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Dual Task Performance Is Associated with Amyloidosis in Cognitively Healthy Adults

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The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD) provides an opportunity for the study and implementation of interventions and strategies aimed at delaying, mitigating, and preventing AD. While this preclinical state is an ideal target, it is difficult to identify efficiently and cost-effectively. Recent findings have suggested that cognitive-motor dual task paradigms may provide additional inference.

Objectives

Investigate the relationship between dual task performance and amyloidosis, suggestive of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease and whether dual task performance provides additional information beyond a cognitive composite, to help in the identification of amyloidosis.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Setting

Outpatient specialty brain health clinical research institution in the United States.

Participants

52 cognitively healthy adults.

Measurements

The data included demographics, amyloid standardized uptake value ratio obtained via florbetapir-PET, neuropsychological testing, apolipoprotien E genotype, and dual task performance measures. Data were analyzed via hierarchal multiple linear regression or logistic regression, controlling for age, education, and apolipoprotien E genotype. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted, and sensitivity and specificity calculated via 2×2 contingency tables.

Results

There was a moderate relationship (rs>.30) between motor and cognitive dual task effects and amyloid standardized uptake value ratio (ps<.042). A strong relationship (r=.58) was found between combined dual task effect, a measure of automaticity derived from dual task performance, and amyloid standardized uptake value ratio (p<.001). Additionally, combined dual task effect showed promise in its unique contributions to amyloid standardized uptake value ratio, accounting for 7.8% of amyloid standardized uptake value ratio variance beyond cognitive composite scores (p=.018). Additionally, when incorporated into the cognitive composite, combined dual task effect resulted in improved diagnostic accuracy for determining elevated amyloid standardized uptake value ratio, and increased the sensitivity and specificity of the cognitive composite.

Conclussion

Dual task performance using the combined dual task effect, a measure of automaticity, was a moderate predictor of cerebral amyloidosis, which suggests that it has utility in the screening and diagnosis of individuals for preclinical AD. Additionally, when combined with the cognitive composite, the combined dual task effect improves diagnostic accuracy. Further research is warranted.

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Acknowledgements

None

Funding

Funding: This work was funded by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health: #P20GM109025. The sponsors had no role in the design and conduct of the study; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the preparation of the manuscript; or in the review or approval of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA, 63104

    Jason K. Longhurst

  2. Department of Neurorehabilitation, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

    Jason K. Longhurst

  3. Department of Physical Therapy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA

    Jason K. Longhurst, J. V. Rider & M. R. Landers

  4. Department of Brain Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA

    J. L. Cummings, S. E. John, A. M. Salazar & J. W. Kinney

  5. Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA

    B. Poston

  6. Department of Occupational Therapy, Touro University, Henderson, Nevada, USA

    J. V. Rider

  7. Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

    V. R. Mishra, A. Ritter, J. Z. Caldwell & J. B. Miller

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  1. Jason K. Longhurst
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  2. J. L. Cummings
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jason K. Longhurst.

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Conflict of Interest: The authors have no conflict of interest to report.

Ethical standards: The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Cleveland Clinic (No. 15-987). Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study.

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Longhurst, J.K., Cummings, J.L., John, S.E. et al. Dual Task Performance Is Associated with Amyloidosis in Cognitively Healthy Adults. J Prev Alzheimers Dis 9, 297–305 (2022). https://doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2022.1

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