RO1 AG 021055 Co-PIs: C. Kawas and M. Corrada The 90+ Study was initiated January 1, 2003 as a population-based cohort study of oldest-old survivors of the Leisure World Cohort Study (LWCS, enrollment 1981-1985). One of the largest (1800+ participants) and longest (14+ years) studies of oldest-old, The 90+ Study has contributed important findings about Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia, cognitive decline, frailty, and other challenging outcomes associated with aging. The 90+ Study participants, however, display a wide-ranging spectrum of cognitive abilities and neuropathological changes, with many individuals maintaining excellent cognition well into their tenth and eleventh decade, frequently despite the presence of AD and other neuropathologic changes associated with dementia. In this application, we extend our studies to investigate factors related to cognitive resilience including lifestyle, medical histories, education and APOE. Some of these factors were measured more than 30 years earlier as part of the LWCS study. We also continue our investigations of dementia and cognitive decline, taking advantage of the large number of MRI and amyloid PET images obtained during the current funding period. Our innovative approaches include the addition of tau PET which will enable us to examine newly proposed preclinical AD biomarker guidelines in the oldest-old, who are excluded from ADNI and other studies. Finally, dementia in the oldest-old likely reflects the combined effects of low levels of multiple pathologies many of which cannot be measured in vivo (e.g. hippocampal sclerosis (HS), microinfarcts, TDP-43). With state-of-the-art neuropathological investigations and our large cohort of autopsied individuals, we will quantify these complex pathologies to determine the contribution of low levels of vascular and other neuropathologic changes to the expression of dementia in the oldest-old. Thus, our Specific Aims are:
Aim 1. Cognitive Resilience: Factors related to superior cognitive performance for age. In this aim we will identify early (30 years earlier in the LWCS) and late (at age 90+) lifestyle and other factors associated with superior cognitive performance. Hypotheses: Cognitive resilience is related to sleep duration, leisure activities, and a positive attitude 30 years earlier; Cognitive resilience is related to high grey matter volume and low ventricular volume (MRI Brain Health) and relative absence of vascular injury independent of the presence of cerebral amyloid on PET.
Aim 2. Cognitive Resilience in the Presence of Pathology: Factors related to superior cognitive performance in the presence of dementia-related changes at autopsy (Brain Pathology Burden) In this aim we will examine early and late factors associated with superior cognitive performance in the presence of dementia-related brain changes at autopsy. Hypotheses: Leisure activities and exercise 30 years earlier and at age 90+, education, APOE?2 and absence of medical co-morbidities are associated with cognitive resilience in the presence of neuropathologic changes.
Aim 3. Preclinical AD and Vascular Disease: Neuroimaging Profiles and Risk of Dementia and Cognitive Decline In this aim we will prospectively follow non-demented imaged individuals to estimate incidence of dementia and rates of cognitive decline in relation to MRI and PET imaging profiles. Hypotheses: High grey matter volume and low ventricular volume (MRI Brain Health) will predict cognitive outcomes better than the presence of amyloid on PET (A+) or presence of amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration (A+T+N+) on MRI and PET scans. High levels of vascular burden will be associated with increased risk of dementia.
Aim 4. Low levels of Vascular and Other Neuropathologies and Expression of Dementia: In this aim we will study the effect of multiple low levels of pathology in the expression of dementia. Hypotheses: Low levels of multiple pathologies (e.g. AD, microinfarcts, HS, TDP-43) contribute to unexplained dementia in the oldest-old. The expression of dementia in people with high levels of AD pathology at autopsy, is related to the presence (or absence) of low levels of vascular and non-AD pathologies.
Aim 5. Study Completion and Public Access Bringing to closure our landmark study, with this renewal we will recruit into The 90+ Study the final living LWCS participants who will turn 90 years of age and follow to death virtually all original LWCS participants. We will complete ascertainment of all established outcomes in The 90+ Study (dementia, cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), frailty, disability, and mortality). Finally, we will make these datasets (The 90+ Study and the LWCS) spanning four decades publically available to the research community.

Public Health Relevance

People aged 90 and older (the oldest-old) are the fastest growing segment of the population and have the highest rates of dementia. Many oldest-old individuals, however, maintain superior cognitive performance (cognitive resilience) often despite the presence of Alzheimer disease (AD) and other neuropathologic changes. With clinical, imaging and pathological investigations, our goal is to identify lifestyle and other factors that contribute to resilience in this understudied and unique segment of the population.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
3R01AG021055-16S1
Application #
9779292
Study Section
Program Officer
Anderson, Dallas
Project Start
2002-09-15
Project End
2023-05-31
Budget Start
2018-11-15
Budget End
2019-05-31
Support Year
16
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Irvine
Department
Neurology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
046705849
City
Irvine
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92617
Paganini-Hill, Annlia; Kawas, Claudia H; Corrada, María M (2018) Positive Mental Attitude Associated with Lower 35-Year Mortality: The Leisure World Cohort Study. J Aging Res 2018:2126368
Sabeti, Sara; Al-Darsani, Zeinah; Mander, Bryce Anthony et al. (2018) Sleep, hippocampal volume, and cognition in adults over 90 years old. Aging Clin Exp Res 30:1307-1318
Melikyan, Zarui A; Greenia, Dana E; Corrada, Maria M et al. (2018) Recruiting the Oldest-old for Clinical Research. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord :
Trieu, Thomas; Sajjadi, Seyed Ahmad; Kawas, Claudia H et al. (2018) Risk factors of hippocampal sclerosis in the oldest old: The 90+ Study. Neurology 91:e1788-e1798
Pierce, Aimee L; Bullain, Szofia S; Kawas, Claudia H (2017) Late-Onset Alzheimer Disease. Neurol Clin 35:283-293
Bennett, Ilana J; Greenia, Dana E; Maillard, Pauline et al. (2017) Age-related white matter integrity differences in oldest-old without dementia. Neurobiol Aging 56:108-114
Paganini-Hill, Annlia; Greenia, Dana E; Perry, Shawna et al. (2017) Lower likelihood of falling at age 90+ is associated with daily exercise a quarter of a century earlier: The 90+ Study. Age Ageing 46:951-957
Corrada, María M; Hayden, Kathleen M; Paganini-Hill, Annlia et al. (2017) Age of onset of hypertension and risk of dementia in the oldest-old: The 90+ Study. Alzheimers Dement 13:103-110
Nolen, Shantell C; Evans, Marcella A; Fischer, Avital et al. (2017) Cancer-Incidence, prevalence and mortality in the oldest-old. A comprehensive review. Mech Ageing Dev 164:113-126
Brodaty, Henry; Woolf, Claudia; Andersen, Stacy et al. (2016) ICC-dementia (International Centenarian Consortium - dementia): an international consortium to determine the prevalence and incidence of dementia in centenarians across diverse ethnoracial and sociocultural groups. BMC Neurol 16:52

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