TY - JOUR
T1 - Longitudinal trajectories in cortical thickness and volume atrophy
T2 - superior cognitive performance does not protect against brain atrophy in older adults
AU - Gardener, Samantha L.
AU - Weinborn, Michael
AU - Sohrabi, Hamid R.
AU - Doecke, James D.
AU - Bourgeat, Pierrick
AU - Rainey-Smith, Stephanie R.
AU - Shen, Kai Kai
AU - Fripp, Jurgen
AU - Taddei, Kevin
AU - Maruff, Paul
AU - Salvado, Olivier
AU - Savage, Greg
AU - Ames, David
AU - Masters, Colin L.
AU - Rowe, Christopher C.
AU - Martins, Ralph N.
AU - The AIBL Research Group
AU - Ward, Larry
AU - Fowler, Christopher J.
AU - Brown, Belinda M.
AU - Grenfell, Robert
N1 - Copyright 2021-The authors. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Background: Previous research has identified a small subgroup of older adults that maintain a high level of cognitive functioning well into advanced age. Investigation of those with superior cognitive performance (SCP) for their age is important, as age-related decline has previously been thought to be inevitable. Objective: Preservation of cortical thickness and volume was evaluated in 76 older adults with SCP and 100 typical older adults (TOAs) assessed up to five times over six years. Methods: Regions of interest (ROIs) found to have been associated with super-aging status (a construct similar to SCP status) in previous literature were investigated, followed by a discovery phase analyses of additional regions. SCPs were aged 70 + at baseline, scoring at/above normative memory (CVLT-II) levels for demographically similar individuals aged 30-44 years old, and in the unimpaired range for all other cognitive domains over the course of the study. Results: In linear mixed models, following adjustment for multiple comparisons, there were no significant differences between rates of thinning or volume atrophy between SCPs and TOAs in previously identified ROIs, or the discovery phase analyses. With only amyloid-β negative individuals in the analyses, again there were no significant differences between SCPs and TOAs. Conclusion: The increased methodological rigor in classifying groups, together with the influence of cognitive reserve, are discussed as potential factors accounting for our findings as compared to the extant literature on those with superior cognitive performance for their age.
AB - Background: Previous research has identified a small subgroup of older adults that maintain a high level of cognitive functioning well into advanced age. Investigation of those with superior cognitive performance (SCP) for their age is important, as age-related decline has previously been thought to be inevitable. Objective: Preservation of cortical thickness and volume was evaluated in 76 older adults with SCP and 100 typical older adults (TOAs) assessed up to five times over six years. Methods: Regions of interest (ROIs) found to have been associated with super-aging status (a construct similar to SCP status) in previous literature were investigated, followed by a discovery phase analyses of additional regions. SCPs were aged 70 + at baseline, scoring at/above normative memory (CVLT-II) levels for demographically similar individuals aged 30-44 years old, and in the unimpaired range for all other cognitive domains over the course of the study. Results: In linear mixed models, following adjustment for multiple comparisons, there were no significant differences between rates of thinning or volume atrophy between SCPs and TOAs in previously identified ROIs, or the discovery phase analyses. With only amyloid-β negative individuals in the analyses, again there were no significant differences between SCPs and TOAs. Conclusion: The increased methodological rigor in classifying groups, together with the influence of cognitive reserve, are discussed as potential factors accounting for our findings as compared to the extant literature on those with superior cognitive performance for their age.
KW - cognitive aging
KW - cortical thickness
KW - cortical thinning
KW - cerebral volume atrophy
KW - older adult superior cognitive performance
KW - super-aging
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107773507&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3233/JAD-201243
DO - 10.3233/JAD-201243
M3 - Article
C2 - 33935071
AN - SCOPUS:85107773507
SN - 1387-2877
VL - 81
SP - 1039
EP - 1052
JO - Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
JF - Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
IS - 3
ER -