Publications by authors named "Stephanie Cosentino"

Neurodegenerative tauopathies are characterized by the deposition of distinct fibrillar tau assemblies, whose rigid core structures correlate with defined neuropathological phenotypes. Essential tremor (ET) is a progressive neurological disorder that, in some cases, is associated with cognitive impairment and tau accumulation. In this study, we explored tau assembly conformation in ET patients with tau pathology using cytometry-based tau biosensor assays.

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Neurodegenerative tauopathies are characterized by the deposition of distinct fibrillar tau assemblies whose rigid core structures correlate with defined neuropathological phenotypes. Essential tremor (ET) is a progressive neurological disease that, in some cases, is associated with cognitive impairment and tau accumulation. Consequently, we explored the tau assembly conformation in ET patients with tau pathology using cytometry-based tau biosensor assays.

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Introduction: A rapid and reliable neuropsychological protocol is essential for the efficient assessment of neurocognitive constructs related to emergent neurodegenerative diseases. We developed an AI-assisted, digitally administered/scored neuropsychological protocol that can be remotely administered in ~10 min. This protocol assesses the requisite neurocognitive constructs associated with emergent neurodegenerative illnesses.

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Introduction: Essential tremor (ET) patients may exhibit a variety of non-motor features, including cognitive decline and depressive symptoms. Studies of several neurodegenerative diseases link depression to cognitive decline, suggesting depression is an early marker of dementia. We examined whether baseline depressive symptoms predict incident dementia in elders with ET.

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Routine health care visits offer the opportunity to screen older adults for symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Many women see their gynecologist as their primary health care provider. Given this unique relationship, the Women's Preventive Services Initiative and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology advocate for integrated care of women at all ages.

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Introduction: Sleep disturbances have been associated with essential tremor (ET). However, their pathophysiological underpinnings remain unknown. In this exploratory study, we examined the association between subjective sleep disturbances and the presence of Lewy pathology (LP) on postmortem brain examination in ET cases.

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Purpose: The Summer of Translational Aging Research for Undergraduates (STAR U) program, funded by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association, aims to advance diversity in aging research through undergraduate education. Here, we evaluate the effectiveness of the program in cultivating a diverse cohort of scientists from underrepresented backgrounds.

Method: Forty-eight (96%) of 50 STAR U alumni completed a program evaluation survey between April and August 2023.

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Increasing appreciation of the phenotypic and biological overlap between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia, alongside evolving biomarker evidence for a pre-symptomatic stage of disease and observations that this stage of disease might not always be clinically silent, is challenging traditional views of these disorders. These advances have highlighted the need to adapt ingrained notions of these clinical syndromes to include both the full phenotypic continuum - from clinically silent, to prodromal, to clinically manifest - and the expanded phenotypic spectrum that includes ALS, frontotemporal dementia and some movement disorders. The updated clinical paradigms should also align with our understanding of the biology of these disorders, reflected in measurable biomarkers.

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Objective: Despite recent attention to cognitive impairment in essential tremor, few studies examine rates of conversion to diagnoses of mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Development of dementia in essential tremor is associated with loss of functional ability and a doubling of mortality rate. This prospective, longitudinal study comprehensively reports the prevalence and incidence of, and the annual rates of conversion to, mild cognitive impairment and dementia in an essential tremor cohort.

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Background And Objectives: We previously found a substantial familial aggregation of healthy aging phenotypes, including exceptional memory (EM) in long-lived persons. In the current study, we aim to assess whether long-lived families with EM and without EM (non-EM) differ in systemic inflammation status and trajectory.

Methods: The current study included 4333 participants of the multi-center Long Life Family Study (LLFS).

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Background: There is growing evidence that essential tremor (ET) patients are at high risk of cognitive impairment. Predictors of cognitive impairment have not been studied extensively. There is evidence from cross-sectional studies that sleep dysregulation is associated with cognitive dysfunction in ET, but longitudinal studies of the impact of sleep disruption on cognitive change have not been conducted.

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Article Synopsis
  • Late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) has a significant genetic basis, and the Long-Life Family Study (LLFS) provides an opportunity to study genetics through families that experience delayed dementia onset.
  • A whole genome sequence analysis of 3,475 LLFS members, along with association studies involving over 14,000 participants, identified specific genetic variants, particularly within the MTUS2 gene, that are linked to LOAD and are influenced by beta amyloid levels.
  • The MTUS2 gene plays a role in the nervous system's development and function, making it a potential target for further research on the biology of LOAD, as the identified genetic variants were consistent across various studies and populations.
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Background And Objectives: Clinical trials developing therapeutics for frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) focus on pathogenic variant carriers at preclinical stages. Objective, quantitative clinical assessment tools are needed to track stability and delayed disease onset. Natural speech can serve as an accessible, cost-effective assessment tool.

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Introduction: Screening for neurocognitive impairment and psychological distress in ambulatory primary and specialty care medical settings is an increasing necessity. The Core Cognitive Evaluation™ (CCE) is administered/scored using an iPad, requires approximately 8 min, assesses 3- word free recall and clock drawing to command and copy, asks questions about lifestyle and health, and queries for psychological distress. This information is linked with patients' self- reported concerns about memory and their cardiovascular risks.

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Background: We investigated whether aspects of subjective cognitive aging, including awareness of age-related gains and losses in cognition (AARC-gains, AARC-losses) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD), predict change in objective cognitive function as measured by verbal reasoning (VR) and working memory (WM).

Methods: We used longitudinal data for 3,299 cognitively healthy UK residents aged 65+. We used data on AARC and SCD assessed in 2019, and cognitive tasks assessed in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

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Background: Although essential tremor (ET) is often divided into familial and sporadic cases, few data compare the evolution of clinical features in these groups over time. Leveraging data from a prospective, longitudinal study, we present analyses of the evolution of a broad range of cognitive, motor (i.e.

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Background: Misidentification of dementia in Medicare claims is quite common.

Objective: We examined potential race/ethnic disparities in misidentification of dementia in Medicare claims in a diverse cohort of older adults who underwent careful clinical assessment.

Methods: Participants were enrolled in the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP), a multiethnic, population-based, prospective study of cognitive aging in which dementia status was assessed using a rigorous clinical protocol.

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Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), a potential early marker for neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease, is common among older adults. Although it is often regarded as a personal health concern, most individuals with SCD do not seek help from a health care professional. Help-seeking (HS) is a complex, individualized process with significant life-course implications, and older adults often face several barriers to HS across personal, socioeconomic, and cultural domains.

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Article Synopsis
  • Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) such as psychotic symptoms, agitation, and depressed mood are common in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and are linked to worse outcomes and faster disease progression.
  • A study involving older adults with probable AD in upper Manhattan found that psychotic symptoms were specifically tied to quicker increases in dependence and declines in cognition, while depressed mood affected males more than females.
  • The findings highlight the need to consider NPS in the clinical management of AD, as they can significantly influence the disease's trajectory in a diverse population.
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Objective: Disparities in Alzheimer disease (AD) and differences in help seeking (HS) across sociodemographic groups warrant public health concern. Research addressing such disparities must shift toward the earliest clinical manifestations of AD to optimize diagnosis, intervention and care planning. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), a risk state for AD, provides an important context in which to examine sociodemographic-related disparities in HS.

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Article Synopsis
  • The Predictors Studies aim to enhance understanding of Alzheimer's disease progression to predict outcomes for individual patients.
  • The study validated a prediction algorithm on a diverse group of older adults, including both Hispanic and non-Hispanic participants, and extended its use to mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
  • Results showed that the algorithm effectively predicted survival and care needs in most cases, confirming its applicability for community-dwelling older adults with AD and justifying the release of a prediction calculator.
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Background: Although essential tremor (ET) patients have greater odds of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia than age-matched controls, the functional consequences of these enhanced odds are unknown. We examined associations between cognitive diagnosis and the occurrence of near falls, falls, use of a walking aid or a home health aide, non-independent living, or hospitalizations within a prospective, longitudinal study of ET patients.

Methods: A total of 131 ET patients (mean baseline age = 76.

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Background And Objectives: There has been a long-standing dialog as to whether essential tremor (ET) increases the risk of developing Parkinson disease (PD). While there are relevant cross-sectional data, there are almost no longitudinal prospective data. We quantified the conversion rate from ET to ETPD in a prospective longitudinal cohort study of patients with ET.

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Background: Cognitive impairment is a feature of essential tremor (ET). There are no studies of the genetic drivers of this association. We examined whether the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) H1 haplotype is associated with cognitive performance in ET.

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