Browsing by Author "Schwarz, Christopher G."

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    Apolipoprotein ε4 Is Associated with Lower Brain Volume in Cognitively Normal Chinese but Not White Older Adults
    (PLoS, 2016-06-17) Yokoyama, Jennifer S.; Lee, Allen K.L.; Takada, Leonel T.; Busovaca, Edgar; Bonham, Luke W.; Chao, Steven Z.; Tse, Marian; He, Jing; Schwarz, Christopher G.; Carmichael, Owen T.; Matthews, Brandy R.; Karydas, Anna; Weiner, Michael W.; Coppola, Giovanni; DeCarli, Charles S.; Miller, Bruce L.; Rosen, Howard J.; Department of Neurology, IU School of Medicine
    Studying ethnically diverse groups is important for furthering our understanding of biological mechanisms of disease that may vary across human populations. The ε4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE ε4) is a well-established risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and may confer anatomic and functional effects years before clinical signs of cognitive decline are observed. The allele frequency of APOE ε4 varies both across and within populations, and the size of the effect it confers for dementia risk may be affected by other factors. Our objective was to investigate the role APOE ε4 plays in moderating brain volume in cognitively normal Chinese older adults, compared to older white Americans. We hypothesized that carrying APOE ε4 would be associated with reduced brain volume and that the magnitude of this effect would be different between ethnic groups. We performed whole brain analysis of structural MRIs from Chinese living in America (n = 41) and Shanghai (n = 30) and compared them to white Americans (n = 71). We found a significant interaction effect of carrying APOE ε4 and being Chinese. The APOE ε4xChinese interaction was associated with lower volume in bilateral cuneus and left middle frontal gyrus (Puncorrected<0.001), with suggestive findings in right entorhinal cortex and left hippocampus (Puncorrected<0.01), all regions that are associated with neurodegeneration in AD. After correction for multiple testing, the left cuneus remained significantly associated with the interaction effect (PFWE = 0.05). Our study suggests there is a differential effect of APOE ε4 on brain volume in Chinese versus white cognitively normal elderly adults. This represents a novel finding that, if verified in larger studies, has implications for how biological, environmental and/or lifestyle factors may modify APOE ε4 effects on the brain in diverse populations.
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    The Advisory Group on Risk Evidence Education for Dementia: Multidisciplinary and Open to All
    (IOS Press, 2022) Rosen, Allyson C.; Arias, Jalayne J.; Ashford, J. Wesson; Blacker, Deborah; Chhatwal, Jasmeer P.; Chin, Nathan A.; Clark, Lindsay; Denny, Sharon S.; Goldman, Jill S.; Gleason, Carey E.; Grill, Joshua D.; Heidebrink, Judith L.; Henderson, Victor W.; Lavacot, James A.; Lingler, Jennifer H.; Menon, Malavika; Nosheny, Rachel L.; Oliveira, Fabricio F.; Parker, Monica W.; Rahman-Filipiak, Annalise; Revoori, Anwita; Rumbaugh, Malia C.; Sanchez, Danurys L.; Schindler, Suzanne E.; Schwarz, Christopher G.; Toy, Leslie; Tyrone, Jamie; Walter, Sarah; Wang, Li-san; Wijsman, Ellen M.; Zallen, Doris T.; Aggarwal, Neelum T.; Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine
    The brain changes of Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative dementias begin long before cognitive dysfunction develops, and in people with subtle cognitive complaints, clinicians often struggle to predict who will develop dementia. The public increasingly sees benefits to accessing dementia risk evidence (DRE) such as biomarkers, predictive algorithms, and genetic information, particularly as this information moves from research to demonstrated usefulness in guiding diagnosis and clinical management. For example, the knowledge that one has high levels of amyloid in the brain may lead one to seek amyloid reducing medications, plan for disability, or engage in health promoting behaviors to fight cognitive decline. Researchers often hesitate to share DRE data, either because they are insufficiently validated or reliable for use in individuals, or there are concerns about assuring responsible use and ensuring adequate understanding of potential problems when one’s biomarker status is known. Concerns include warning people receiving DRE about situations in which they might be compelled to disclose their risk status potentially leading to discrimination or stigma. The Advisory Group on Risk Evidence Education for Dementia (AGREEDementia) welcomes all concerned with how best to share and use DRE. Supporting understanding in clinicians, stakeholders, and people with or at risk for dementia and clearly delineating risks, benefits, and gaps in knowledge is vital. This brief overview describes elements that made this group effective as a model for other health conditions where there is interest in unfettered collaboration to discuss diagnostic uncertainty and the appropriate use and communication of health-related risk information.