The PREVENT Dementia Programme has a number of publications which have been published across a range of peer reviewed journals and can be accessed through the links in the categories below.
Imaging -
View all [18]
Maria-Eleni Dounavi , Elijah Mak, Peter Swann, Audrey Low, Graciela Muniz-Terrera, Anna McKeever,
Marianna Pope, Guy B Williams, Katie Wells, Brian Lawlor, Lorina Naci, Paresh Malhotra, Clare Mackay, Ivan Koychev, Karen Ritchie, Li Su, Craig W Ritchie and John T O’Brien.
Journal of Cerebral Blood flow & Metabolism (2023)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0271678X231173587
Summary
Timely delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the brain via the bloodstream is crucial for the maintenance of brain health. Using a brain imaging technique called arterial spin labelling (ASL) we can measure the delivery of blood to the brain tissue to quantify cerebral blood flow (CBF). In the present study we examined differences in blood flow between people who carry at least one copy of the apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE4) gene (potential higher risk for future Alzheimer’s disease) and those who do not carry any copy of APOE4. We also examined the relationship between different sizes and shapes of red blood cells and cerebral blood flow.
APOE4 carriers demonstrated an unexpected pattern of higher cerebral blood flow in their brain. We have also found that the relationship between CBF and size and shape of red blood cells is different between APOE4 carriers and non-carriers, especially in areas that are far from the arteries supplying blood to the brain.
Cognition -
View all [8]
Bauermeister, S.D., ,
British Medical Journal (2023)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0271678X231173587
Summary
This study sought to look at the relationship between pre-diabetes (that is resistance of the body tissue to insulin), depressive symptoms and performance on memory tests in 40-59 year olds. Blood samples were analysed to check how responsive the body tissues were to insulin. Scores on a depression symptoms scale was used to assess levels of depression. Results from two computerised tests were used to determine memory and thinking skills. The results found those with evidence of insulin resistance reported higher depression symptoms. Higher insulin resistance in older middle-aged adults may be particularly detrimental to some aspects of memory and thinking as performance was impaired in those aged 50-60 years. The findings show that there are interrelationships between depression, resistance to insulin and cognitive impairment.
Other -
View all [9]
Benjamin Tari, Michael Ben Yehuda, Axel Anders Stefan Laurell, Karen Ritchie, Yves Dauvilliers, Craig W. Ritchie, Brian Lawlor, Lorina Naci, Graciela Muniz Terrera, Paresh Malhotra, Tam Watermeyer, Robert Dudas, Benjamin R Underwood, John T O’Brien, Vanessa Raymont, Ivan Koychev.
Frontiers in Sleep (2023)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2023.07.020
Summary
As the global population ages, it is critical to understand factors associated with cognitive decline, such as sleep. Sleep has been shown to maintain cognitive function and protect against the onset of chronic disease, but too much or too little has been linked to cognitive impairment, depression and dementia onset. Here, we aimed to identify links between sleep, depression and cognition. Our analyses found that sleep was related to participants’ ratings of symptoms of depression, and that their feelings of depression were associated with cognitive performance. Our results provide a base from which cognition, dementia onset, and potential points of intervention, may be better understood.
