Browsing by Subject "Alzheimer"
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Item EFFECTS OF APOE GENOTYPE, ANTIOXIDANTS AND EXERCISE ON MOTOR AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION(2013-04-12) Chaudhari, KiranPurpose: The ɛ4 allele of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) has been associated with increased risk for development of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). To prevent appearance of brain dysfunction, a healthy lifestyle, such as exercising and eating antioxidants, is often recommended. Physical activity has been shown to have an allele-specific beneficial effect on cognition in humans and rodents. Antioxidant therapy is often suggested to improve brain function, as increased oxidative stress has been correlated with brain dysfunction, especially in ɛ4 carriers. Health conscious individuals are likely to combine exercise with antioxidant intake to increase protection, however recent studies have indicated a negative interaction of these two factors. In some cases, antioxidant intake abolished the beneficial effects of exercise. Our study aimed at determining the nature of the interaction between exercise and antioxidants on functional outcomes in a model of increased AD risk. Methods: Young male and female mice, expressing the human ApoE3 or E4, were placed under one of the treatment: Sedentary/control diet (SedCon), Sedentary /antioxidant-rich diet (Vitamins E and C; SedEC), Exercise/control diet (EXCon), Exercise/ antioxidant-rich diet (EXEC), for 8 weeks prior to behavioral testing. Behavior testing includes running co-ordination (rotorod), spatial learning and memory (Morris Water Maze)and discriminative avoidance and cognitive flexibility (T maze). Results: In a coordination test, the E3 mice performed better than the E4 mice, and a significant improvement was observed with the ExEC treatment in males E3 and females E4. Better spatial learning was detected with EXEC in E3 females but not in E4. In males EX impaired learning index in E3 males. In active avoidance acquisition session, learning performance was improved with EX and EXEC treatment in E3 male, and with EXCon treatment in female E4, whereas cognitive flexibility was improved in both male and female in E3 by all the treatments but not in E4. Conclusions: These results in young mice provide an indication that genotype and sex are critical determinants in the functional outcomes of the treatment.Item RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORRY AND DEPRESSION IN ELDERLY MEXICAN-AMERICANS(2014-03) Sosa, Horacio; Johnson, Leigh; Hall, James; Edwards, Melissa; O'Bryant, Sid E.Purpose (a): Research has found a strong correlation between worry and mental and physical health. Later stages of life particularly entail increased stress related to multiple health problems, financial matters, etc., which often are associated with increased worry, anxiety and/or depression. In addition, worry has been linked to cognitive decline in the elderly. Our research has demonstrated that specific symptoms of depression (called the DepE) are related to cognitive impairment and can be used to identify a subgroup of individuals at greater risk for developing Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between DepE and worry in an elderly Mexican-American population. Methods (b): Data was collected from 253 Mexican-Americans (198 women, 60 men) enrolled in the Health and Aging Brain Study among Latino Elders (HABLE), a recently developed community-based study of factors related to aging. The mean age of the sample was 60 years, and the average years of education were 8. Worry was assessed using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, and DepE was calculated using items from GDS30. The sample was divided into two groups based on DepE scores (high- and low-risk). Independent sample t-test was used to analyze the data. Results (c): The independent sample t-test showed a significant difference between the two groups (t = -10.4, p <0.05). Individuals with higher DepE scores have significantly higher scores in the PSWQ (Mean [SD] = 54 [16]), than those with low DepE scores (32 [13]). PSWQ items endorsed by the high-risk group include high worry under pressure (57%), an inability to dismiss worry (53%), consciousness about generalized worry (52%), a general tendency to worry (48%), and an inability to control worry (47%). Conclusions (d): DepE has been validated in multiple independent cohorts. Higher scores on the DepE are related to poor cognition and diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s disease (4). The results of this study suggest individuals with higher DepE scores have significantly higher worry, almost indicative of Generalized Anxiety Disorder according the PSWQ interpretation. This is consistent with literature linking worry to cognitive decline.