Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer's Disease in Old Age: A Sex-Specific Cytokinome Signature.

Background: Elevated peripheral levels of different cytokines and chemokines in subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD), as compared with healthy controls (HC), have emphasized the role of inflammation in such a disease. Considering the cross-talking between the central nervous system and the periphery, the inflammatory analytes may provide utility as biomarkers to identify AD at earlier stages.

Objective: Using an advanced statistical approach, we can discriminate the interactive network of cytokines/chemokines and propose a useful tool to follow the progression and evolution of AD, also in light of sex differences.

Lower serum levels of IL-13 is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness in old age subjects.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases due to atherosclerosis represent the major cause of disability and mortality in old age subjects. The atherosclerotic process is linked to a low grade of systemic inflammation with the involvement of many cytokines and inflammatory proteins. Among them, evidence from animal studies suggests that IL-13 has a protective property.

Does the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale function differently in old people with different levels of cognitive functioning?

Background: The 15-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) is widely employed to screen depression among elderly but little is known about the scale functioning in cognitively impaired individuals when compared to normal ones. The aim of the current study is to investigate Differential Item Functioning (DIF) across groups of older people that differ in terms of cognitive functioning applying Item Response Theory (IRT)-based analyses.

Methods: Data from an Italian multi-centric clinical-based study on cognitive impairment and dementia in old people were employed (N = 1903; Age: M = 77.

Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease in the Oldest Old: Yes or No?

In recent years, many efforts have been spent to identify sensitive biomarkers able to improve the accuracy of Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis. Two different workgroups (NIA-AA and IWG) included cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and neuroimaging findings in their sets of criteria in order to improve diagnostic accuracy as well as early diagnosis. The number of subjects with cognitive impairment increases with aging but the oldest old (≥85 years of age), the fastest growing age group, is still the most unknown from a biological point of view.