Associations of circulating saturated long-chain fatty acids with risk of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort.

Background: No study has examined the associations between peripheral saturated long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aimed to examine whether circulating saturated LCFAs are associated with both risks of incident MCI from cognitively normal (CN) participants and incident AD progressed from MCI in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort.

Methods: We conducted analysis of data from older adults aged 55-90 years who were recruited at 63 sites across the USA and Canada.

Dietary calcium and magnesium intake and risk for incident dementia: The Shanghai Aging Study.

Introduction: Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), or the calcium to magnesium (Ca:Mg) ratio may affect the risk of dementia via complex mechanisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of dietary Ca, Mg, and Ca:Mg ratio with dementia risk at the prospective phase of the Shanghai Aging Study.

Methods: We analyzed data from 1565 dementia-free participants living in an urban community who had measurements of dietary Ca and Mg intake derived from a food frequency questionnaire at baseline and incident dementia during follow-up.

Smaller Head Circumference Combined with Lower Education Predicts High Risk of Incident Dementia: The Shanghai Aging Study.

Introduction: An important index of brain reserve is the maximal attained brain size, which can be estimated by measuring the head circumference (HC). We investigated the association of HC and education with incident dementia in a population-based study of Chinese older adults.

Methods: We conducted a prospective follow-up study of 1,659 non-demented participants with a mean age of 71.

Obstructive sleep apnea and longitudinal Alzheimer's disease biomarker changes.

Study Objectives: To determine the effect of self-reported clinical diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on longitudinal changes in brain amyloid PET and CSF biomarkers (Aβ42, T-tau, and P-tau) in cognitively normal (NL), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) elderly.

Methods: Longitudinal study with mean follow-up time of 2.52 ± 0.

Occupational Characteristics and Patterns as Risk Factors for Parkinson's Disease: A Case Control Study.

Background: Associations have been reported between the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) and employment in certain fields. Most studies have focused on toxic exposures as potential causal explanations. However, PD also has been associated with personality characteristics that may influence occupational choices and patterns.

The Shanghai Aging Study: study design, baseline characteristics, and prevalence of dementia.

Background: To establish a prospective cohort to enumerate the prevalence, incidence and risk factors for dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among residents aged ≥60 in an urban community of Shanghai, China.

Methods: Participants received clinical evaluations including physical measurements, demographic and lifestyle questionnaires, physical and neurologic examinations, and neuropsychological testing. Urine and blood samples were collected, aliquoted, and stored.

Bilingualism delays age at onset of dementia, independent of education and immigration status.

Editors' Note: Mortimer argues that important confounding variables may have biased the conclusion by Alladi et al. on the role of bilingualism in delaying the onset of dementia. Following Mortimer’s comments, Alladi et al.

Prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in an urban community in China: a cross-sectional analysis of the Shanghai Aging Study.

Background: Substantial variations in the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have been reported, although mostly in Western countries. Less is known about MCI in the Chinese population.

Methods: We clinically and neuropsychologically evaluated 3141 community residents ≥60 years of age.

Dementia: a barrier to receiving percutaneous coronary intervention for elderly patients with ST-elevated myocardial infarction.

Objective: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the first line of treatment for ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI). This study evaluates the role of dementia in diagnostic cardiac catheterization (to receive PCI) in STEMI patients ≥65 years old admitted to high annual volume PCI hospitals.

Methods: Participants were registered in Florida's comprehensive inpatient surveillance system for the years 2006-2007 with principal diagnosis of STEMI.

The association of physical and mental health with sexual activity in older adults in a retirement community.

Introduction: Understanding sexual behavior is important when evaluating the health needs of older adults. Little research has addressed the effect of specific health conditions on sexual inactivity in this growing population.

Aim: The study aims to assess the association of mental and physical health conditions with sexual inactivity among adults 55 and older living in The Villages, Florida.

Associations of welding and manganese exposure with Parkinson disease: review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To examine associations of welding and manganese exposure with Parkinson disease (PD) using meta-analyses of data from cohort, case-control, and mortality studies.

Methods: Epidemiologic studies related to welding or manganese exposure and PD were identified in a PubMed search, article references, published reviews, and abstracts. Inclusion criteria were 1) cohort, case-control, or mortality study with relative risk (RR), odds ratio (OR), or mortality OR (MOR) and 95 confidence intervals (95% CI); 2) RR, OR, and MOR matched or adjusted for age and sex; 3) valid study design and analysis.

The Nun Study: risk factors for pathology and clinical-pathologic correlations.

The Nun Study was the first cohort study to enroll and follow a large, well-defined population that included demented and non-demented participants, all of whom agreed to donate their brains for research. The inclusion of systematic neuropathologic analysis in this study has resulted in a greater understanding of the role of Alzheimer and vascular pathology in the expression of memory deficits and dementia and has provided data showing that biomarkers for the pathology may be evident many decades earlier in adult life. Findings related to neuropathology in this study have included the following: (1) Although clinical outcomes were strongly correlated with Alzheimer neuropathology, about one-third of the participants fulfilling criteria for neuropathologic Alzheimer's disease (AD) were not demented at the time of death.

Changes in brain volume and cognition in a randomized trial of exercise and social interaction in a community-based sample of non-demented Chinese elders.

Physical exercise has been shown to increase brain volume and improve cognition in randomized trials of non-demented elderly. Although greater social engagement was found to reduce dementia risk in observational studies, randomized trials of social interventions have not been reported. A representative sample of 120 elderly from Shanghai, China was randomized to four groups (Tai Chi, Walking, Social Interaction, No Intervention) for 40 weeks.

Work-related stress may increase the risk of vascular dementia.

Objectives: To examine job control, job demands, social support at work, and job strain (ratio of demands to control) in relation to risk of any dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VaD).

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: The population-based Study of Dementia in Swedish Twins.

High normal fasting blood glucose is associated with dementia in Chinese elderly.

Background: Diabetes is a risk factor for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. However, the association between high normal fasting blood glucose (FBG) and dementia has not been studied.

Methods: Polytomous logistic regression was used to assess the association of dementia and MCI with FBG in an age- and sex-matched sample of 32 dementia patients, 27 amnestic MCI (aMCI) patients, and 31 normal controls (NC).

Brain structure and cerebrovascular risk in cognitively impaired patients: Shanghai Community Brain Health Initiative-pilot phase.

Objective: To investigate the associations among brain morphologic changes as seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cerebrovascular risk (CVR), and clinical diagnosis and cognition in elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia living in urban Shanghai.

Design: Cross-sectional study performed from May 1, 2007, to November 31, 2008.

Setting: Memory Disorders Clinic of the Huashan Hospital and the Shanghai community.

Effects of apolipoprotein E-epsilon4 and -epsilon2 in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and dementia in Shanghai: SCOBHI-P.

Objective: To determine apolipoprotein E (APOE)-epsilon4 and -epsilon2 frequencies and risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in Shanghai, China.

Methods: A total of 34 MCI and 34 dementia cases were recruited from an urban Memory Disorders Clinic and 32 controls were recruited from a residential community served by the clinic. Apolipoprotein E was genotyped using standard methods.

Midlife fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of dementia in later life in Swedish twins.

Objective: Diet may be associated with risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD). The authors examined the association between fruit and vegetable consumption in midlife and risk for all types of dementia and AD.

Methods: Participants were 3,779 members of the Swedish Twin Registry who completed a diet questionnaire approximately 30 years before cognitive screening and full clinical evaluation for dementia as part of the study of dementia in Swedish Twins (HARMONY) study.

The effect of APOE-epsilon4 on dementia is mediated by Alzheimer neuropathology.

The degree to which the association of epsilon4 with dementia is mediated by AD lesions in comparison with vascular lesions is controversial. The present study was undertaken to determine the roles of Alzheimer disease (AD) and vascular pathology in mediating the effect of apolipoprotein E (APOE)-epsilon4 alleles on dementia. Clinicopathologic correlations were studied in 267 Catholic sisters participating in the Nun Study.

Health-related quality of life in community-dwelling older Whites and African Americans.

Objective: This study assesses structural and functional characteristics of Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) domains using community-based samples of older Whites and African Americans. Although the eight domains of the SF-36 have by convention been collapsed into two summary categories- physical health and mental health-the authors examine a three-factor model including physical health, mental health, and general well-being. They hypothesized that the general well-being factor would be a mediator between physical and mental health in both groups.

The association between social resources and cognitive change in older adults: evidence from the Charlotte County Healthy Aging Study.

We examined associations between multiple aspects of social resources and 5-year change in performance on different domains of cognitive function. Results indicated that lower satisfaction with support was associated with decline in episodic memory performance over 5 years. We also found significant interactions between age and social networks of family and friends and satisfaction with support for the separate cognitive domains.