Medical College of Wisconsin
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Subjective cognitive concerns, APOE ε4, PTSD symptoms, and risk for dementia among older veterans. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024 Jun 29;16(1):143

Date

07/02/2024

Pubmed ID

38951900

Pubmed Central ID

PMC11218206

DOI

10.1186/s13195-024-01512-w

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85197731797 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   1 Citation

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are associated with self-reported problems with cognition as well as risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Overlapping symptom profiles observed in cognitive disorders, psychiatric disorders, and environmental exposures (e.g., head injury) can complicate the detection of early signs of ADRD. The interplay between PTSD, head injury, subjective (self-reported) cognitive concerns and genetic risk for ADRD is also not well understood, particularly in diverse ancestry groups.

METHODS: Using data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Million Veteran Program (MVP), we examined the relationship between dementia risk factors (APOE ε4, PTSD, TBI) and subjective cognitive concerns (SCC) measured in individuals of European (n = 140,921), African (n = 15,788), and Hispanic (n = 8,064) ancestry (EA, AA, and HA, respectively). We then used data from the VA electronic medical record to perform a retrospective survival analysis evaluating PTSD, TBI, APOE ε4, and SCC and their associations with risk of conversion to ADRD in Veterans aged 65 and older.

RESULTS: PTSD symptoms (B = 0.50-0.52, p < 1E-250) and probable TBI (B = 0.05-0.19, p = 1.51E-07 - 0.002) were positively associated with SCC across all three ancestry groups. APOE ε4 was associated with greater SCC in EA Veterans aged 65 and older (B = 0.037, p = 1.88E-12). Results of Cox models indicated that PTSD symptoms (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.13-1.21), APOE ε4 (HR = 1.73-2.05) and SCC (HR = 1.18-1.37) were positively associated with risk for ADRD across all three ancestry groups. In the EA group, probable TBI also contributed to increased risk of ADRD (HR = 1.18).

CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the value of SCC as an indicator of ADRD risk in Veterans 65 and older when considered in conjunction with other influential genetic, clinical, and demographic risk factors.

Author List

Neale ZE, Fonda JR, Miller MW, Wolf EJ, Zhang R, Sherva R, Harrington KM, Merritt V, Panizzon MS, Hauger RL, Gaziano JM, VA Million Veteran Program, Logue MW

Author

Jeffrey Whittle MD Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Apolipoprotein E4
Brain Injuries, Traumatic
Dementia
Female
Humans
Male
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
United States
Veterans