20-year depressive symptoms, dementia, and structural neuropathology in older women.

INTRODUCTION: The course of depressive symptoms and dementia risk is unclear, as are potential structural neuropathological common causes. METHODS: Utilizing joint latent class mixture models, we identified longitudinal trajectories of annually assessed depressive symptoms and dementia risk over 21 years in 957 older women (baseline age 72.7 years old) from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study. In a subsample of 569 women who underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging, we examined whether estimates of cerebrovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related neurodegeneration were associated with identified trajectories. RESULTS: Five trajectories of depressive symptoms and dementia risk were identified. Compared to women with minimal symptoms, women who reported mild and stable and emerging depressive symptoms were at the highest risk of developing dementia and had more cerebrovascular disease and AD-related neurodegeneration. DISCUSSION: There are heterogeneous profiles of depressive symptoms and dementia risk. Common neuropathological factors may contribute to both depression and dementia. Highlights The progression of depressive symptoms and concurrent dementia risk is heterogeneous. Emerging depressive symptoms may be a prodromal symptom of dementia. Cerebrovascular disease and AD are potentially shared neuropathological factors.

Mental Health Conditions in Partners and Adult Children of Stroke Survivors.

Importance: Family caregiving after critical illness has been associated with several adverse health outcomes, including various aspects of mental health, but research focusing specifically on family members of stroke survivors is limited. Objectives: To examine the associations of stroke in a partner or parent with the risk of depression, substance use disorders, anxiety disorders, and self-harm or suicide. Design, Setting, and Participants: This nationwide, population-based cohort study used data from Danish nationwide administrative and clinical registries (2004-2021). Participants included partners and adult children of survivors of stroke. Data analysis was performed from March to December 2023. Exposure: Having a partner or parent who survived stroke. Main Outcomes and Measures: The Aalen-Johansen estimator was used to compute propensity score-weighted 3-year absolute risks, risk differences, and risk ratios for depression, substance use disorders, anxiety disorders, and self-harm or suicide among partners or children of survivors of stroke compared with partners or children of survivors of myocardial infarction (MI) and matched individuals from the general population. Results: The study included a total of 1 923 732 individuals: 70 917 partners of stroke survivors (median [IQR] age, 68 [59-76] years; 46 369 women [65%]), 70 664 partners of MI survivors (median [IQR] age, 65 [55-73] years; 51 849 women [73%]), 354 570 partners of individuals from the general population (median [IQR] age, 68 [59-76] years; 231 833 women [65%]), 207 386 adult children of stroke survivors (median [IQR] age, 45 [36-52] years; 99 382 women [48%]), 183 309 adult children of MI survivors (median [IQR] age, 42 [33-49] years; 88 078 women [48%]), and 1 036 886 adult children of individuals from the general population (median [IQR] age, 45 [36-52] years; 496 875 women [48%]). Baseline characteristics were well balanced across cohorts after propensity score weighting. Among partners of stroke survivors, the 3-year absolute risk was 1.0% for depression, 0.7% for substance use disorders, 0.3% for anxiety disorders, and 0.04% for self-harm or suicide. Risk ratio point estimates for the assessed outcomes ranged from 1.14 to 1.42 compared with the general population and from 1.04 to 1.09 compared with partners of MI survivors. The elevated risk of depression in partners of stroke survivors was more pronounced after severe or moderate stroke than after mild stroke. Among adult children of stroke survivors, the 3-year absolute risk was 0.6% for depression, 0.6% for substance use disorders, 0.2% for anxiety disorders, and 0.05% for self-harm or suicide. Both absolute risks and risk ratios for adult children of stroke survivors were smaller than those reported in the partner analyses. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of partners and adult children of stroke survivors, risks of several mental health conditions and self-harm or suicide were moderately higher compared with the general population and, to a lesser extent, partners and adult children of MI survivors. These findings highlight the potential consequences of stroke among family members, particularly partners, and its findings may possibly serve as a quantitative foundation for the development of future stroke rehabilitation services.

Multiple biomarkers improve diagnostic accuracy across Lewy body and Alzheimer's disease spectra.

OBJECTIVE: More than half of neurodegenerative disease patients have multiple pathologies at autopsy; however, most receive one diagnosis during life. We used the α-synuclein seed amplification assay (αSyn-SAA) and CSF biomarkers for amyloidosis and Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathological change (ADNC) to determine the frequency of co-pathologies in participants clinically diagnosed with Lewy body (LB) disease or AD. METHODS: Using receiver operating characteristic analyses on retrospective CSF samples from 150 participants determined αSyn-SAA accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for identifying clinically defined LB disease and predicting future change in clinical diagnosis. CSF biomarkers helped determine the frequency of concomitant Lewy body pathology, ADNC, and/or amyloidosis in participants with LB disease and AD, across clinical spectra. RESULTS: Following a decade-long follow-up, the clinically or autopsy-defined diagnosis changed for nine participants. αSyn-SAA demonstrated improved accuracy (91.3%), sensitivity (89.3%), and specificity (93.3%) for identifying LB disease compared to all non-LB disease, highlighting the limitations of clinical diagnosis alone. When examining biomarkers of co-pathology, amyloidosis was present in 18%, 48%, and 71% (χ2 (2) = 13.56, p = 0.001) and AD biomarkers were present in 0%, 8.7%, and 42.9% (χ2 (2) = 18.44, p < 0.001) of LB disease participants with different stages of cognitive impairment respectively. Co-occurring biomarkers for αSyn-SAA and amyloidosis were present in 12% and 14% of AD compared to 43% and 57% LB disease participants with different stages of cognitive impairment (χ2 (3) = 13.87, p = 0.003). INTERPRETATION: Our study shows that using a combination of αSyn-SAA and AD biomarkers can identify people with αSyn, ADNC, and co-pathology better and earlier than traditional clinical diagnostic criteria alone.

Comprehensive proteomics of CSF, plasma, and urine identify DDC and other biomarkers of early Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) starts at the molecular and cellular level long before motor symptoms appear, yet there are no early-stage molecular biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis prediction, or monitoring therapeutic response. This lack of biomarkers greatly impedes patient care and translational research-L-DOPA remains the standard of care more than 50 years after its introduction. Here, we performed a large-scale, multi-tissue, and multi-platform proteomics study to identify new biomarkers for early diagnosis and disease monitoring in PD. We analyzed 4877 cerebrospinal fluid, blood plasma, and urine samples from participants across seven cohorts using three orthogonal proteomics methods: Olink proximity extension assay, SomaScan aptamer precipitation assay, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry proteomics. We discovered that hundreds of proteins were upregulated in the CSF, blood, or urine of PD patients, prodromal PD patients with DAT deficit and REM sleep behavior disorder or anosmia, and non-manifesting genetic carriers of LRRK2 and GBA mutations. We nominate multiple novel hits across our analyses as promising markers of early PD, including DOPA decarboxylase (DDC), also known as L-aromatic acid decarboxylase (AADC), sulfatase-modifying factor 1 (SUMF1), dipeptidyl peptidase 2/7 (DPP7), glutamyl aminopeptidase (ENPEP), WAP four-disulfide core domain 2 (WFDC2), and others. DDC, which catalyzes the final step in dopamine synthesis, particularly stands out as a novel hit with a compelling mechanistic link to PD pathogenesis. DDC is consistently upregulated in the CSF and urine of treatment-naïve PD, prodromal PD, and GBA or LRRK2 carrier participants by all three proteomics methods. We show that CSF DDC levels correlate with clinical symptom severity in treatment-naïve PD patients and can be used to accurately diagnose PD and prodromal PD. This suggests that urine and CSF DDC could be a promising diagnostic and prognostic marker with utility in both clinical care and translational research.

Speech patterns during memory recall relates to early tau burden across adulthood.

INTRODUCTION: Early cognitive decline may manifest in subtle differences in speech. METHODS: We examined 238 cognitively unimpaired adults from the Framingham Heart Study (32-75 years) who completed amyloid and tau PET imaging. Speech patterns during delayed recall of a story memory task were quantified via five speech markers, and their associations with global amyloid status and regional tau signal were examined. RESULTS: Total utterance time, number of between-utterance pauses, speech rate, and percentage of unique words significantly correlated with delayed recall score although the shared variance was low (2%-15%). Delayed recall score was not significantly different between ß-amyoid-positive (Aß+) and -negative (Aß-) groups and was not associated with regional tau signal. However, longer and more between-utterance pauses, and slower speech rate were associated with increased tau signal across medial temporal and early neocortical regions. DISCUSSION: Subtle speech changes during memory recall may reflect cognitive impairment associated with early Alzheimer's disease pathology. HIGHLIGHTS: Speech during delayed memory recall relates to tau PET signal across adulthood. Delayed memory recall score was not associated with tau PET signal. Speech shows greater sensitivity to detecting subtle cognitive changes associated with early tau accumulation. Our cohort spans adulthood, while most PET imaging studies focus on older adults.

Diverticular disease and risk of dementia: a Danish population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Patients with diverticular disease (DD) have ongoing chronic inflammation associated with changes in the gut microbiome, which might contribute to the development of dementia. METHODS: Using Danish medical and administrative registries from 1980 to 2013, we conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study including all DD patients and a matched (5:1) general population comparison cohort without DD. A nested case-control analysis was then conducted using a risk set sampling, matching four DD controls without dementia to each DD patient with dementia. Clinical severity was categorized as uncomplicated DD (outpatient), conservatively treated DD (inpatient), and surgically treated DD. RESULTS: 149 527 DD patients and 747 635 general population comparators were identified. The 30-year cumulative incidence of dementia among DD patients and general population comparators were 12.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.1-12.7) and 13.73% (95% CI 13.6-13.9), respectively. This corresponded to a 30-year hazard ratio (HR) of 1.10 (95% CI 1.1-1.1). The highest HRs were found in the conservatively treated DD group (1.15 95% CI 1.1-1.2) and the group with young onset of DD (1.52 95% CI 1.2-2.0). In the nested case-control analysis, we identified 8875 dementia cases and 35 491 matched controls. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for conservatively treated DD was increased (1.08, 95% CI; 1.0-1.2) compared to the reference of uncomplicated DD. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a slight increased risk of dementia in patients with young onset DD and conservatively treated DD. Findings suggest an association between disease duration, perhaps reflecting the duration of gut inflammation, and the risk of developing dementia.

Report on the Joint Workshop on the Relations between Health Inequalities, Ageing and Multimorbidity, Iceland, May 3-4, 2023.

This paper is a summary of key presentations from a workshop in Iceland on May 3-4, 2023 arranged by Aarhus University and with participation of the below-mentioned scientists. Below you will find the key messages from the presentations made by: Professor Jan Vandenbroucke, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Emeritus Professor, Leiden University; Honorary Professor, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UKProfessor, Chair Henrik Toft Sørensen, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital, DenmarkProfessor David H. Rehkopf, Director, the Stanford Center for Population Health Sciences, Stanford University, CA., USProfessor Jaimie Gradus, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USProfessor Johan Mackenbach, Emeritus Professor, Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Rotterdam, HollandProfessor, Chair M Maria Glymour, Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USProfessor, Dean Sandro Galea, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USProfessor Victor W. Henderson, Departments of Epidemiology & Population Health and of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, US; Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, DK.

Early-Frame [18F]Florbetaben PET/MRI for Cerebral Blood Flow Quantification in Patients with Cognitive Impairment: Comparison to an [15O]Water Gold Standard.

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) may be estimated from early-frame PET imaging of lipophilic tracers, such as amyloid agents, enabling measurement of this important biomarker in participants with dementia and memory decline. Although previous methods could map relative CBF, quantitative measurement in absolute units (mL/100 g/min) remained challenging and has not been evaluated against the gold standard method of [15O]water PET. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a minimally invasive quantitative CBF imaging method combining early [18F]florbetaben (eFBB) with phase-contrast MRI using simultaneous PET/MRI. Methods: Twenty participants (11 men and 9 women; 8 cognitively normal, 9 with mild cognitive impairment, and 3 with dementia; 10 ß-amyloid negative and 10 ß-amyloid positive; 69 ± 9 y old) underwent [15O]water PET, phase-contract MRI, and eFBB imaging in a single session on a 3-T PET/MRI scanner. Quantitative CBF images were created from the first 2 min of brain activity after [18F]florbetaben injection combined with phase-contrast MRI measurement of total brain blood flow. These maps were compared with [15O]water CBF using concordance correlation (CC) and Bland-Altman statistics for gray matter, white matter, and individual regions derived from the automated anatomic labeling (AAL) atlas. Results: The 2 methods showed similar results in gray matter ([15O]water, 55.2 ± 14.7 mL/100 g/min; eFBB, 55.9 ± 14.2 mL/100 g/min; difference, 0.7 ± 2.4 mL/100 g/min; P = 0.2) and white matter ([15O]water, 21.4 ± 5.6 mL/100 g/min; eFBB, 21.2 ± 5.3 mL/100 g/min; difference, -0.2 ± 1.0 mL/100 g/min; P = 0.4). The intrasubject CC for AAL-derived regions was high (0.91 ± 0.04). Intersubject CC in different AAL-derived regions was similarly high, ranging from 0.86 for midfrontal regions to 0.98 for temporal regions. There were no significant differences in performance between the methods in the amyloid-positive and amyloid-negative groups as well as participants with different cognitive statuses. Conclusion: We conclude that eFBB PET/MRI can provide robust CBF measurements, highlighting the capability of simultaneous PET/MRI to provide measurements of both CBF and amyloid burden in a single imaging session in participants with memory disorders.

Post-translational modifications linked to preclinical Alzheimer's disease-related pathological and cognitive changes.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we leverage proteomic techniques to identify communities of proteins underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk among clinically unimpaired (CU) older adults. METHODS: We constructed a protein co-expression network using 3869 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins quantified by SomaLogic, Inc., in a cohort of participants along the AD clinical spectrum. We then replicated this network in an independent cohort of CU older adults and related these modules to clinically-relevant outcomes. RESULTS: We discovered modules enriched for phosphorylation and ubiquitination that were associated with abnormal amyloid status, as well as p-tau181 (M4: ß = 2.44, p < 0.001, M7: ß = 2.57, p < 0.001) and executive function performance (M4: ß = -2.00, p = 0.005, M7: ß = -2.39, p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: In leveraging CSF proteomic data from individuals spanning the clinical spectrum of AD, we highlight the importance of post-translational modifications for early cognitive and pathological changes.

Organ aging signatures in the plasma proteome track health and disease.

Animal studies show aging varies between individuals as well as between organs within an individual1-4, but whether this is true in humans and its effect on age-related diseases is unknown. We utilized levels of human blood plasma proteins originating from specific organs to measure organ-specific aging differences in living individuals. Using machine learning models, we analysed aging in 11 major organs and estimated organ age reproducibly in five independent cohorts encompassing 5,676 adults across the human lifespan. We discovered nearly 20% of the population show strongly accelerated age in one organ and 1.7% are multi-organ agers. Accelerated organ aging confers 20-50% higher mortality risk, and organ-specific diseases relate to faster aging of those organs. We find individuals with accelerated heart aging have a 250% increased heart failure risk and accelerated brain and vascular aging predict Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression independently from and as strongly as plasma pTau-181 (ref. 5), the current best blood-based biomarker for AD. Our models link vascular calcification, extracellular matrix alterations and synaptic protein shedding to early cognitive decline. We introduce a simple and interpretable method to study organ aging using plasma proteomics data, predicting diseases and aging effects.

Temporal tau asymmetry spectrum influences divergent behavior and language patterns in Alzheimer`s disease.

Understanding psychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer`s disease (AD) is crucial for advancing precision medicine and therapeutic strategies. The relationship between AD behavioral symptoms and asymmetry in spatial tau PET patterns is unknown. Braak tau progression implicates the temporal lobes early. However, the clinical and pathological implications of temporal tau laterality remain unexplored. This cross-sectional study investigated the correlation between temporal tau PET asymmetry and behavior assessed using the neuropsychiatric inventory, and composite scores for memory, executive function, and language; using data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset. In the entire cohort, continuous right and left temporal tau contributions to behavior and cognition were evaluated controlling for age, sex, education, and tau burden on the contralateral side. Additionally, a temporal tau laterality index was calculated to define "asymmetry-extreme" groups (individuals with laterality indices greater than two standard deviations from the mean). 858 individuals (age=73.9±7.7 years, 434(50%) females) were included, comprising 438 cognitively unimpaired (CU) (53.4%) and 420 impaired (CI) participants (48.9%). In the full cohort analysis, right temporal tau was associated with worse behavior (B(SE)=7.19 (2.9), p-value=0.01) and left temporal tau was associated with worse language (B(SE)=1.4(0.2), p-value<0.0001). Categorization into asymmetry-extreme groups revealed 20 right- and 27 left-asymmetric participants. Within these extreme groups, four patterns of tau PET uptake were observed: anterior temporal, typical AD, typical AD with frontal involvement, and posterior. Asymmetrical tau burden is associated with distinct behavioral and cognitive profiles. Behavioral and socioemotional measures are needed to understand right-sided asymmetry in AD.

A 3'UTR Insertion Is a Candidate Causal Variant at the TMEM106B Locus Associated with Increased Risk for FTLD-TDP.

Background and Objectives: Single nucleotide variants near TMEM106B associate with risk of frontotemporal lobar dementia with TDP-43 inclusions (FTLD-TDP) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), but the causal variant at this locus remains unclear. Here we asked whether a novel structural variant on TMEM106B is the causal variant. Methods: An exploratory analysis identified structural variants on neurodegeneration-related genes. Subsequent analyses focused on an Alu element insertion on the 3'UTR of TMEM106B. This study included data from longitudinal aging and neurogenerative disease cohorts at Stanford University, case-control cohorts in the Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP), and expression and proteomics data from Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL). 432 individuals from two Stanford aging cohorts were whole-genome long-read and short-read sequenced. 16,906 samples from ADSP were short-read sequenced. Genotypes, transcriptomics, and proteomics data were available in 1,979 participants from an aging and dementia cohort at WUSTL. Selection criteria were specific to each cohort. In primary analyses, the linkage disequilibrium between the TMEM106B locus variants in the FTLD-TDP GWAS and the 3'UTR insertion was estimated. We then estimated linkage by ancestry in the ADSP and evaluated the effect of the TMEM106B lead variant on mRNA and protein levels. Results: The primary analysis included 432 participants (52.5% females, age range 45-92 years old). We identified a 316 bp Alu insertion overlapping the TMEM106B 3'UTR tightly linked with top GWAS variants rs3173615(C) and rs1990622(A). In ADSP European-ancestry participants, this insertion is in equivalent linkage with rs1990622(A) (R2=0.962, D'=0.998) and rs3173615(C) (R2=0.960, D'=0.996). In African-ancestry participants, the insertion is in stronger linkage with rs1990622(A) (R2=0.992, D'=0.998) than with rs3173615(C) (R2=0.811, D'=0.994). In public datasets, rs1990622 was consistently associated with TMEM106B protein levels but not with mRNA expression. In the WUSTL dataset, rs1990622 is associated with TMEM106B protein levels in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, but not with TMEM106B mRNA expression. Discussion: We identified a novel Alu element insertion in the 3'UTR of TMEM106B in tight linkage with the lead FTLD-TDP risk variant. The lead variant is associated with TMEM106B protein levels, but not expression. The 3'UTR insertion is a lead candidate for the causal variant at this complex locus, pending confirmation with functional studies.

Association of Early-, Middle-, and Late-Life Depression With Incident Dementia in a Danish Cohort.

Importance: Late-life depressive symptoms are associated with subsequent dementia diagnosis and may be an early symptom or response to preclinical disease. Evaluating associations with early- and middle-life depression will help clarify whether depression influences dementia risk. Objective: To examine associations of early-, middle-, and late-life depression with incident dementia. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a nationwide, population-based, cohort study conducted from April 2020 to March 2023. Participants included Danish citizens from the general population with depression diagnoses who were matched by sex and birth year to individuals with no depression diagnosis. Participants were followed up from 1977 to 2018. Excluded from analyses were individuals followed for less than 1 year, those younger than 18 years, or those with baseline dementia. Exposure: Depression was defined using diagnostic codes from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) within the Danish National Patient Registry (DNPR) and Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register (DPCRR). Main Outcomes and Measure: Incident dementia was defined using ICD diagnostic codes within the DPCRR and DNPR. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine associations between depression and dementia adjusting for education, income, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, anxiety disorders, stress disorders, substance use disorders, and bipolar disorder. Analyses were stratified by age at depression diagnosis, years since index date, and sex. Results: There were 246 499 individuals (median [IQR] age, 50.8 [34.7-70.7] years; 159 421 women [64.7%]) with diagnosed depression and 1 190 302 individuals (median [IQR] age, 50.4 [34.6-70.0] years; 768 876 women [64.6%]) without depression. Approximately two-thirds of those diagnosed with depression were diagnosed before the age of 60 years (684 974 [67.7%]). The hazard of dementia among those diagnosed with depression was 2.41 times that of the comparison cohort (95% CI, 2.35-2.47). This association persisted when the time elapsed from the index date was longer than 20 to 39 years (hazard ratio [HR], 1.79; 95% CI, 1.58-2.04) and among those diagnosed with depression in early, middle, or late life (18-44 years: HR, 3.08; 95% CI, 2.64-3.58; 45-59 years: HR, 2.95; 95% CI, 2.75-3.17; ≥60 years: HR, 2.31; 95% CI, 2.25-2.38). The overall HR was greater for men (HR, 2.98; 95% CI, 2.84-3.12) than for women (HR, 2.21; 95% CI, 2.15-2.27). Conclusions and Relevance: Results suggest that the risk of dementia was more than doubled for both men and women with diagnosed depression. The persistent association between dementia and depression diagnosed in early and middle life suggests that depression may increase dementia risk.

Metrologically Traceable Quantification of 3 Apolipoprotein E Isoforms in Cerebrospinal Fluid.

BACKGROUND: APOE genotype is associated with Alzheimer disease. Thus, the concentration of apolipoprotein E (apoE) isoforms in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) could be altered in dementia. However, conflicting results have been obtained in different studies. Carefully validated and standardized assays could improve the interpretation of research findings, allow their replication in other laboratories, and generalize their application. METHODS: To evaluate this hypothesis, we aimed to develop, validate, and standardize a new measurement procedure using LC-MS/MS. Purified recombinant apoE protein standards (E2, E3, E4) were thoroughly characterized and used to assign the concentration of a matrix-matched calibration material that contained each apoE isoform, which ensured the metrological traceability of results. RESULTS: The assay of each isoform in human CSF was precise (≤11%CV) and of moderate throughput (approximately 80 samples per day). It demonstrated good linearity and parallelism for lumbar CSF, ventricular CSF, and bovine CSF. The use of an SI-traceable matrix-matched calibrator enabled precise and accurate measurements. There was no association observed between total apoE concentration and the number of Ɛ4 alleles in a cohort of 322 participants. However, the concentration of each isoform was significantly different in heterozygotes, with E4 > E3 > E2. Isoform concentrations were associated with cognitive and motor symptoms but contributed negligibly to a predictive model of cognitive impairment that included established CSF biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS: Our method simultaneously measures each apoE isoform in human CSF with excellent precision and accuracy. A secondary matrix-matched material has been developed and is available to other laboratories to improve interlaboratory agreement.

Non-Traumatic Subdural Hematoma and Cancer: A Cohort Study.

Introduction: Cancer may increase the risk of bleeding. However, whether subdural hematoma is a marker of occult cancer remains unknown. We examined the association between non-traumatic subdural hematoma and cancer risk in a cohort study. Materials and Methods: Using Danish nationwide health registries, we identified 2713 patients with non-traumatic subdural hematoma and no previous cancer diagnosis, who were hospitalized between April 1, 1996 and December 31, 2019. We computed age-, sex-, and calendar year-standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) as the ratio of the observed to expected number of patients with cancer by using national incidence rates as reference as a measure of relative risk. Results: We identified 77 cancer cases within the first year of follow-up and 272 cancer cases thereafter. The one-year risk of cancer was 2.8% (95% confidence interval: 2.2-3.5), and the one-year SIR was 1.7 (95% confidence interval: 1.3-2.1). During the subsequent years, the SIR was 1.0 (95% confidence interval: 0.9-1.1). The relative risk was elevated for some hematological and liver cancers. Conclusion: The risk of a new cancer diagnosis was clearly increased in patients with non-traumatic subdural hematoma compared with the general population during the first year of follow-up. However, the absolute risk was low, thus limiting the clinical relevance of pursuing early cancer detection in these patients.

Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes and obesity may be inversely associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but the evidence is controversial. METHODS: Using Danish, nationwide registries (1980-2016), we identified patients with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (N = 295,653) and patients with a diagnosis of obesity (N = 312,108). Patients were matched (1:3) to persons from the general population on birth year and sex. We computed incidence rates and Cox regression derived hazard ratios (HRs) of a diagnosis of ALS. In multivariable analyses, HRs were controlled for sex, birth year, calendar year, and comorbidities. RESULTS: We observed 168 incident cases of ALS (0.7 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.6-0.8] per 10,000 person-years) among patients with type 2 diabetes and 859 incident cases of ALS (0.9 [95% CI: 0.9-1.0] per 10,000 person-years) among matched comparators. The adjusted HR was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.72-1.04). The association was present among men (adjusted HR: 0.78 [95% CI: 0.62-0.99]) but not women (adjusted HR: 1.03 [95% CI: 0.78-1.37]), and among those aged ≥60 years (adjusted HR: 0.75 [95% CI: 0.59-0.96]) but not younger. We observed 111 ALS events (0.4 [95% CI: 0.4-0.5] per 10,000 person-years) among obesity patients and 431 ALS events (0.5 [95% CI: 0.5-0.6] per 10,000 person-years) among comparators. The adjusted HR was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.70-1.11). CONCLUSIONS: Diagnoses of type 2 diabetes and obesity were associated with a reduced rate of ALS compared with general population comparators, particularly among men and patients aged 60 years or above. However, absolute rate differences were small.

Generalizability of cognitive results from clinical trial participants to an older adult population: Addressing external validity.

Introduction: Study inclusion criteria and recruitment practices limit the generalizability of randomized-controlled trial (RCT) results. Statistical modeling could enhance generalizability of outcomes. To illustrate this, the cognition-depression relationship was assessed with and without adjustment relative to the target population of older women. Methods: Randomized participants from four RCTs and non-randomized participants from two cohorts were included in this study. Prediction models estimated probability of being randomized into trials from target populations. These probabilities were used for inverse odds weighting relative to target populations. Weighted linear regression was used to assess the depression-cognition relationship. Results: There was no depression-cognition relationship in the combined randomized sample. After applying weights relative to a representative cohort, negative relationships were observed. After applying weights relative to a non-representative cohort, bias of estimates increased. Discussion: Quantitative approaches to transportability using representative samples may explain the absence of a-priori established relationships in RCTs.

Labour market participation and retirement after stroke in Denmark: registry based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine labour market participation and retirement among patients with stroke and matched people in the general population according to stroke subtype. DESIGN: Nationwide, population based, matched cohort study. SETTING: Danish Stroke Registry, covering all Danish hospitals, and other nationwide registries (2005-18). PARTICIPANTS: Patients (aged 18-60 years and active in the labour market) with a first time diagnosis of ischaemic stroke (n=16 577), intracerebral haemorrhage (n=2025), or subarachnoid haemorrhage (n=4305), and individuals from the general population, matched on age, sex, and calendar year (n=134 428). The median Scandinavian stroke scale score was 55. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Unweighted prevalences of labour market participation, receipt of sick leave benefits, receipt of disability pension, voluntary early retirement, state pension, and death were computed for each week and up to five years after stroke diagnosis. A log-linear Poisson model was used to obtain exact prevalence estimates as well as propensity score weighted prevalence differences and prevalence ratios at six months, one year, two years, and five years after stroke diagnosis. RESULTS: Most patients (62% of those with ischaemic stroke, 69% of those with intracerebral haemorrhage, and 52% of those with subarachnoid haemorrhage) went on sick leave within three weeks of diagnosis. Prevalence of labour market participation among patients with ischaemic stroke compared with matched individuals from the general population was 56.6% versus 96.6% at six months, and 63.9% versus 91.6% at two years. Prevalence of sick leave was 39.8% versus 2.6% at six months, and 15.8% versus 3.8% at two years. Prevalence of receipt of a disability pension was 0.9% versus 0.2% at six months, and 12.2% versus 0.6% at two years. Adjusting for socioeconomic and comorbidity differences between patients and matched individuals from the general population using propensity score weighting methods had little impact on contrasts. Patients with intracerebral haemorrhage had higher prevalences of sick leave and receipt of a disability pension and thus a lower prevalence of labour market participation, while prevalences for patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage were similar in magnitude to those for patients with ischaemic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: In a highly resourced country, about two thirds of working age adults with ischaemic stroke of primarily mild severity participated in the labour market two years after diagnosis. Sick leave and receipt of a disability pension were the most common reasons for non-participation. Patients with intracerebral haemorrhage were less likely to return to the labour market than patients with ischaemic stroke and subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Illusory Responses across the Lewy Body Disease Spectrum.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to study pareidolias, or perceived meaningful objects in a meaningless stimulus, in patients across the Lewy body (LB) disease spectrum, where most do not report hallucinations or delusions. METHODS: We studied illusory responses on the Noise Pareidolia Task in 300 participants (38 cognitively impaired LB, 65 cognitively unimpaired LB, 51 Alzheimer disease spectrum [AD-s], 146 controls). Pairwise between-group comparisons examined how diagnosis impacts the number of illusory responses. Ordinal regression analysis compared the number of illusory responses across diagnosis groups, adjusting for age, sex, and education. Analyses were repeated after removing participants with reported hallucinations or delusions. RESULTS: Cognitively impaired LB participants were 12.3, 4.9, and 4.6 times more likely than control, cognitively unimpaired LB, and AD-s participants, respectively, to endorse illusory responses. After adjusting for age, sex, and education, the probability of endorsing 1 or more illusory responses was 61% in the cognitively impaired LB group, compared to 26% in AD-s, 25% in cognitively unimpaired LB, and 12% in control participants. All results were similar after repeated analysis only in participants without hallucinations or delusions. In LB without hallucinations or delusions, 52% with mild cognitive impairment and 66.7% with dementia endorsed at least 1 illusory response. INTERPRETATION: We found illusory responses are common in cognitively impaired LB patients, including those without any reported psychosis. Our data suggest that, prior to the onset of hallucinations and delusions, the Noise Pareidolia Task can easily be used to screen for unobtrusive pareidolias in all LB patients. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:702-714.

Cerebrospinal fluid immune dysregulation during healthy brain aging and cognitive impairment.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contains a tightly regulated immune system. However, knowledge is lacking about how CSF immunity is altered with aging or neurodegenerative disease. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on CSF from 45 cognitively normal subjects ranging from 54 to 82 years old. We uncovered an upregulation of lipid transport genes in monocytes with age. We then compared this cohort with 14 cognitively impaired subjects. In cognitively impaired subjects, downregulation of lipid transport genes in monocytes occurred concomitantly with altered cytokine signaling to CD8 T cells. Clonal CD8 T effector memory cells upregulated C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 6 (CXCR6) in cognitively impaired subjects. The CXCR6 ligand, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 16 (CXCL16), was elevated in the CSF of cognitively impaired subjects, suggesting CXCL16-CXCR6 signaling as a mechanism for antigen-specific T cell entry into the brain. Cumulatively, these results reveal cerebrospinal fluid immune dysregulation during healthy brain aging and cognitive impairment.