Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2017

Publication Title

Alzheimers Dement

Keywords

Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alzheimer Disease; Apolipoproteins E; Cognition Disorders; Cohort Studies; Executive Function; Female; Humans; Incidence; Male; Memory Disorders; Neurologic Examination; Neuropsychological Tests; Visual Perception

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: There may be biologically relevant heterogeneity within typical late-onset Alzheimer's dementia.

METHODS: We analyzed cognitive data from people with incident late-onset Alzheimer's dementia from a prospective cohort study. We determined individual averages across memory, visuospatial functioning, language, and executive functioning. We identified domains with substantial impairments relative to that average. We compared demographic, neuropathology, and genetic findings across groups defined by relative impairments.

RESULTS: During 32,286 person-years of follow-up, 869 people developed Alzheimer's dementia. There were 393 (48%) with no domain with substantial relative impairments. Some participants had isolated relative impairments in memory (148, 18%), visuospatial functioning (117, 14%), language (71, 9%), and executive functioning (66, 8%). The group with isolated relative memory impairments had higher proportions with ≥ APOE ε4 allele, more extensive Alzheimer's-related neuropathology, and higher proportions with other Alzheimer's dementia genetic risk variants.

DISCUSSION: A cognitive subgrouping strategy may identify biologically distinct subsets of people with Alzheimer's dementia.

Clinical Institute

Neurosciences (Brain & Spine)

Department

Neurosciences

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