Browsing by Author "Zhao, Liping"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Exploring Factors Contributing to Caregiver Burden in Family Caregivers of Congolese Adults with Suspected Dementia
    (Wiley, 2023) Ikanga, Jean; Reyes, Anny; Zhao, Liping; Hill-Jarrett, Tanisha G.; Hammers, Dustin; Epenge, Emmanuel; Esambo, Herve; Kavugho, Immaculée; Esselakoy, Christian; Gikelekele, Guy; Tshengele, Nathan; Alonso, Alvaro; Robinson-Lane, Sheria G.; Neurology, School of Medicine
    Introduction: Predicting caregiver burden in individuals with suspected dementia - is critical due to the debilitating nature of these disorders and need for caregiver support. While some examination of the factors affecting burden has been undertaken in Sub-Saharan Africa, each country presents with its own unique challenges and obstacles. This pilot study investigates predictors of caregiver burden in family caregivers of individuals with suspected dementia living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Methods: Linear and multiple regression analyses were conducted to explore factors associated with caregiver burden in 30 patient-caregiver dyads with the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) for caregiver burden evaluation. Cognitive impairments of patients were assessed using the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia, Alzheimer's Questionnaire (AQ), the African Neuropsychology Battery, and the Neuropsychiatric Symptoms Inventory (NPI). Results: Average caregiver burden on the ZBI was 36.1 (SD = 14.6; range = 12-58). Greater impairments in patient cognition (orientation, visuospatial, memory, executive functioning), fragility, and neuropsychiatric symptoms (delirium, agitation, depression) were predictive of caregiver burden. After controlling for AQ scores and caregiver gender, greater symptoms of depression, and worse performances on verbal memory and problem solving were associated with greater caregiver burden. Conclusion: Worsening patient fragility, cognition, functioning, and neuropsychiatric symptoms influenced caregiver burden in caregivers of individuals with suspected cognitive impairment in the DRC. These findings are consistent with the prior literature. Future studies may wish to explore supportive factors and caregiver specific characteristics that buffer against perceived burden.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Frontal Metabolites and Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarkers in Healthy Older Women and Women Diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment
    (IOS Press, 2022) Hone-Blanchet, Antoine; Bohsali, Anastasia; Krishnamurthy, Lisa C.; Shahid, Salman S.; Lin, Qixiang; Zhao, Liping; Bisht, Aditya S.; John, Samantha E.; Loring, David; Goldstein, Felicia; Levey, Allan; Lah, James; Qiu, Deqiang; Crosson, Bruce; Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine
    Background: Women account for two thirds of the prevalence and incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Evidence suggest that sex may differently influence the expression of proteins amyloid-beta (Aβ1-42) and tau, for which early detection is crucial in prevention of the disease. Objective: We investigated the effect of aging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of Aβ1-42 and tau on frontal metabolites measured with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in a cohort of cognitively normal older women and women with MCI. Methods: 3T single-voxel MRS was performed on the medial frontal cortex, using Point Resolved Spectroscopy (PRESS) and Mescher-Garwood Point Resolved Spectroscopy (MEGA-PRESS) in 120 women (age range 50-85). CSF samples of Aβ1-42 and tau and scores of general cognition were also obtained. Results: Levels of frontal gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA+) were predicted by age, independently of disease and CSF biomarkers. Importantly, levels of GABA+ were reduced in MCI patients. Additionally, we found that levels of N-acetylaspartate relative to myo-inositol (tNAA/mI) predicted cognition in MCI patients only and were not related to CSF biomarkers. Conclusion: This study is the first to demonstrate a strong association between frontal GABA+ levels and neurological aging in a sample consisting exclusively of healthy older women with various levels of CSF tau and Aβ1-42 and women with MCI. Importantly, our results show no correlation between CSF biomarkers and MRS metabolites in this sample.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Relationships between frontal metabolites and Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in cognitively normal older adults
    (Elsevier, 2022) Hone-Blanchet, Antoine; Bohsali, Anastasia; Krishnamurthy, Lisa C.; Shahid, Salman; Lin, Qixiang; Zhao, Liping; Loring, David; Goldstein, Felicia; John, Samantha E.; Fleischer, Candace C.; Levey, Allan; Lah, James; Qiu, Deqiang; Crosson, Bruce; Radiology and Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine
    Elevated expression of β-amyloid (Aβ1-42) and tau are considered risk-factors for Alzheimer's disease in healthy older adults. We investigated the effect of aging and cerebrospinal fluid levels of Aβ1-42 and tau on 1) frontal metabolites measured with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and 2) cognition in cognitively normal older adults (n = 144; age range 50-85). Levels of frontal gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA+) and myo-inositol relative to creatine (mI/tCr) were predicted by age. Levels of GABA+ predicted cognitive performance better than mI/tCr. Additionally, we found that frontal levels of n-acetylaspartate relative to creatine (tNAA/tCr) were predicted by levels of t-tau. In cognitively normal older adults, levels of frontal GABA+ and mI/tCr are predicted by aging, with levels of GABA+ decreasing with age and the opposite for mI/tCr. These results suggest that age- and biomarker-related changes in brain metabolites are not only located in the posterior cortex as suggested by previous studies and further demonstrate that MRS is a viable tool in the study of aging and biomarkers associated with pathological aging and Alzheimer's disease.