Rapid Decline in Episodic Memory in Healthy Older Adults with High Amyloid-β

Article type: Short Communication

Authors: Lim, Yen Ying^{a; b; *} | Pietrzak, Robert H.^c | Ellis, Kathryn A.^{a; d; e} | Jaeger, Judith^{f; g} | Harrington, Karra^a | Ashwood, Tim^h | Szoeke, Cassandra^{a; e; i} | Martins, Ralph N.^j | Bush, Ashley I.^{a; k} | Masters, Colin L.^a | Rowe, Christopher C.^{l; m} | Villemagne, Victor L.^{a; l} | Ames, David^{b; e} | Darby, David^{a; n; o} | Maruff, Paul^{a; o}

Affiliations: [a] Mental Health Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia | [b] Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia | [c] Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA | [d] Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia | [e] National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Vic, Australia | [f] Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA | [g] CogState Ltd., New Haven, CT, USA | [h] AstraZeneca R&D, Global Medicines Development, Södertälje, Sweden | [i] CSIRO Preventative Health Flagship, Parkville, Vic, Australia | [j] Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care, School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia | [k] Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia | [l] Department of Nuclear Medicine and Centre for PET, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Vic, Australia | [m] Department of Medicine, Austin Health, The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Vic, Australia | [n] Florey Neuroscience Institutes, The University of Melbourne, Carlton South, Vic, Australia | [o] CogState Ltd., Melbourne, Vic, Australia

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Yen Ying Lim, Mental Health Research Institute, 155 Oak Street, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia. Tel.: +61 3 9388 1633; Fax: +61 3 9035 8642; E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: High levels of amyloid-β (Aβ) have been associated with greater rates of decline in episodic memory over 18 months in healthy older adults. Serial assessments over shorter time intervals may facilitate earlier detection of Aβ-related memory decline in healthy older adults. In forty-four healthy older adults enrolled in the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Rate of Change Sub-Study, we compared rates of change in cognition over six months in healthy older adults with high and low levels of Aβ. High Aβ was associated with greater decline in episodic memory measures over 6 months in healthy older adults.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-β, cognitive decline, episodic memory, neuropsychological assessment

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2012-121516

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 675-679, 2013