Effective therapies to protect against cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) are urgently needed. While there have been recent advances in pharmaceutical approaches, behavioral and lifestyle interventions are also recognized as promising strategies to preserve cognitive health among older adults. The U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER), funded by the Alzheimer’s Association, is investigating whether 2-year multidomain lifestyle interventions can protect or improve cognition in a diverse and representative cohort of 2111 older Americans who are at risk for cognitive decline and dementia. In this symposium, we examine the association of potential risk factors for cognitive decline (e.g., presence of subjective cognitive concerns, variability in cognitive performance, depression, low engagement social/physical/cognitive activity, accumulation of amyloid and tau) using data from the baseline U.S. POINTER cohort. This pivotal clinical trial has enhanced geographic and demographic diversity (31.1% from underrepresented groups) as well as recruitment efforts through electronic health records and grassroots outreach strategies, providing the opportunity to examine risk factors for cognitive decline among a large, representative well-characterized group of older adults. Additionally, the innovative structure of the U.S. POINTER study includes a neuropsychologist at each of the 5 study sites, appropriately elevating the role of measuring and tracking cognition in this significant study. In the first talk, Dr. Kathryn Papp will discuss associations between cognitive performance and amyloid and tau accumulation and cerebrovascular risk. Next, Dr. Athene Lee will describe how measures of cognitive dispersion may provide additive information regarding risk for cognitive decline, particularly among under-represented group. Dr. Sarah Tomaszewski Farias will discuss rates of subjective cognitive decline and associations objective cognitive performance and other variables. Dr. Bonnie Sachs will then discuss how the presence of subjective cognitive decline relates to self-reported engagement in physical, cognitive, and social activities and how these relationships vary by demographic factors. Finally, Dr. Kristin R. Krueger will report on associations between depressive symptomatology and cognition. Together, these presentations aim to stimulate further dialogue regarding how examination of risk factors for cognitive decline among representative samples can advance our understanding of ADRD while also providing an overview of the U.S. POINTER study.
Kathryn Papp, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States Tiia Ngandu, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, United States Amber Thro, Wake Forest, Winston Salem, United States Brad Caudle, Wake Forest, Winston Salem, United States Marjorie Howard, Wake Forest, Winston Salem, United States Theresa Harrison, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States Susan Landau, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States Heather Snyder, Alzheimer's Association, Chicago, United States Mark Espeland, Wake Forest, Winston Salem, United States Laura Baker, Wake Forest, Winston Salem, United States
Athene Lee, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, United States Alyssa De Vito, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, United States Theresa Harrison, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States Xiaoyan Leng, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, United States Sarah Tomaszewski Farias, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, United States Bonnie Sachs, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, United States Kristin Krueger, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, United States Susan Landau, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States Mark Espeland, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, United States Laura Baker, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, United States Kate Papp, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
Sarah Farias, UC Davis, Davis, United States Iris Leng, Wake Forest, Winston Salem, United States Michelle Chan, UC Davis, Davis, United States Bonnie Sachs, Wake Forest, Winston Salem, United States Kristin Krueger, Rush, Chicago, United States Athene Lee, Brown University, Providence, United States Rachel Whitmer, UC Davis, Davis, United States Heather Snyder, Alzheimer's Association, Chicago, United States Kathryn Papp, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States Laura Baker, Wake Forest, Winston Salem, United States
Bonnie Sachs, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, United States Laura Baker, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, United States Brad Caudle, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, United States Sarah Farias, UC Davis, Davis, United States Jeffrey Katula, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, United States Athene Lee, Brown University, Providence, United States Laura Lovato, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, United States Heather Snyder, Alzheimer's Association, Chicago, United States Amber Thro, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, United States Kathryn Papp, Harvard University, Boston, United States
Kristin Krueger, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, United States Kathryn Papp, Mass General Brigham, Boston, United States Sarah Farias, University of California, Davis, Davis, United States Kathryn Garcia, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, United States Laura Lovato, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, United States Bonnie Sachs, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, United States Athene Lee, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, United States Susan Landau, University of Berkeley, Berkeley, United States Tessa Harrison, University of Berkeley, Berkeley, United States Heather Snyder, Alzheimer's Association, Chicago, United States
