Publications by authors named "Julie A. Fields"

Few normative data for unsupervised, remotely-administered computerized cognitive measures are available. We examined variables to include in normative models for Mayo Test Drive (MTD, a multi-device remote cognitive assessment platform) measures, developed normative data, and validated the norms. 1240 Cognitively Unimpaired (CU) adults ages 32-100 years (96% White) from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging and Mayo Alzheimer's Disease Research Center with Clinical Dementia Rating of 0 were included.

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Background: Mayo Test Drive (MTD): Mayo Test Development through Rapid Iteration, Validation and Expansion, is a web-based remote cognitive assessment platform for self-administered neuropsychological measures with previously demonstrated validity and reliability. We examined the usability of MTD and hypothesized that completion rates would be greater than 90%. We explored whether completion and participation rates differed by cognitive status and demographic factors.

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Introduction: We aimed to compare gait between individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals and to evaluate the association between gait and regional amyloid beta (Aβ) burden in AD and DLB.

Methods: We included 420 participants (70 AD, 70 DLB, 280 CU) in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA). Gait was assessed using a pressure-sensor walkway.

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Importance: Although 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is a well-established cross-sectional biomarker of brain metabolism in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), the longitudinal change in FDG-PET has not been characterized.

Objective: To investigate longitudinal FDG-PET in prodromal DLB and DLB, including a subsample with autopsy data, and report estimated sample sizes for a hypothetical clinical trial in DLB.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Longitudinal case-control study with mean (SD) follow-up of 3.

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Objective: To assess the association of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) in recently menopausal women with white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume later in life and determine whether short-term menopausal hormone therapy (mHT) modifies these associations.

Methods: Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS) was a multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled 4-year mHT trial (oral conjugated equine estrogens or transdermal 17β-estradiol). KEEPS continuation was an observational follow-up of the participants 10 years after the end of mHT.

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Introduction: Premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy (PBO) before the age of 46 years is associated with an increased risk of dementia. We investigated the long-term effects of PBO performed before age 50 years on amyloid beta (Aβ), tau, and neurodegeneration imaging biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: Mayo Clinic Cohort Study of Oophorectomy and Aging-2 participants were divided into early PBO (< 46 years; n = 61), and late PBO (46-49 years; n = 51) groups and were compared to referent women who did not undergo PBO (n = 119).

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Objective: Few normative data for unsupervised, remotely-administered computerized cognitive measures are available. We examined variables to include in normative models for Mayo Test Drive (a multi-device remote cognitive assessment platform) measures, developed normative data, and validated the norms.

Method: 1240 Cognitively Unimpaired (CU) adults ages 32-100-years (96% white) from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging and Mayo Alzheimer's Disease Research Center with Clinical Dementia Rating of 0 were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the role of the genetic variant rs1990622 as a potential modifier of disease risk in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), particularly among those with pathogenic variants.
  • Researchers enrolled participants from the ALLFTD study, analyzing the impact of rs1990622 on gray matter volume and cognitive function across various genetic groups related to FTD.
  • Results indicate that carriers of the minor allele of rs1990622 show increased gray matter volume and better cognitive performance, especially in the thalamus and among presymptomatic individuals.
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Our research found out, from I-FP-CIT SPECT scans of three familial frontotemporal dementia (fFTD) individuals with MAPT N279K mutation and similar autopsy findings of frontotemporal degeneration with severe neuronal loss in the substantia nigra, that prominent decrease of dopamine transporter binding (z-score < -5.0) was present at prodromal fFTD without parkinsonism.

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Background And Objectives: Idiopathic/isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) has been strongly linked to neurodegenerative synucleinopathies such as Parkinson disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. However, there have been increasing reports of RBD as a presenting feature of serious and treatable autoimmune syndromes, particularly IGLON5. This study's objective was to investigate the frequency of autoantibodies in a large cohort of participants with iRBD.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Cardiovascular health, evaluated through Life's Simple 7 (LS7), is linked to slower cognitive decline and better brain integrity in patients with autosomal dominant frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD).
  • - A study involving 247 FTLD genetic variant carriers and 189 non-carrier controls found that those with better cardiovascular health had slower memory and language declines, as well as less accumulation of frontal white matter hyperintensities (WMHs).
  • - Maintaining good cardiovascular health could be a key modifiable strategy to improve cognitive outcomes and brain health in individuals at risk for genetic forms of dementia.
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Background: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is one of the most common degenerative dementias, but research on end-of-life experiences for people with DLB and their caregivers is limited.

Method: Dyads of individuals with moderate-advanced DLB and their primary informal caregivers were recruited from specialty clinics, advocacy organizations, and research registries and followed prospectively every 6 months. The current study examines results of caregiver study visits 3 months after the death of the person with DLB.

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Predominant limbic degeneration has been associated with various underlying aetiologies and an older age, predominant impairment of episodic memory and slow clinical progression. However, the neurological syndrome associated with predominant limbic degeneration is not defined. This endeavour is critical to distinguish such a syndrome from those originating from neocortical degeneration, which may differ in underlying aetiology, disease course and therapeutic needs.

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Background: Studies that assess cognition prospectively and study in detail anxiety history in the participants' medical records within the context of brain aging and Alzheimer's disease are limited.

Objective: To examine the associations of anxiety and unspecified emotional distress (UED) acquired throughout a person's life with prospectively collected cognitive outcomes.

Methods: Mayo Clinic Study of Aging participants who were cognitively unimpaired at baseline were included.

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Background: Conventional normative samples include individuals with undetected Alzheimer's disease neuropathology, lowering test sensitivity for cognitive impairment.

Objective: We developed Mayo Normative Studies (MNS) norms limited to individuals without elevated amyloid or neurodegeneration (A-N-) for Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT). We compared these MNS A-N- norms in female, male, and total samples to conventional MNS norms with varying levels of demographic adjustments.

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Background: Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a leading cause of dementia in individuals aged <65 years. Several challenges to conducting in-person evaluations in FTLD illustrate an urgent need to develop remote, accessible, and low-burden assessment techniques. Studies of unobtrusive monitoring of at-home computer use in older adults with mild cognitive impairment show that declining function is reflected in reduced computer use; however, associations with smartphone use are unknown.

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Introduction: Premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy (PBO) is associated with later-life cognition, but the underlying brain changes remain unclear. We assessed the impact of PBO and PBO age on white matter integrity.

Methods: Female participants with regional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were included (22 with PBO < 40 years; 43 with PBO 40-45 years; 39 with PBO 46-49 years; 907 referents without PBO < 50 years).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effect of a specific genetic modifier on gray matter volume and cognitive function in patients with Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD), including both mutation carriers and sporadic cases.
  • Participants were recruited from the ALLFTD study and were genotyped for the rs1990622 SNP to assess the relationship between this genetic variant and cognitive outcomes across different genetic groups.
  • Findings indicate that the minor allele of rs1990622 is associated with increased gray matter volume and better cognitive scores in mutation carriers, especially affecting the thalamus, suggesting it may play a role in modifying the risk and impact of FTLD.
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Importance: Factors associated with clinical heterogeneity in Alzheimer disease (AD) lay along a continuum hypothesized to associate with tangle distribution and are relevant for understanding glial activation considerations in therapeutic advancement.

Objectives: To examine clinicopathologic and neuroimaging characteristics of disease heterogeneity in AD along a quantitative continuum using the corticolimbic index (CLix) to account for individuality of spatially distributed tangles found at autopsy.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study was a retrospective medical record review performed on the Florida Autopsied Multiethnic (FLAME) cohort accessioned from 1991 to 2020.

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Background And Objectives: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a common degenerative dementia, but research on caregiver experiences in late stages is lacking. This study aimed to investigate the caregiving experience in moderate-advanced DLB to identify opportunities for improving care and support.

Methods: Dyads of individuals with moderate-advanced DLB and their primary informal caregivers were recruited from specialty clinics, advocacy organizations, and research registries.

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Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a neurodegenerative condition often co-occurring with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Characterizing white matter tissue microstructure using Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI) may help elucidate the biological underpinnings of white matter injury in individuals with DLB. In this study, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and NODDI metrics were compared in 45 patients within the dementia with Lewy bodies spectrum (mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies (n = 13) and probable dementia with Lewy bodies (n = 32)) against 45 matched controls using conditional logistic models.

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Article Synopsis
  • Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a rare condition characterized by behavioral and motor symptoms, making traditional neuropsychological assessments less effective for early detection; smartphone-based cognitive tests may provide a solution for remote evaluations.
  • A study conducted over four years involved 360 participants with varying stages of FTLD using smartphone apps to assess cognitive function, splitting them into discovery and validation groups, with a majority being asymptomatic or at preclinical stages.
  • Results indicate the smartphone-based tests showed moderate to excellent reliability in measuring cognitive function, suggesting they could serve as valid tools for remote assessments in FTLD patients.
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Background: Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) defines a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterised by language decline. Three PPA variants correlate with distinct underlying pathologies: semantic variant PPA (svPPA) with transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kD (TDP-43) proteinopathy, agrammatic variant PPA (agPPA) with tau deposition and logopenic variant PPA (lvPPA) with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our objectives were to differentiate PPA variants using clinical and neuroimaging features, assess progression and evaluate structural MRI and a novel 18-F fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) image decomposition machine learning algorithm for neuropathology prediction.

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Background: Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) examines tissue microstructure integrity in vivo. Prior dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) diffusion tensor imaging studies yielded mixed results.

Objective: We employed free-water (FW) imaging to assess DLB progression and correlate with clinical decline in DLB.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigated the relationship between GBA gene variants and neuropathological features in cases of Lewy body disease (LBD), finding that both rare and common GBA variants are linked to conditions like Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.
  • - Out of 943 LBD cases, researchers identified 42 different GBA variants; the presence of minor alleles for these variants was associated with higher odds of likely dementia and lower stages of key neuropathological markers like Braak neurofibrillary tangles and Thal amyloid levels.
  • - GBA variants were especially prevalent in cases of transitional/diffuse LBD with low Alzheimer's disease-related pathology, suggesting that these genetic factors could influence the severity and
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