Biological validation of peak-width of skeletonized mean diffusivity as a VCID biomarker: The MarkVCID Consortium.

Background: Peak-width of skeletonized mean diffusivity (PSMD), a neuroimaging marker of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), has shown excellent instrumental properties. Here, we extend our work to perform a biological validation of PSMD.

Methods: We included 396 participants from the Biomarkers for Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (MarkVCID-1) Consortium and three replication samples (Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology = 6172, Rush University Medical Center = 287, University of California Davis Alzheimer's Disease Research Center = 567).

Leptin bioavailability and markers of brain atrophy and vascular injury in the middle age.

Introduction: We investigated the associations of leptin markers with cognitive function and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of brain atrophy and vascular injury in healthy middle-aged adults.

Methods: We included 2262 cognitively healthy participants from the Framingham Heart Study with neuropsychological evaluation; of these, 2028 also had available brain MRI. Concentrations of leptin, soluble leptin receptor (sOB-R), and their ratio (free leptin index [FLI]), indicating leptin bioavailability, were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Demographic and Clinical Characteristics Associated With Serum GFAP Levels in an Ethnically Diverse Cohort.

Background And Objectives: Elevations in circulating glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a putative marker of reactive astrocytosis, have been found to associate with cognitive decline and dementia status. Further validation in diverse cohorts and evaluation of potential health disparities are necessary for broader generalization. The goal of this study was to examine the associations between demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, and APOE ε4 status with serum GFAP levels among Mexican American and non-Hispanic White older adults across the continuum from cognitively unimpaired to Alzheimer disease dementia.

Systematic Review of Blood-Borne Pathogen Exposure Rates Among Medical Students.

Background: Blood-borne pathogen exposures (BBPEs) pose a risk to health care workers (HCWs). Needlestick injuries (NSIs) have declined overall, but not for surgical HCWs. There are limited data regarding BBPEs among medical students (MSs) in their clinical years.