. HIAs have the potential to promote anti-racist practices. We developed and used the Tool for the Racial/Ethnic Equity Evaluation of Health Impact Assessments (TREE-HIA) to score 50 U.S. HIA reports on planning-related projects/plans involving parks and greenspaces (2005-2020). More recent and more comprehensive HIA reports addressed racial/ethnic equity to a greater degree (e.g., median TREE-HIA scores: -1.3 in 2009-2012, 4.0 in 2017-2020, where higher scores indicate greater racial/equity considerations). Overall, HIA reports addressed racial/ethnic equity to a lesser degree than expected given the principal tenet of equity guiding HIAs and urban planning alike (42% had negative TREE-HIA scores indicating inadequate racial/ethnic equity consideration). However, the limited number and types of HIAs included in this study may affect generalization to all HIAs. Takeaway for practice: HIAs incorporating racial/ethnic equity comprehensively throughout the HIA process will better enable urban planners, HIA practitioners, decision makers, and communities of color to work together to combat racist planning practices through the shared goals of addressing health disparities and equity. TREE-HIA provides professionals and researchers with a brief tool that can be used/adapted to guide and evaluate future HIAs for racial/ethnic equity considerations.

Cognitive trajectory in mild cognitive impairment due to primary age-related tauopathy.

Primary age-related tauopathy is increasingly recognized as a separate neuropathological entity different from Alzheimer's disease. Both share the neuropathological features of tau aggregates and neuronal loss in the temporal lobe, but primary age-related tauopathy lacks the requisite amyloid plaques central to Alzheimer's disease. While both have similar clinical presentations, individuals with symptomatic primary age-related tauopathy are commonly of more advanced ages with milder cognitive dysfunction. Direct comparison of the neuropsychological trajectories of primary age-related tauopathy and Alzheimer's disease has not been thoroughly evaluated and thus, our objective was to determine how cognitive decline differs longitudinally between these two conditions after the onset of clinical symptoms. Data were obtained from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center on participants with mild cognitive impairment at baseline and either no neuritic plaques (i.e. primary age-related tauopathy) or moderate to frequent neuritic plaques (i.e. Alzheimer neuropathological change) at subsequent autopsy. For patients with Alzheimer's disease and primary age-related tauopathy, we compared rates of decline in the sum of boxes score from the CDR® Dementia Staging Instrument and in five cognitive domains (episodic memory, attention/working memory, executive function, language/semantic memory, and global composite) using z-scores for neuropsychological tests that were calculated based on scores for participants with normal cognition. The differences in rates of change were tested using linear mixed-effects models accounting for clinical centre clustering and repeated measures by individual. Models were adjusted for sex, age, education, baseline test score, Braak stage, apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE ε4) carrier status, family history of cognitive impairment, and history of stroke, hypertension, or diabetes. We identified 578 participants with a global CDR of 0.5 (i.e. mild cognitive impairment) at baseline, 126 with primary age-related tauopathy and 452 with Alzheimer's disease. Examining the difference in rates of change in CDR sum of boxes and in all domain scores, participants with Alzheimer's disease had a significantly steeper decline after becoming clinically symptomatic than those with primary age-related tauopathy. This remained true after adjusting for covariates. The results of this analysis corroborate previous studies showing that primary age-related tauopathy has slower cognitive decline than Alzheimer's disease across multiple neuropsychological domains, thus adding to the understanding of the neuropsychological burden in primary age-related tauopathy. The study provides further evidence to support the hypothesis that primary age-related tauopathy has distinct neuropathological and clinical features compared to Alzheimer's disease.

Associations between neighborhood greenspace and brain imaging measures in non-demented older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study.

PURPOSE: Greater neighborhood greenspace has been associated with brain health, including better cognition and lower odds of Alzheimer's disease in older adults. We investigated associations between neighborhood greenspace and brain-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures and potential effect modification by sex or apolipoprotein E genotype (APOE), a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: We obtained a sample of non-demented participants 65 years or older (n = 1125) from the longitudinal, population-based Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). Greenspace data were derived from the National Land Cover Dataset. Adjusted multivariable linear regression estimated associations between neighborhood greenspace five years prior to the MRI and left and right hippocampal volume and 10-point grades of ventricular size and burden of white matter hyperintensity. Interaction terms tested effect modification by APOE genotype and sex. CHS data (1989-1999) were obtained/analyzed in 2020. RESULTS: Participants were on average 79 years old [standard deviation (SD) = 4], 58% were female, and 11% were non-white race. Mean neighborhood greenspace was 38% (SD = 28%). Greater proportion of greenspace in the neighborhood five years before MRI was borderline associated with lower ventricle grade (estimate: - 0.30; 95% confidence interval: - 0.61, 0.00). We observed no associations between greenspace and the other MRI outcome measures and no evidence of effect modification by APOE genotype and sex. CONCLUSION: This study suggests a possible association between greater greenspace and less ventricular enlargement, a measure reflecting global brain atrophy. If confirmed in other longitudinal cohort studies, interventions and policies to improve community greenspaces may help to maintain brain health in older age.

The Utility of the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center's Database for the Rapid Assessment of Evolving Neuropathologic Conditions.

The field of dementia research is rapidly evolving, especially with regards to our understanding of the diversity of neuropathologic changes that underlie cognitive decline. Definitions and criteria for known conditions are being periodically revised and refined, and new findings are being made about neuropathologic features associated with dementia status. The database maintained by the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) offer researchers a robust, rapid, and statistically well-powered method to evaluate the implications of newly identified neuropathologic conditions with regards to comorbidities, demographic associations, cognitive status, neuropsychologic tests, radiographic findings, and genetics. NACC data derive from dozens of excellent US Alzheimer disease research centers, which collectively follow thousands of research volunteers longitudinally. Many of the research participants are autopsied using state-of-the-art methods. In this article, we describe the NACC database and give examples of its use in evaluating recently revised neuropathologic diagnoses, including primary age-related tauopathy (PART), limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE), and the preclinical stage of Alzheimer disease neuropathologic change, based on the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association consensus guidelines. The dementia research community is encouraged to make use of this readily available database as new neuropathologic changes are recognized and defined in this rapidly evolving field.

Measurement and characterization of distinctive clinical phenotypes using the Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Module (FTLD-MOD).

INTRODUCTION: The Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Module (FTLD-MOD) was designed as a research neuropsychological battery to evaluate clinical symptoms associated with FTLD. This study investigated whether the FTLD-MOD could differentiate between primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), two distinct FTLD-related syndromes. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was conducted on data collected from the initial visit of 165 subjects with PPA, 268 with bvFTD, and 251 cognitively normal controls from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. Generalized linear models were used to compare group performance patterns on FTLD-MOD tasks of language, behavior, and memory. RESULTS: PPA participants showed significantly poorer performances on all language tasks whereas bvFTD participants demonstrated poorer performances on most behavioral measures. There were no differences in memory performances. Descriptive data on participant groups are provided for reference. DISCUSSION: Findings from this multi-center sample suggest that the FTLD-MOD can differentiate between distinctive clinical phenotypes commonly associated with FTLD.

Intention to Be Screened for Alzheimer's Disease in Nondemented Older Adults: Integrated Behavioral Model and Self-Efficacy as Mediation Effect.

The study explored factors associated with intention to be screened for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study also examined whether self-efficacy mediates the relationship between knowledge about screening and the intention to be screened for AD. A population-based, random-digit dialing survey was performed and 1,043 responses were collected from a sample of nondemented persons (50 years or older) living in urban, suburban, and rural areas in a Midwestern state. The findings showed that participants who were younger and who had higher levels of (a) perceived benefits and barriers, (b) social support, and (c) self-efficacy reported higher levels of intention to be screened for AD. Older adults with positive life orientation reported greater intention to be screened for AD, whereas depressed participants were more likely to report a plan to be screened for AD. Self-efficacy mediated the relationship between knowledge about screening and intention to be screened. Older adults were more likely to report intention to be screened when they had positive attitudes about the screen and believed that they could receive the screen. The intention to be screened for AD could serve public awareness by defining effective ways to assist older adults to seek a cognitive screen.

Clinical diagnoses among individuals with primary age-related tauopathy versus Alzheimer's neuropathology.

Primary age-related tauopathy (PART) is increasingly recognized as a pathologic entity distinct from Alzheimer's disease (AD). Given that the diagnosis of PART is an autopsy diagnosis, it is unclear how PART is perceived in clinical practice. Thus, we investigated the presumptive primary and contributing diagnoses in individuals who had cognitive impairment while alive and who met neuropathologic criteria for PART at autopsy. We also compared these clinical diagnoses for people with PART to those with AD neuropathology (ADNP). We used data on 1354 participants from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center, restricting to those with no neuritic plaques (PART) or moderate/frequent neuritic plaques (ADNP); clinical visit within two years of autopsy; and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia at last visit. To assess if PART participants were less likely to receive a clinical diagnosis of AD at their last visit prior to autopsy, we used logistic regression, controlling for age, sex, education, and APOE ε4 status. There were 161 PART individuals (n = 49 MCI; n = 112 dementia) and 1193 individuals with ADNP (n = 75 MCI; n = 1118 dementia). Primary clinical diagnosis of AD was more common in those with ADNP (MCI: 69%; demented: 86%) than PART (MCI: 57%; demented: 52%). In the adjusted analysis, primary and contributing clinical diagnoses of AD remained less likely in PART vs. ADNP participants with dementia (OR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.13-0.38). This study suggests that clinicians recognize a distinction in the clinical presentation between PART and ADNP, diagnosing AD less frequently in those with PART. Nonetheless, clinical AD was diagnosed greater than 50% of the time in PART participants with MCI or dementia. Ante-mortem criteria for diagnosis of PART need to be established, as PART is a neuropathological entity that is distinct from AD and has its own clinical and cognitive outcomes.

Cholinesterase Inhibitors May Not Benefit Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Alzheimer Disease Dementia.

INTRODUCTION: We investigated whether cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) benefit cognitive outcomes in mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer disease (MCI-AD) and in mild AD dementia (ADdem). METHODS: Data from 2242 individuals, clinically diagnosed with MCI-AD [Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), 0 or 0.5] or with mild ADdem (CDR, 0.5 or 1), were available from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center's (NACC) Uniform Data Set (UDS). General linear mixed models were used to examine the annual change in the CDR Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) and in neuropsychological performance. We compared slopes before and after ChEI initiation among ChEI users, and also compared the change in scores of ChEI users versus nonusers. RESULTS: Thirty-four percent of 944 MCI-AD and 72% of 1298 ADdem participants were ChEI users. Cognitive decline was greater after ChEI initiation in MCI-AD and ADdem groups (eg, MCI-AD, CDR-SB: 0.03 points/y before initiation; 0.61 points/y after initiation, P<0.0001). Both MCI-AD and ADdem groups had faster decline after ChEI initiation than nonusers (eg, MCI-AD, CDR-SB: 0.61 points/y, ChEI users; 0.24 points/y, nonusers, P<0.0001). DISCUSSION: This study suggests that ChEI use may not improve the cognitive course in MCI-AD and mild ADdem.

Perceived burden among caregivers of patients with frontotemporal degeneration in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) dementia often begins before age 60 and predominantly presents as four subtypes with prominent features of language, behavior, cognition, and motor symptoms. The early onset and unique symptoms place a distinct burden on caregivers of individuals with FTD versus other dementia types, such as Alzheimer's disease. This is the first known study to examine the domains of the FTD caregiver burden and the caregiver and patient characteristics associated with these domains. METHODS: In 2017, 674 FTD caregivers in the United States (US) completed a web-based survey of caregiver and patient demographics, disease severity/symptoms, caregiver burden, and financial costs of caregiving. The major factors of caregiver burden (Zarit Burden Inventory) were determined using a principal axis factor analysis with varimax rotation. Multiple linear regression analyses examined caregiver and patient characteristics associated with overall burden and three major factors of burden: role strain, personal strain, and performance strain. RESULTS: Increased neuropsychiatric symptoms was associated with overall caregiver burden and greater role, personal, and performance strain. Younger caregivers experienced greater overall burden and performance strain, female caregivers experienced increased role strain, and male caregivers experienced greater performance strain. Financial costs of caregiving and experiencing a caregiving crisis in the past year were associated with higher overall burden and role strain. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the severity and sources of burden differ for caregivers of FTD patients versus patients with other dementia types. Differing predictors for each burden domain suggest targeted interventions to address the unique FTD caregiving challenges.

Failure to detect an association between self-reported traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer's disease neuropathology and dementia.

INTRODUCTION: Recent research with neuropathologic or biomarker evidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) casts doubt on traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a risk factor for AD. We leveraged the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center to examine the association between self-reported TBI with loss of consciousness and AD neuropathologic changes, and with baseline and longitudinal clinical status. METHODS: The sample included 4761 autopsy participants (453 with remote TBI with loss of consciousness; 2822 with AD neuropathologic changes) from National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. RESULTS: Self-reported TBI did not predict AD neuropathologic changes (P > .10). Reported TBI was not associated with baseline or change in dementia severity or cognitive function in participants with or without autopsy-confirmed AD. DISCUSSION: Self-reported TBI with loss of consciousness may not be an independent risk factor for clinical or pathological AD. Research that evaluates number and severity of TBIs is needed to clarify the neuropathological links between TBI and dementia documented in other large clinical databases.

Polygenic hazard scores in preclinical Alzheimer disease.

Identifying asymptomatic older individuals at elevated risk for developing Alzheimer disease (AD) is of clinical importance. Among 1,081 asymptomatic older adults, a recently validated polygenic hazard score (PHS) significantly predicted time to AD dementia and steeper longitudinal cognitive decline, even after controlling for APOE ɛ4 carrier status. Older individuals in the highest PHS percentiles showed the highest AD incidence rates. PHS predicted longitudinal clinical decline among older individuals with moderate to high Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (amyloid) and Braak (tau) scores at autopsy, even among APOE ɛ4 noncarriers. Beyond APOE, PHS may help identify asymptomatic individuals at highest risk for developing Alzheimer neurodegeneration. Ann Neurol 2017;82:484-488.

Version 3 of the Alzheimer Disease Centers' Neuropsychological Test Battery in the Uniform Data Set (UDS).

INTRODUCTION: The neuropsychological battery of the Uniform Data Set (UDSNB) was implemented in 2005 by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Alzheimer Disease Centers program to measure cognitive performance in dementia and mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer Disease. This paper describes a revision, the UDSNB 3.0. METHODS: The Neuropsychology Work Group of the NIA Clinical Task Force recommended revisions through a process of due diligence to address shortcomings of the original battery. The UDSNB 3.0 covers episodic memory, processing speed, executive function, language, and constructional ability. Data from 3602 cognitively normal participants in the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center database were analyzed. RESULTS: Descriptive statistics are presented. Multivariable linear regression analyses demonstrated score differences by age, sex, and education and were also used to create a normative calculator available online. DISCUSSION: The UDSNB 3.0 neuropsychological battery provides a valuable non proprietary resource for conducting research on cognitive aging and dementia.

Version 3 of the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center's Uniform Data Set.

INTRODUCTION: In 2015, the US Alzheimer's Disease Centers (ADC) implemented Version 3 of the Uniform Data Set (UDS). This paper describes the history of Version 3 development and the UDS data that are freely available to researchers. METHODS: UDS Version 3 was developed after years of coordination between the National Institute on Aging-appointed Clinical Task Force (CTF), clinicians from ∼30 ADCs, and the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC). The CTF recognized the need for updates to align with the state of the science in dementia research, while being flexible to the diverse needs and diseases studied at the ADCs. Version 3 also developed a nonproprietary neuropsychological battery. RESULTS: This paper focuses on the substantial Version 3 changes to the UDS forms related to clinical diagnosis and characterization of clinical symptoms to match updated consensus-based diagnostic criteria. Between March 2015 and March 2018, 4820 participants were enrolled using UDS Version 3. Longitudinal data were available for 25,337 of the 37,568 total participants using all UDS versions. DISCUSSION: The results from utilization of the UDS highlight the possibility for numerous research institutions to successfully collaborate, produce, and use standardized data collection instruments for over a decade.

Genetic assessment of age-associated Alzheimer disease risk: Development and validation of a polygenic hazard score.

BACKGROUND: Identifying individuals at risk for developing Alzheimer disease (AD) is of utmost importance. Although genetic studies have identified AD-associated SNPs in APOE and other genes, genetic information has not been integrated into an epidemiological framework for risk prediction. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Using genotype data from 17,008 AD cases and 37,154 controls from the International Genomics of Alzheimer's Project (IGAP Stage 1), we identified AD-associated SNPs (at p < 10-5). We then integrated these AD-associated SNPs into a Cox proportional hazard model using genotype data from a subset of 6,409 AD patients and 9,386 older controls from Phase 1 of the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC), providing a polygenic hazard score (PHS) for each participant. By combining population-based incidence rates and the genotype-derived PHS for each individual, we derived estimates of instantaneous risk for developing AD, based on genotype and age, and tested replication in multiple independent cohorts (ADGC Phase 2, National Institute on Aging Alzheimer's Disease Center [NIA ADC], and Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative [ADNI], total n = 20,680). Within the ADGC Phase 1 cohort, individuals in the highest PHS quartile developed AD at a considerably lower age and had the highest yearly AD incidence rate. Among APOE ε3/3 individuals, the PHS modified expected age of AD onset by more than 10 y between the lowest and highest deciles (hazard ratio 3.34, 95% CI 2.62-4.24, p = 1.0 × 10-22). In independent cohorts, the PHS strongly predicted empirical age of AD onset (ADGC Phase 2, r = 0.90, p = 1.1 × 10-26) and longitudinal progression from normal aging to AD (NIA ADC, Cochran-Armitage trend test, p = 1.5 × 10-10), and was associated with neuropathology (NIA ADC, Braak stage of neurofibrillary tangles, p = 3.9 × 10-6, and Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease score for neuritic plaques, p = 6.8 × 10-6) and in vivo markers of AD neurodegeneration (ADNI, volume loss within the entorhinal cortex, p = 6.3 × 10-6, and hippocampus, p = 7.9 × 10-5). Additional prospective validation of these results in non-US, non-white, and prospective community-based cohorts is necessary before clinical use. CONCLUSIONS: We have developed a PHS for quantifying individual differences in age-specific genetic risk for AD. Within the cohorts studied here, polygenic architecture plays an important role in modifying AD risk beyond APOE. With thorough validation, quantification of inherited genetic variation may prove useful for stratifying AD risk and as an enrichment strategy in therapeutic trials.

Factors Influencing Successful Lumbar Puncture in Alzheimer Research.

OBJECTIVE: Lumbar puncture (LP) is increasingly common in Alzheimer disease research; however, agreement to undergo LP varies. We sought to determine factors influencing LP consent at Alzheimer's Disease Centers (ADCs) in the United States. METHODS: A 3-part survey was distributed to each ADC: (1) ADC LP Experience; (2) LP Requestor Experience; and (3) Patient LP Experience (both Initial and Follow-up). In all, 64 LP Requestor, 579 Patient/Initial, and 404 Patient/Follow-up surveys were collected. Logistic regression analyses with generalized estimating equations were used to assess factors associated with LP agreement and post-LP complications. RESULTS: Asians and those viewing LP negatively were less likely to agree to LP. Three hundred fifty-two participants had an LP; LP headache occurred in 11.9% (blood patch required in 1.4%) and 9.9% reported other complications. Younger individuals, women, those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, use of a Quincke needle, ≤20 mL cerebrospinal fluid drawn, and hemorrhage during LP were associated with LP headache. Use of gravity flow during LP was associated with fewer other complications (nausea, dizziness, vasovagal response, back pain, neck stiffness, and/or nerve root pain). CONCLUSIONS: LP in Alzheimer disease research is generally safe and well tolerated. Factors influencing LP agreement potentially could be studied to advance participant acceptance of the procedure.

Results From the NACC Uniform Data Set Neuropsychological Battery Crosswalk Study.

INTRODUCTION: Four new nonproprietary tests were recommended for use in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center's Uniform Data Set Neuropsychological Battery. These tests are similar to previous tests but also allow for continuity of longitudinal data collection and wide dissemination among research collaborators. METHODS: A Crosswalk Study was conducted in early 2014 to assess the correlation between each set of new and previous tests. Tests with good correlation were equated using equipercentile equating. The resulting conversion tables allow scores on the new tests to be converted to equivalent scores on the previous tests. RESULTS: All pairs of tests had good correlation (ρ=0.68 to 0.78). Learning effects were detected for Logical Memory only. Confidence intervals were narrow at each point estimate, and prediction accuracy was high. DISCUSSION: The recommended new tests are well correlated with the previous tests. The equipercentile equating method produced conversion tables that provide a useful reference for clinicians and researchers.