Association of Alzheimer's disease concerns with amyloid burden and lifestyle behaviors in cognitively unimpaired older adults.

INTRODUCTION

The extent to which Alzheimer's disease (AD) concerns relate to pathological changes in cognitively unimpaired populations is unclear.

METHODS

We analyzed screening data from the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's (A4) study to determine if AD concerns are associated with amyloid burden in cognitively unimpaired older adults, and how they relate to lifestyle. AD concerns were measured using the six-item Concerns about Alzheimer's Disease Questionnaire. Regression estimated the association of AD concerns with amyloid burden, adjusting for covariates.

RESULTS

Of 4460 individuals, AD concerns were elevated in women, people with a dementia family history, apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 carriers, and individuals who did not meet walking or sleep guidelines. AD concerns were associated with higher amyloid burden (β [95% CI] = 0.002 [0.001-0.003], p = 0.007), with stronger effects in APOE ε4 carriers.

DISCUSSION

AD concerns were associated with a core diagnostic AD biomarker. Assessing AD concerns could inform future recruitment strategies. Clinical Registration Trial:: ClinicalTrials.gov: ID NCT02008357.

HIGHLIGHTS

Alzheimer's disease (AD) concerns were associated with higher amyloid burden. AD concerns were associated with higher depressive symptoms in apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 carriers. Concerns were associated with a lower likelihood of meeting daily walking guidelines. Associations were stronger in APOE ε4 carriers compared to non-carriers.