The effect of preclinical Alzheimer's disease on age-related changes in intelligence in cognitively normal older adults

KD Harrington; C Dang; YY Lim; D Ames; SM Laws; RH Pietrzak; S Rainey-Smith; J Robertson; CC Rowe; O Salvado; VL Villemagne; CL Masters; P Maruff

Journal article

The effect of preclinical Alzheimer's disease on age-related changes in intelligence in cognitively normal older adults

KD Harrington, C Dang, YY Lim, D Ames, SM Laws, RH Pietrzak, S Rainey-Smith, J Robertson, CC Rowe, O Salvado, VL Villemagne, CL Masters, P Maruff

Intelligence | ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC | Published : 2018

DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2018.07.004

Abstract

Background: It is possible that estimates of normal age-related decline in intellectual function have been biased negatively by undetected preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD). This prospective study aimed to determine the nature and magnitude of changes in crystallized and fluid intelligence, as well as their relationship to one another, in normal aging, taking into account the effects of preclinical AD. Methods: Cognitively normal older adults (n = 494) aged between 60 and 84 years underwent serial assessment of fluid and crystallized intelligence at 18-month intervals over 72 months and PET neuroimaging for the presence of abnormal amyloid-β (Aβ+; n = 184). The effects of age and Aβ + on ..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

David Ames Author

Christopher Rowe Author

Victor Villemagne Author

Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

Ms. Harrington received a PhD Scholarship co-funded by the Alzheimer's Australia Dementia Research Foundation and the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. The authors acknowledge the financial support of the CRC for Mental Health. The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) program is an Australian Government Initiative. Funding for the AIBL study was provided in part by the study partners [Australian Commonwealth Scientific Industrial and research Organization (CSIRO), Edith Cowan University (ECU), Mental Health Research Institute (MHRI), Alzheimer's Australia (AA), National Ageing Research Institute (NARI), Austin Health, CogState Ltd., Hollywood Private Hospital, Sir Charles Gardner Hospital]. The study also received support from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Dementia Collaborative Research Centres program (DCRC2), as well as ongoing funding from the Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF).