INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 08 Program Schedule 02/16/2024 01:45 pm - 03:00 pm Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 08: Cognition \| Cognitive Reserve Variables Final Abstract #59 Participation in Protective Lifestyle Activities, Age-Related Cognitive Impairment, and Apolipoprotein E Epsilon 4 Genotype Daniel Rallison, Pacific University, Hillsboro, United States Michael Daniel, Pacific University, Hillsboro, United States Paul Michael, Pacific University, Hillsboro, United States Category: Aging Keyword 1: aging disorders Keyword 2: apolipoprotein E Keyword 3: mild cognitive impairment Objective: Lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and mentally stimulating tasks like computer use, show potential for reducing risk of age-related cognitive impairment. It is unclear to what extent the relationship between these lifestyle factors and age-related cognitive impairment is influenced by apolipoprotein E (APOE) status. The purpose of this study is to determine whether APOE status impacts differences between premorbid protective activity engagement of individuals subsequently diagnosed with cognitive impairment compared to healthy counterparts. An important methodological improvement is employed by collecting objective activity data. Participants and Methods: Participants included 97 older adults from the Oregon Center for Aging & Technology (ORCATECH) Life Lab (OLL) and Intelligent Systems for Assessing Aging Changes (ISAAC) that were cognitively and physically healthy at baseline in this longitudinal study. Twenty-two were ε4 allele carriers (16 females, M_age= 83.31, M_edu = 16.14) and 75 noncarriers (58 females, M_age = 84.87, M_edu = 15.43). Over 90 days, in-home technology recorded physical activity and computer use. Five measures of physical activity were: number of walks taken, walking speed, number of instances leaving home, time spent away from home, and number of room transitions; two measures of computer use were: number of sessions and total time of use. Cognitive evaluations of participants occurred at baseline and were repeated annually. Participants were categorized as normal if no annual cognitive evaluation reflected impairment. Participants with clinician rating reflecting impairment were classified as cognitively impaired. Two 2X2 factorial multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were performed; cognitive group (impaired vs. normal) and APOE status (ε4 carrier vs. noncarrier) were the independent variables for both. Dependent variables for the first MANOVA were five measures of physical activity; dependent variables for the second MANOVA were two measures of computer use. Results: Across physical activity variables, significant interaction effects between cognitive status and APOE genetic status were observed only for walking speed (F[1, 80] = 4.01, p = .049, η_p²= .048) and number of room transitions (F[1, 80] = 3.96, p = .05, η_p²= .047). Examining simple effects revealed that among ε4 carriers, participants who remained cognitively normal walked significantly faster on average than those who converted to cognitive impairment. Conversely, ε4 carriers who remained cognitively normal made significantly fewer room transitions compared to ε4 carriers who converted to cognitive impairment. No significant interaction effects between cognitive status and APOE genetic status were observed across computer use variables. A subtle pattern emerged of higher computer activity among participants who remained cognitively normal compared to those who converted to impairment, and larger mean differences in computer activity between normal and impaired participants among ε4 carriers compared to noncarriers. Conclusions: These findings provide modest evidence of a mixed impact of APOE status on differences in premorbid protective activity engagement between individuals with cognitive impairment and healthy counterparts. In future studies, applications of this objective data collection protocol among larger sample sizes may be warranted to confirm findings.

Poster

02/16/2024
01:45 pm - 03:00 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 08: Cognition | Cognitive Reserve Variables

Final Abstract #59

Participation in Protective Lifestyle Activities, Age-Related Cognitive Impairment, and Apolipoprotein E Epsilon 4 Genotype

Daniel Rallison, Pacific University, Hillsboro, United States
Michael Daniel, Pacific University, Hillsboro, United States
Paul Michael, Pacific University, Hillsboro, United States

Category: Aging

Keyword 1: aging disorders
Keyword 2: apolipoprotein E
Keyword 3: mild cognitive impairment

Objective:

Lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and mentally stimulating tasks like computer use, show potential for reducing risk of age-related cognitive impairment. It is unclear to what extent the relationship between these lifestyle factors and age-related cognitive impairment is influenced by apolipoprotein E (APOE) status. The purpose of this study is to determine whether APOE status impacts differences between premorbid protective activity engagement of individuals subsequently diagnosed with cognitive impairment compared to healthy counterparts. An important methodological improvement is employed by collecting objective activity data.

Participants and Methods:

Participants included 97 older adults from the Oregon Center for Aging & Technology (ORCATECH) Life Lab (OLL) and Intelligent Systems for Assessing Aging Changes (ISAAC) that were cognitively and physically healthy at baseline in this longitudinal study. Twenty-two were ε4 allele carriers (16 females, M_age= 83.31, M_edu = 16.14) and 75 noncarriers (58 females, M_age = 84.87, M_edu = 15.43). Over 90 days, in-home technology recorded physical activity and computer use. Five measures of physical activity were: number of walks taken, walking speed, number of instances leaving home, time spent away from home, and number of room transitions; two measures of computer use were: number of sessions and total time of use. Cognitive evaluations of participants occurred at baseline and were repeated annually. Participants were categorized as normal if no annual cognitive evaluation reflected impairment. Participants with clinician rating reflecting impairment were classified as cognitively impaired. Two 2X2 factorial multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were performed; cognitive group (impaired vs. normal) and APOE status (ε4 carrier vs. noncarrier) were the independent variables for both. Dependent variables for the first MANOVA were five measures of physical activity; dependent variables for the second MANOVA were two measures of computer use.

Results:

Across physical activity variables, significant interaction effects between cognitive status and APOE genetic status were observed only for walking speed (F[1, 80] = 4.01, p = .049, η_p²= .048) and number of room transitions (F[1, 80] = 3.96, p = .05, η_p²= .047). Examining simple effects revealed that among ε4 carriers, participants who remained cognitively normal walked significantly faster on average than those who converted to cognitive impairment. Conversely, ε4 carriers who remained cognitively normal made significantly fewer room transitions compared to ε4 carriers who converted to cognitive impairment. No significant interaction effects between cognitive status and APOE genetic status were observed across computer use variables. A subtle pattern emerged of higher computer activity among participants who remained cognitively normal compared to those who converted to impairment, and larger mean differences in computer activity between normal and impaired participants among ε4 carriers compared to noncarriers.

Conclusions:

These findings provide modest evidence of a mixed impact of APOE status on differences in premorbid protective activity engagement between individuals with cognitive impairment and healthy counterparts. In future studies, applications of this objective data collection protocol among larger sample sizes may be warranted to confirm findings.