The association of cardiovascular disease risk and renal function to cognition in middle‐aged to older adult Black Americans: Findings from the African Americans Fighting Alzheimer’s in Midlife (AA‐FAIM) study.

Background: Non‐Hispanic Black Americans (BA) have increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and elevated risk for end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). CVD risk factors, and potentially ESRD, heighten dementia risk; however, the association of CVD risk and kidney function to cognition in cognitively unimpaired (CU) BA adults remains understudied. We tested whether global CVD risk, individual CVD risk factors, and less healthy kidney function moderated associations between age and cognitive performance in middle‐aged to older adult BAs who were CU at baseline.

Effect of Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors on Processing Speed and Executive Function in Three Racialized Groups.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Understanding the association of MetS risk factors to processing speed and executive function in the pre-clinical stages of ADRD in under-represented groups would offer insight on potential mechanisms through which MetS associates with ADRD risk.

Objective: Examine association of MetS features and processing speed and executive function across three racial groups.

Wisconsin Healthcare Utilization Cost Among American Indians/Alaska Natives with and without Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias.

Individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) accrue higher healthcare utilization costs than peers without ADRD, but incremental costs of ADRD among American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) is unknown. State-wide paid electronic health record data were retrospectively analyzed using percentile-based bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals of the weighted mean difference of total 5-year billed costs to compare total accrued for non-Tribal and Indian Health Service utilization costs among Medicaid and state program eligible AI/AN, ≥40 years, based on the presence/absence of ADRD (matching by demographic and medical factors). AI/AN individuals with ADRD accrued double the costs compared to those without ADRD, costing an additional $880.

Measurement batch differences and between-batch conversion of Alzheimer's disease cerebrospinal fluid biomarker values.

Introduction: Batch differences in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker measurement can introduce bias into analyses for Alzheimer's disease studies. We evaluated and adjusted for batch differences using statistical methods.

Methods: A total of 792 CSF samples from 528 participants were assayed in three batches for 12 biomarkers and 3 biomarker ratios.

Cigarette Smoking Status, Cigarette Exposure, and Duration of Abstinence Predicting Incident Dementia and Death: A Multistate Model Approach.

Background: To fully characterize the risk for dementia associated with cigarette smoking, studies must consider competing risks that hinder the observation of dementia or modify the chance that dementia occurs (i.e., death).

BrainAGE and regional volumetric analysis of a Buddhist monk: a longitudinal MRI case study.

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche (YMR) is a Tibetan Buddhist monk, and renowned meditation practitioner and teacher who has spent an extraordinary number of hours of his life meditating. The brain-aging profile of this expert meditator in comparison to a control population was examined using a machine learning framework, which estimates "brain-age" from brain imaging. YMR's brain-aging rate appeared slower than that of controls suggesting early maturation and delayed aging.

Characterizing the Effects of Sex, APOE ɛ4, and Literacy on Mid-life Cognitive Trajectories: Application of Information-Theoretic Model Averaging and Multi-model Inference Techniques to the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention Study.

Objectives: Prior research has identified numerous genetic (including sex), education, health, and lifestyle factors that predict cognitive decline. Traditional model selection approaches (e.g.