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Visual contrast sensitivity is associated with the presence of cerebral amyloid and tau deposition
Risacher SL, WuDunn D, Tallman EF, West JD, Gao S, Farlow MR, Brosch JR, Apostolova LG et al.. Brain communications, 2020-02-26
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Visual deficits are common in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. We sought to determine the association between visual contrast sensitivity and neuroimaging measures of Alzheimer's disease-related pathophysiology, including cerebral amyloid and tau deposition and neurodegeneration. A total of 74 participants (7 Alzheimer's disease, 16 mild cognitive impairment, 20 subjective cognitive decline, 31 cognitively normal older adults) underwent the frequency doubling technology 24-2 examination, a structural MRI scan and amyloid PET imaging for the assessment of visual contrast sensitivity. Of these participants, 46 participants (2 Alzheimer's disease, 9 mild cognitive impairment, 12 subjective cognitive decline, 23 cognitively normal older adults) also underwent tau PET imaging with [ 18 F]flortaucipir. The relationships between visual contrast sensitivity and cerebral amyloid and tau, as well as neurodegeneration, were assessed using partial Pearson correlations, covaried for age, sex and race and ethnicity. Voxel-wise associations were also evaluated for amyloid and tau. The ability of visual contrast sensitivity to predict amyloid and tau positivity were assessed using forward conditional logistic regression and receiver operating curve analysis. All analyses first were done in the full sample and then in the non-demented at-risk individuals (subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment) only. Significant associations between visual contrast sensitivity and regional amyloid and tau deposition were observed across the full sample and within subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment only. Voxel-wise analysis demonstrated strong associations of visual contrast sensitivity with amyloid and tau, primarily in temporal, parietal and occipital brain regions. Finally, visual contrast sensitivity accurately predicted amyloid and tau positivity. Alterations in visual contrast sensitivity were related to cerebral deposition of amyloid and tau, suggesting that this measure may be a good biomarker for detecting Alzheimer's disease-related pathophysiology. Future studies in larger patient samples are needed, but these findings support the power of these measures of visual contrast sensitivity as a potential novel, inexpensive and easy-to-administer biomarker for Alzheimer's disease-related pathology in older adults at risk for cognitive decline.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Risacher, S. L., WuDunn, D., Tallman, E. F., West, J. D., Gao, S., Farlow, M. R., et al. (2020). Visual contrast sensitivity is associated with the presence of cerebral amyloid and tau deposition. Brain communications. https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcaa019
Vancouver
Risacher SL, WuDunn D, Tallman EF, West JD, Gao S, Farlow MR, et al. Visual contrast sensitivity is associated with the presence of cerebral amyloid and tau deposition. Brain communications. 2020. doi:10.1093/braincomms/fcaa019. PMID: 32309804.
BibTeX
@article{risacher2020-32309804,
author = {Risacher, S. L. and WuDunn, D. and Tallman, E. F. and West, J. D. and Gao, S. and Farlow, M. R. and Brosch, JR. and Apostolova, L. G. and others},
title = {{Visual contrast sensitivity is associated with the presence of cerebral amyloid and tau deposition}},
journal = {Brain communications},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1093/braincomms/fcaa019},
pmid = {32309804},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcaa019}
}
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Key findings
- Significant associations between visual contrast sensitivity and regional amyloid and tau deposition were observed across the full sample and within subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment only.
- Voxel-wise analysis demonstrated strong associations of visual contrast sensitivity with amyloid and tau, primarily in temporal, parietal and occipital brain regions.
- Alterations in visual contrast sensitivity were related to cerebral deposition of amyloid and tau, suggesting that this measure may be a good biomarker for detecting Alzheimer's disease-related pathophysiology.
- Future studies in larger patient samples are needed, but these findings support the power of these measures of visual contrast sensitivity as a potential novel, inexpensive and easy-to-administer biomarker for Alzheimer's disease-related pathology in older adults at risk for cognitive decline.
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Study details
- Participants74
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 30 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 52 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Brain communications) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| 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 | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 74 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 | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32309804) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 30 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 30 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 52 out of 100. |
| Total | 52 / 100 | — |
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