Designing and implementing the IDEAL Study: A randomized clinical trial of genotype disclosure for late-onset Alzheimer's disease in an urban Latino population.

Introduction: The (IDEAL) Study is a randomized clinical trial investigating the psychosocial, behavioral, and cognitive impacts of apolipoprotein E () genotype disclosure for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) among Latinos.

Methods: We used address-based sampling to recruit English- and Spanish-speaking Latinos aged 40-64 living in northern Manhattan for a community-based Baseline Survey about their knowledge and opinions about AD. Participants eligible for the clinical trial were invited to complete an Introductory Session, including AD and genetics education and informed consent, before undergoing genotyping for .

Missense and loss-of-function variants at GWAS loci in familial Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Few rare variants have been identified in genetic loci from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of Alzheimer's disease (AD), limiting understanding of mechanisms, risk assessment, and genetic counseling.

Methods: Using genome sequencing data from 197 families in the National Institute on Aging Alzheimer's Disease Family Based Study and 214 Caribbean Hispanic families, we searched for rare coding variants within known GWAS loci from the largest published study.

Results: Eighty-six rare missense or loss-of-function (LoF) variants completely segregated in 17.

Rare genetic variation in fibronectin 1 (FN1) protects against APOEε4 in Alzheimer's disease.

The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) significantly increases in individuals carrying the APOEε4 allele. Elderly cognitively healthy individuals with APOEε4 also exist, suggesting the presence of cellular mechanisms that counteract the pathological effects of APOEε4; however, these mechanisms are unknown. We hypothesized that APOEε4 carriers without dementia might carry genetic variations that could protect them from developing APOEε4-mediated AD pathology.

Physical Activity Moderates the Relationship between Cardiovascular Disease Risk Burden and Cognition in Older Adults.

Introduction: Older individuals with a higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden have a higher risk for accelerated cognitive decline and dementia. Physical activity (PA) is an inexpensive and accessible preventive measure to CVD, cognitive impairment, and dementia. The current study examined (1) whether PA moderates the relationship between CVD burden and cognition and (2) whether the moderating effect of PA differs by race/ethnicity groups and by APOE-ɛ4 status.

Multi-omics Characterization of Epigenetic and Genetic Risk of Alzheimer Disease in Autopsied Brains from two Ethnic Groups.

Background: Both genetic variants and epigenetic features contribute to the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We studied the AD association of CpG-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (CGS), which act as the hub of both the genetic and epigenetic effects, in Hispanics decedents and generalized the findings to Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) decedents.

Methods: First, we derived the dosage of the CpG site-creating allele of multiple CGSes in each 1 KB window across the genome and we conducted a sliding window association test with clinical diagnosis of AD in 7,155 Hispanics (3,194 cases and 3,961 controls) using generalized linear mixed models with the adjustment of age, sex, population structure, genomic relationship matrix, and genotyping batches.

Lysophosphatidylcholines are associated with P-tau181 levels in early stages of Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: We profiled circulating plasma metabolites to identify systemic biochemical changes in clinical and biomarker-assisted diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: We used an untargeted approach with liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry to measure small molecule plasma metabolites from 150 clinically diagnosed AD patients and 567 age-matched healthy elderly of Caribbean Hispanic ancestry. Plasma biomarkers of AD were measured including P-tau181, Aβ40, Aβ42, total-tau, neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).

Rare genetic variation in Fibronectin 1 ( ) protects against in Alzheimer's disease.

The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) significantly increases in individuals carrying the allele. Elderly cognitively healthy individuals with also exist, suggesting the presence of cellular mechanisms that counteract the pathological effects of ; however, these mechanisms are unknown. We hypothesized that carriers without dementia might carry genetic variations that could protect them from developing mediated AD pathology.

Missense and Loss of Function Variants at GWAS Loci in Familial Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Few rare variants have been identified in genetic loci from genome wide association studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD), limiting understanding of mechanisms and risk assessment, and genetic counseling.

Methods: Using genome sequencing data from 197 families in The NIA Alzheimer's Disease Family Based Study, and 214 Caribbean Hispanic families, we searched for rare coding variants within known GWAS loci from the largest published study.

Results: Eighty-six rare missense or loss of function (LoF) variants completely segregated in 17.

Risk of Alzheimer's disease is associated with longitudinal changes in plasma biomarkers in the multi-ethnic Washington Heights-Hamilton Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP) cohort.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers can help differentiate cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. The role of AD biomarkers in predicting cognitive impairment and AD needs examination.

Methods: In 628 CU individuals from a multi-ethnic cohort, amyloid beta (Aβ)42, Aβ40, phosphorylated tau-181 (p-tau181), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neurofilament light chain (NfL) were measured in plasma.

Lysophosphatidylcholines are associated with P-tau181 levels in early stages of Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: We investigated systemic biochemical changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) by investigating the relationship between circulating plasma metabolites and both clinical and biomarker-assisted diagnosis of AD.

Methods: We used an untargeted approach with liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry to measure exogenous and endogenous small molecule metabolites in plasma from 150 individuals clinically diagnosed with AD and 567 age-matched elderly without dementia of Caribbean Hispanic ancestry. Plasma biomarkers of AD were also measured including P-tau181, Aβ40, Aβ42, total tau, neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).

Risk of Alzheimer's Disease is Associated with Longitudinal Changes in Plasma Biomarkers in the Multiethnic Washington Heights, Inwood Columbia Aging Project Cohort.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers can help differentiate cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. The role of AD biomarkers in predicting cognitive impairment and AD needs examination.

Methods: In 628 CU individuals from a multi-ethnic cohort, Aβ42, Aβ40, phosphorylated tau-181 (P-tau181), glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), and neurofilament light chain (NfL) were measured in plasma.

Reliability and Validity of Self-Reported Vascular Risk Factors: Hypertension, Diabetes, and Heart Disease, in a Multi-Ethnic Community Based Study of Aging and Dementia.

Background: Queries for the presence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors are typically assessed through self-report. However, the reliability and validity of self-reported cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors remain inconsistent in aging research.

Objective: To determine the reliability and validity of the most frequently self-reported vascular risk factors: hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.

Reliability and Validity of self-reported Vascular Risk Factors in a Multi-Ethnic Community Based Study of Aging and Dementia.

Introduction: The reliability and validity of self-reported cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors remains inconsistent in aging research.

Methods: We assessed the reliability, validity, sensitivity, specificity, and percent agreement of self-reported hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, in comparison with direct measures of blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and medication use in 1870 participants in a multiethic study of aging and dementia.

Results: Reliability of self-reported for hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease was excellent.

Evaluation of Plasma Biomarkers for A/T/N Classification of Alzheimer Disease Among Adults of Caribbean Hispanic Ethnicity.

Importance: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma biomarkers can detect biological evidence of Alzheimer disease (AD), but their use in low-resource environments and among minority ethnic groups is limited.

Objective: To assess validated plasma biomarkers for AD among adults of Caribbean Hispanic ethnicity.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this decision analytical modeling study, adults were recruited between January 1, 2018, and April 30, 2022, and underwent detailed clinical assessments and venipuncture.

FMNL2 regulates gliovascular interactions and is associated with vascular risk factors and cerebrovascular pathology in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been associated with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRFs) during middle age and later and is frequently accompanied by cerebrovascular pathology at death. An interaction between CVRFs and genetic variants might explain the pathogenesis. Genome-wide, gene by CVRF interaction analyses for AD, in 6568 patients and 8101 controls identified FMNL2 (p = 6.

Correlation of plasma and neuroimaging biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease.

Blood-based phosphorylated tau (Ptau) 181 and 217 biomarkers are sensitive and specific for Alzheimer's disease. In this racial/ethnically diverse cohort study, participants were classified as biomarker positive (Ptau+) or negative (Ptau-) based on Ptau 181 and 217 concentrations and as cognitively impaired (Sym) or unimpaired (Asym). The four groups, Ptau-/Asym, Ptau+/Asym, Ptau-/Sym, and Ptau+/Sym, differed by age, APOE-4 allele frequency, total tau, neurofilament light chain, and cortical thickness measured by MRI.

Progranulin mutations in clinical and neuropathological Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Progranulin (GRN) mutations occur in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and in Alzheimer's disease (AD), often with TDP-43 pathology.

Methods: We determined the frequency of rs5848 and rare, pathogenic GRN mutations in two autopsy and one family cohort. We compared Braak stage, β-amyloid load, hyperphosphorylated tau (PHFtau) tangle density and TDP-43 pathology in GRN carriers and non-carriers.

Polygenic Risk Score for Alzheimer's Disease in Caribbean Hispanics.

Objective: Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) assess the individual genetic propensity to a condition by combining sparse information scattered across genetic loci, often displaying small effect sizes. Most PRSs are constructed in European-ancestry populations, limiting their use in other ethnicities. Here we constructed and validated a PRS for late-onset Alzheimer's Disease (LOAD) in Caribbean Hispanics (CH).

Vascular mild cognitive impairment and its relationship to hemoglobin A1c levels and apolipoprotein E genotypes in the Dominican Republic.

Unlabelled: Dementia and vascular mild cognitive impairment (VaMCI) currently impose a tremendous human and economic burden on patients from aging populations and their families worldwide. Understanding the interplay of cardiometabolic risk factors and apolipoprotein E (APOE) may direct us to a more personalized medicine and preventative care in MCI and dementia.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship of cardiometabolic risk factors with MCI and assess the APOE genotype's role in an elderly cohort in the Dominican Republic.

Plasma p-tau181, p-tau217, and other blood-based Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in a multi-ethnic, community study.

Introduction: Blood-based Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers provide opportunities for community studies and across ethnic groups. We investigated blood biomarker concentrations in the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP), a multi-ethnic community study of aging and dementia.

Methods: We measured plasma amyloid beta (Aβ)40, Aβ42, total tau (t-tau), phosphorylated tau (p-tau)181, and p-tau217, and neurofilament light chain (NfL) in 113 autopsied participants (29% with high AD neuropathological changes) and in 300 clinically evaluated individuals (42% with clinical AD).

Synonymous variants associated with Alzheimer disease in multiplex families.

Objective: Synonymous variants can lead to disease; nevertheless, the majority of sequencing studies conducted in Alzheimer disease (AD) only assessed coding variation.

Methods: To detect synonymous variants modulating AD risk, we conducted a whole-genome sequencing study on 67 Caribbean Hispanic (CH) families multiply affected by AD. Identified disease-associated variants were further assessed in an independent cohort of CHs, expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) data, brain autopsy data, and functional experiments.

Differences in plasma metabolites related to Alzheimer's disease, ε4 status, and ethnicity.

Introduction: We investigated metabolites in plasma to capture systemic biochemical changes associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: Metabolites in plasma were measured in 59 AD cases and 60 healthy participants of African American (AA), Caribbean Hispanic (CH), and non-Hispanic white (NHW) ancestry using untargeted liquid-chromatography-based ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry. Metabolite differences between AD and healthy, ethnic groups and apolipoprotein E gene () ε4 status were analyzed.

Association of Variants in PINX1 and TREM2 With Late-Onset Alzheimer Disease.

Importance: Genetic causes of late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD) are not completely explained by known genetic loci. Whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing can improve the understanding of the causes of LOAD and provide initial steps required to identify potential therapeutic targets.

Objective: To identify the genetic loci for LOAD across different ethnic groups.

Rare Variants Imputation in Admixed Populations: Comparison Across Reference Panels and Bioinformatics Tools.

Background: Imputation has become a standard approach in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to infer untyped markers. Although feasibility for common variants imputation is well established, we aimed to assess rare and ultra-rare variants' imputation in an admixed Caribbean Hispanic population (CH).

Methods: We evaluated imputation accuracy in CH ( = 1,000), focusing on rare (0.