Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Objective A study was undertaken to investigate the association of intellectual and physical activity with biomarkers of Alzheimer disease (AD) pathophysiology and cognition in a nondemented elderly population. The biomarkers evaluated were brain Aβ load via Pittsburgh compound B (PiB)-positron emission tomography (PET), neuronal dysfunction via (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET, and neurodegeneration via structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods We studied 515 nondemented (428 cognitively normal and 87 mild cognitive impairment) participants in the population-based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging who completed a 3T MRI, PET scans, and APOE genotype, and had lifestyle activity measures and cognition data available. The imaging measures computed were global PiB-PET uptake, and global FDG-PET and MRI based hippocampal volume. We consolidated activity variables into lifetime intellectual, current intellectual, and current physical activities. We used a global cognitive z score as a measure of cognition. We applied 2 independent methods-partial correlation analysis adjusted for age and gender and path analysis using structural equations-to evaluate the associations between lifestyle activities, imaging biomarkers, and global cognition. Results None of the lifestyle variables were correlated with the biomarkers, and the path associations between lifestyle variables and biomarkers were not significant (p > 0.05). Conversely, all the biomarkers were correlated with global cognitive z score (p Interpretation Intellectual and physical activity lifestyle factors were not associated with AD biomarkers, but intellectual lifestyle factors explained variability in the cognitive performance in this nondemented population. This study provides evidence that lifestyle activities may delay the onset of dementia but do not significantly influence the expression of AD pathophysiology.
Key findings
- Results None of the lifestyle variables were correlated with the biomarkers, and the path associations between lifestyle variables and biomarkers were not significant (p > 0.05).
- Conversely, all the biomarkers were correlated with global cognitive z score (p < 0.05), and the path associations between (lifetime and current) intellectual activities and global z score were significant (p < 0.01).
- This study provides evidence that lifestyle activities may delay the onset of dementia but do not significantly influence the expression of AD pathophysiology.
Why it matters
In 515 nondemented older adults, intellectual and physical activity were not associated with amyloid, FDG-PET, or hippocampal volume biomarkers, though intellectual activity was linked to cognitive performance. This is a null result for lifestyle activity and Alzheimer's disease biomarkers, not evidence of prevention.
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Study details
- Participants515
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Annals of neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Annals of Neurology: journal h-index 437 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2012 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 515 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 193 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 12.1 citations a year over 16 year(s) since 2012 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 19 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 18 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Clifford R. Jack: h-index 203 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Mayo Clinic: institution h-index 1,606 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23280791) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Vemuri, P., Lesnick, T. G., Przybelski, S. A., Knopman, D. S., Roberts, R. O., Lowe, V. J., et al. (2012). Effect of lifestyle activities on Alzheimer disease biomarkers and cognition. Annals of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.23665
Vancouver
Vemuri P, Lesnick TG, Przybelski SA, Knopman DS, Roberts RO, Lowe VJ, et al. Effect of lifestyle activities on Alzheimer disease biomarkers and cognition. Annals of neurology. 2012. doi:10.1002/ana.23665. PMID: 23280791.
BibTeX
@article{vemuri2012-23280791,
author = {Vemuri, P. and Lesnick, T. G. and Przybelski, S. A. and Knopman, D. S. and Roberts, R. O. and Lowe, V. J. and Kantarci, K. and Senjem, M. L. and others},
title = {{Effect of lifestyle activities on Alzheimer disease biomarkers and cognition}},
journal = {Annals of neurology},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1002/ana.23665},
pmid = {23280791},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.23665}
}
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