Publications by authors named "Christina Dintica"

Introduction: Poor cardiovascular health (CVH) is linked to Alzheimer's disease and dementia; however, its association with neurocognitive trajectories earlier in life remains underexplored.

Methods: We included 3224 participants with information on CVH at early midlife (mean age 45.0 ± standard deviation 3.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to explore how sleep patterns in early midlife affect brain aging in late midlife using data from the CARDIA study.
  • Researchers analyzed sleep data, focusing on factors like sleep duration and quality, and later assessed brain age through MRIs taken 15 years later.
  • Results showed that individuals with more poor sleep characteristics had significantly older brain ages, emphasizing the need for sleep interventions to support brain health.*
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Article Synopsis
  • The study examines how depressive symptoms during early to mid-life may influence cognitive health in midlife by analyzing data from nearly 4,000 participants over 20 years.
  • Researchers identified four distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms: declining, steady high, increasing, and steady low, with varying impacts on cognitive test performance.
  • Those in the steady high and increasing depressive symptom categories performed worst on cognitive tests and exhibited structural brain changes, such as reduced gray matter volumes and increased white matter hyperintensities.
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Background And Objectives: Prior studies on cognitive reserve (CR) and cognitive trajectories are limited and have had conflicting results. Furthermore, most studies have used a single measure of CR that may not reflect a comprehensive exposure. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of individual and composite CR measures on cognitive decline over a 6-year period.

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Importance: Residence in a disadvantaged neighborhood may be associated with an increased risk for cognitive impairment and dementia but is understudied in nationally representative populations.

Objective: To investigate the association between the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and dementia.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Retrospective cohort study within the US Veterans Health Administration from October 1, 1999, to September 30, 2021, with a national cohort of older veterans receiving care in the largest integrated health care system in the United States.

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Background: Evidence suggests that sensory impairment is linked to dementia; however, the role of social network and leisure activity in this relationship is unclear.

Objective: Examine the association of hearing and visual impairment with dementia, and whether a rich social network and leisure activity moderates this association.

Methods: Dementia-free older adults from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (n = 2,579) were followed up for up for a median of 10 years (interquartile range = 6).

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In this article, the authors discuss primarily what is known about the epidemiology of all-cause dementia. Dementia is caused by a complex interplay of genetics, comorbidities, and lifestyle factors, and drug development has been challenging. However, evidence from large, prospective, observational studies has identified a variety of factors that may prevent or delay the onset of dementia.

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Background: Evidence suggests that depression may be a risk factor for dementia in older adults, but the link between depressive symptoms and brain health earlier in life is less understood. Our aim was to investigate the association between long-term depressive symptoms in young to mid-adulthood and a measure of brain age derived from structural MRI.

Methods: From the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study, we identified 649 participants (age 23-36 at baseline) with brain MRI and cognitive testing.

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Background: Cardiovascular disease risk factors play a critical role in brain aging. The metabolic syndrome (MetS), a constellation of cardiovascular risk factors, has been associated with poorer cognition in old age; however, it is unclear if it is connected to brain health earlier in life.

Methods: We investigated the association of MetS ( = 534, 18.

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Background: High blood pressure (BP) is a risk factor for late-life brain health; however, the association of elevated BP with brain health in mid-life is unclear.

Methods: We identified 661 participants from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study (age 18-30 at baseline) with 30 years of follow-up and brain magnetic resonance imaging at year 30. Cumulative exposure of BP was estimated by time-weighted averages (TWA).

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Background: Poor social health is likely associated with cognitive decline and risk of dementia; however, studies show inconsistent results. Additionally, few studies separate social health components or control for mental health.

Objective: To investigate whether loneliness and social support are independently associated with cognitive decline and risk of dementia, and whether depressive symptoms confound the association.

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Emerging evidence suggests that olfactory function is closely linked to memory function. The aims of this study were to assess whether olfactory and episodic memory functions follow similar age-related decline trajectories, to identify different patterns of decline, as well as predictors of the patterns. 1023 participants from the Memory and Aging Project were followed for up to 8 years with annual episodic memory and odor identification assessments.

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Introduction: Stroke, especially ischemic stroke's (IS) link with Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 2459 AD- and cerebrovascular disease-free older adults at baseline (mean age 71.9 ± 10.

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Background: The impact of cardiovascular risk burden on cognitive trajectories and brain structure changes remains unclear.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine whether cardiovascular risk burden assessed by the Framingham General Cardiovascular Risk Score (FGCRS) is associated with cognitive decline and structural brain differences.

Methods: Within the Rush Memory and Aging Project, 1,588 dementia-free participants (mean age: 79.

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We investigated the effect of poor masticatory ability on cognitive trajectories and dementia risk in older adults. 544 cognitively intact adults aged ≥50 were followed for up to 22 years. Cognitive domains (verbal, spatial/fluid, memory, and perceptual speed) were assessed at baseline and follow-ups.

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Introduction: The association of lifespan cognitive reserve (CR) with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains controversial. We aimed to examine the association of lifespan CR indicator with the risk of MCI and its progression to dementia, taking brain pathologies into account.

Methods: In a community-based cohort study (mean age, 79 years) with annual follow-up (median, 5.

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Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between sleep duration and all-cause mortality, and to assess the role of cognitive impairment, physical disability, and chronic conditions on this association among very old adults.

Design: A prospective cohort study.

Setting And Participants: Within the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Surveys, 17,637 oldest-old aged 80-105 years were followed up to 10 years (2005- 2014).

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Introduction: The effect of comorbid cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), including diabetes, heart diseases, and stroke, on dementia remains unclear.

Methods: A cohort of 2648 dementia-free adults aged ≥60 years was followed up for 12 years. An active lifestyle was defined in accordance with the engagement in leisure activities and/or a social network.

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Importance: Evidence on the association of lifespan cognitive reserve (CR) with dementia is limited, and the strength of this association in the presence of brain pathologies is unknown.

Objective: To examine the association of lifespan CR with dementia risk, taking brain pathologies into account.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This study used data from 2022 participants in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing community-based cohort study with annual follow-up from 1997 to 2018 (mean follow-up, 6 years; maximum follow-up, 20 years).

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Objective: We aimed to examine whether impaired olfaction is associated with cognitive decline and indicators of neurodegeneration in the brain of dementia-free older adults.

Methods: Within the Rush Memory and Aging Project, 380 dementia-free participants (mean age = 78 years) were followed for up to 15 years, and underwent MRI scans. Olfactory function was assessed using the Brief Smell Identification Test (B-SIT) at baseline, and categorized as anosmia (B-SIT <6), hyposmia (B-SIT 6-10 in men and 6-10.

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Tooth loss has been related to cognitive impairment; however, its relation to structural brain differences in humans is unknown. Dementia-free participants (n = 2715) of age ≥60 years were followed up for up to 9 years. A subsample (n = 394) underwent magnetic resonance imaging at baseline.

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