ADNI data is made available to researchers around the world. As such, there are many active research projects accessing and applying the shared ADNI data. To further encourage Alzheimer’s disease research collaboration, and to help prevent duplicate efforts, the list below shows the specific research focus of the active ADNI investigations. This information is requested annually as a requirement for data access.
| Principal Investigator | |
| Principal Investigator's Name: | Mairead Bartley |
| Institution: | Adelaide and Meath Hospital |
| Department: | Centre for Ageing, Neuroscience and the Humanitite |
| Country: | |
| Proposed Analysis: | Introduction Subjective memory complaints (SMC) are a common complaint among older people, with a wide variation in the prevalence reported in the literature: 4% - 57% (Wang et al., 2000) (Park et al., 2007) . Conflicting reports exist regarding the significance of SMC in terms of whether they may represent a harbinger to dementia (Glodzik-Sobanska et al., 2007) (Schmand et al., 1997, St John and Montgomery, 2002) or not (Blazer et al., 1997) (Jorm et al., 1997) (Wang et al., 2000). If SMC do indeed play a role in future cognitive decline, this area could provide new opportunities for early intervention in memory problems in later life. Thus, providing an accurate and early assessment for people complaining of memory problems is important, even if it merely serves to reassure people that they are cognitively normal. Previous studies have investigated the relationship between SMC and other variables. It has been shown that there is an association with reduced quality of life (Inez, 2009) and recently an association has been shown with increased health care utilization (Waldorff et al., 2009), lending further justification to acknowledgement of this entity. A number of studies have shown a relationship between SMC and depression and anxiety (Clarnette et al., 2001) (Sohrabi et al., 2009). In our own study population (n=96), we have already shown a significant association between SMC and past history of psychiatric illness, comprising a past history of depression or anxiety disorders in our sample, which for the majority required treated by a psychiatrist or family practitioner (Bartley et al., 2011). Neuroimaging studies have investigated the relationship of SMC to white matter hyperintensities (WMH). WMH are detected as high signal intensities on T2 and FLAIR images and are a common incidental finding on the scans of healthy older people with and without memory complaints. In their large population based study, deGroot et al (n=1077) reported an association between WMH severity and subjective cognitive failures in non-demented older people, both for periventricular and deep white matter hyperintensities, but more marked for the former (de Groot et al., 2001). Similarly, Minett, in a smaller study (n=60), showed an association between the severity of white matter lesions and the severity of memory complaints as rated by a questionnaire (Minett et al., 2005). In a community sample (n=1779), Stewart et al showed a weak association with WMH and subjective memory deficits, in that they were more frequently reported in people with the highest WMH volumes—principally those in the temporal lobe (Stewart et al., 2008). However, contrasting with the above studies, Miranda et al showed, as part of the LADIS study (n=638), that there was no association between memory complaints and WMH severity (Miranda et al., 2008). In our cohort, we found that the presence of memory complaints was not associated with the severity of WMH (as assessed by the Fazekas Scale (Fazekas et al., 1987)). This finding may indicate that the basis of SMC lies in other neuropathological or biological mechanisms. However, while we excluded those with known cardio- or cerebro- vascular disease at the time of enrolment into the original study, we still showed high rates of white matter hyperintensities in our sample (100% and 88% in the case of PVH and DWMH respectively). By analysing the relationship between SMC and these variables in the ADNI sample of healthy older people we hope to identify the role, if any, played by them in this new exciting clinical entity. Aim • To assess for cognitive complaints in a sample of healthy older people involved in ADNI to add to the information gained already from our own sample of healthy community dwelling older people in Ireland (Bartley et al., 2011). • To identify any characteristics that may go further to explain the complex nature of SMC, specifically rates of psychiatric illness and white matter changes Hypotheses Our hypotheses are: • SMC are common among healthy older people. • SMC are associated with depression and anxiety. • People with SMC have higher rates of white matter disease, in particular periventricular WMH. Methods We aim to obtain data from the ADNI database, excluding anyone with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia for the purpose of this study. White Matter Rating will be performed using the Fazekas Scale (Fazekas et al., 1987), which describes hyperintense signal abnormalities in the periventricular areas and deep white matter on T2 and FLAIR sequences. Briefly, periventricular hyperintensities (PVH) are rated 0-3, with 0 = absence, 1 = “caps” or pencil-thin lining, 2 = smooth “halo,” 3 = irregular PVH extending into the deep white matter. Deep white matter hyperintensities (DWMH) are rated separately 0-3, where 0 = absence, 1 = punctate foci, 2 = beginning confluence of foci, 3 = large confluent areas. Statistical Analysis All statistical analysis will be performed using R statistical programme (Team, 2009). BARTLEY, M., BOKDE, A. L., EWERS, M., FALUYI, Y. O., TOBIN, W. O., SNOW, A., CONNOLLY, J., DELANEY, C., COUGHLAN, T., COLLINS, D. R., HAMPEL, H. & O'NEILL, D. (2011) Subjective memory complaints in community dwelling healthy older people: the influence of brain and psychopathology. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry Sep 27. doi: 10.1002/gps.2794. BLAZER, D. G., HAYS, J. C., FILLENBAUM, G. G. & GOLD, D. T. (1997) Memory complaint as a predictor of cognitive decline: a comparison of African American and White elders. J Aging Health, 9, 171-84. CLARNETTE, R. M., ALMEIDA, O. P., FORSTL, H., PATON, A. & MARTINS, R. N. (2001) Clinical characteristics of individuals with subjective memory loss in Western Australia: results from a cross-sectional survey. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 16, 168-74. DE GROOT, J. C., DE LEEUW, F. E., OUDKERK, M., HOFMAN, A., JOLLES, J. & BRETELER, M. M. (2001) Cerebral white matter lesions and subjective cognitive dysfunction: the Rotterdam Scan Study. Neurology, 56, 1539-45. FAZEKAS, F., CHAWLUK, J. B., ALAVI, A., HURTIG, H. I. & ZIMMERMAN, R. A. (1987) MR signal abnormalities at 1.5 T in Alzheimer's dementia and normal aging. AJR Am J Roentgenol, 149, 351-6. GLODZIK-SOBANSKA, L., REISBERG, B., DE SANTI, S., BABB, J. S., PIRRAGLIA, E., RICH, K. E., BRYS, M. & DE LEON, M. J. (2007) Subjective memory complaints: presence, severity and future outcome in normal older subjects. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord, 24, 177-84. INEZ, H. (2009) Characteristics of help-seeking behaviour in subjects with subjective memory at a memory clinic; a case control study. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24, 190-196. JORM, A. F., CHRISTENSEN, H., KORTEN, A. E., HENDERSON, A. S., JACOMB, P. A. & MACKINNON, A. (1997) Do cognitive complaints either predict future cognitive decline or reflect past cognitive decline? A longitudinal study of an elderly community sample. Psychol Med, 27, 91-8. MINETT, T. S., DEAN, J. L., FIRBANK, M., ENGLISH, P. & O'BRIEN, J. T. (2005) Subjective memory complaints, white-matter lesions, depressive symptoms, and cognition in elderly patients. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 13, 665-71. MIRANDA, B., MADUREIRA, S., VERDELHO, A., FERRO, J., PANTONI, L., SALVADORI, E., CHABRIAT, H., ERKINJUNTTI, T., FAZEKAS, F., HENNERICI, M., O'BRIEN, J., SCHELTENS, P., VISSER, M. C., WAHLUND, L. O., WALDEMAR, G., WALLIN, A. & INZITARION, D. (2008) Self-perceived memory impairment and cognitive performance in an elderly independent population with age-related white matter changes. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 79, 869-73. PARK, M. H., MIN, J. Y., MIN, H. Y., LEE, H. J., LEE, D. H. & SONG, M. S. (2007) Subjective memory complaints and clinical characteristics in elderly Koreans: a questionnaire survey. Int J Nurs Stud, 44, 1400-5. SCHMAND, B., JONKER, C., GEERLINGS, M. I. & LINDEBOOM, J. (1997) Subjective memory complaints in the elderly: depressive symptoms and future dementia. Br J Psychiatry, 171, 373-6. SOHRABI, H. R., BATES, K. A., RODRIGUES, M., TADDEI, K., MARTINS, G., LAWS, S. M., LAUTENSCHLAGER, N. T., DHALIWAL, S. S., FOSTER, J. K. & MARTINS, R. N. (2009) The relationship between memory complaints, perceived quality of life and mental health in apolipoprotein Eepsilon4 carriers and non-carriers. J Alzheimers Dis, 17, 69-79. ST JOHN, P. & MONTGOMERY, P. (2002) Are cognitively intact seniors with subjective memory loss more likely to develop dementia? Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 17, 814-20. STEWART, R., DUFOUIL, C., GODIN, O., RITCHIE, K., MAILLARD, P., DELCROIX, N., CRIVELLO, F., MAZOYER, B. & TZOURIO, C. (2008) Neuroimaging correlates of subjective memory deficits in a community population. Neurology, 70, 1601-7. TEAM, R. D. C. (2009) R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. WALDORFF, F. B., SIERSMA, V. & WALDEMAR, G. (2009) Association between subjective memory complaints and health care utilisation: a three-year follow up. BMC Geriatr, 9, 43. WANG, P. N., WANG, S. J., FUH, J. L., TENG, E. L., LIU, C. Y., LIN, C. H., SHYU, H. Y., LU, S. R., CHEN, C. C. & LIU, H. C. (2000) Subjective memory complaint in relation to cognitive performance and depression: a longitudinal study of a rural Chinese population. J Am Geriatr Soc, 48, 295-9. |
| Additional Investigators |