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Neuropsychological latent classes at enrollment and postmortem neuropathology
Author(s) -
Zammit Andrea R.,
Hall Charles B.,
Bennett David A.,
Ezzati Ali,
Katz Mindy J.,
MunizTerrera Graciela,
Lipton Richard B.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2019.05.012
Subject(s) - neuropathology , neuropsychology , latent class model , cognition , cognitive impairment , psychology , memory impairment , clinical psychology , medicine , psychiatry , disease , statistics , mathematics
Abstract Introduction We classified individuals based on their baseline performance on cognitive measures and investigated the association between cognitive classifications and neuropathological findings ∼7 years later, as an external validator. Methods Brain autopsies of 779 decedents were examined. Baseline latent class analysis on 10 neuropsychological measures was previously assigned: mixed‐domains impairment (n = 39, 5%), memory‐specific impairment (n = 210, 27%), frontal impairment (n = 113, 14.5%), average cognition (n = 360, 46.2%), and superior cognition (n = 57, 7.3%). Linear regressions and risks ratios were used to examine the relation of latent class assignment at enrollment with neuropathological indices. Results Amyloid β, tau, and transactive response DNA‐binding protein 43 were associated with mixed‐domains impairment and memory‐specific impairment classes ∼7 years before death. Moderate arteriolosclerosis was associated with membership in the frontal impairment class. Discussion Our findings support the use of latent class models that incorporate more comprehensive neuropsychological measures to classify cognitive impairment.