Publications by authors named "Assumpta Vivas"
Introduction: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a novel tool that allows the detection of retinal vascular changes. We investigated the association of macular vessel density (VD) in the superficial plexus assessed by OCT-A with measures of cerebrovascular pathology and atrophy quantified by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in non-demented individuals.
Methods: Clinical, demographical, OCT-A, and brain MRI data from non-demented research participants were included.
Article Synopsis
- The development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) typically has a prodromal phase characterized by high levels of Aβ and p-tau, alongside mild cognitive impairment (MCI), leading to challenges in early diagnosis.
- Blood biomarkers are being explored as early screening tools, with plasma extracellular vesicles (pEVs) showing potential as new biomarkers for the initial stages of AD.
- A study of early-onset MCI patients found that proteins in pEVs correlated with indicators of AD, suggesting pEVs could help identify amyloid-related changes in the brain before more widespread neuronal damage occurs.
Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis is based on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or neuroimaging biomarkers. Currently, non-invasive and inexpensive blood-based biomarkers are being investigated, such as neuronal-derived plasma exosomes (NPEs). Neuroinflammation and early vascular changes have been described in AD pathogenesis and can be traced in plasma and NPEs.
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- The study investigates the link between executive function deficits and brain changes in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) related to Alzheimer's disease.
- It involves 195 SCD participants who completed various executive function tests and underwent brain imaging to assess amyloid beta deposition and brain volume.
- Findings indicate that reduced performance on the Automatic Inhibition test correlates with higher amyloid levels and reduced brain volume in critical areas like the hippocampus, suggesting a potential early detection method for Alzheimer’s in those with SCD.
Article Synopsis
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been used to measure retinal thickness in patients with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), revealing that these individuals may show retinal layer thinning, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- The study involved 129 SCD participants who underwent OCT and PET scans to examine the link between retinal thickness and amyloid-β accumulation over two years.
- Results indicated that greater thickness in the inner nasal macular region correlates with higher likelihood of amyloid-β positivity, yet no retinal measurements predicted conversion to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) during the study period.
Exploring APOE genotype effects on Alzheimer's disease risk and amyloid β burden in individuals with subjective cognitive decline: The FundacioACE Healthy Brain Initiative (FACEHBI) study baseline results.
Alzheimers Dement
May 2018
Article Synopsis
- Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) might indicate early signs of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the genetic and biomarker characteristics of SCD individuals are still not well understood.
- A study evaluated the influence of the APOE ε4 gene on SCD risk using data from the FACEHBI cohort and Spanish controls, revealing that SCD individuals had higher frequencies of the APOE ε4 allele than non-SCD individuals.
- Results showed that the amount of APOE ε4 was linked to higher cerebral amyloid levels, indicating that while APOE dosage accounts for part of the variability in amyloid levels, other genetic or epigenetic factors are likely also at play in SCD.