Visual and Auditory Sensory Impairments Differentially Relate with Alzheimer’s Pathology
- Author:
Gihwan BYEON
1
;
Min Soo BYUN
;
Dahyun YI
;
Joon Hyung JUNG
;
Nayeong KONG
;
Yoonyoung CHANG
;
MUSUNG KEUM
;
Gijung JUNG
;
Hyejin AHN
;
Jun-Young LEE
;
Yu Kyeong KIM
;
Koung Mi KANG
;
Chul-Ho SOHN
;
Dong Young LEE
;
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience 2024;22(4):610-623
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Objective:We intended to investigate the relationships between visual sensory impairment (VSI) or auditory sensory impairment (ASI) and brain pathological changes associated with cognitive decline in older adults.
Methods:We primarily tried to examine whether each sensory impairment is related to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology, specifically beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposition, through both cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches in cognitively unimpaired older adults. Self-report questionnaires on vision and hearing status were administered at the baseline.Neuroimaging scans including brain [ 11 C] Pittsburgh Compound B PET and MRI, as well as clinical assessments, were performed at baseline and 2-year follow-up.
Results:Cross-sectional analyses showed that the VSI-positive group had significantly higher Aβ deposition than the VSI-negative group, whereas there was no significant association between ASI positivity and Aβ deposition. Longitudinal analyses revealed that VSI positivity at baseline was significantly associated with increased Aβ deposition over 2 years (β = 0.153, p = 0.025), although ASI positivity was not (β = 0.045, p = 0.518). VSI positivity at baseline was also significantly associated with greater atrophic changes in AD-related brain regions over the 2-year follow-up period (β = −0.207, p = 0.005), whereas ASI positivity was not (β = 0.024, p = 0.753). Neither VSI nor ASI positivity was related to cerebrovascular injury, as measured based on the white matter hyperintensity volume.
Conclusion:The findings suggest that VSI is probably related to AD-specific pathological changes, which possibly mediate the reported relationship between VSI and cognitive decline. In contrast, ASI appears not associated with AD pathologies but may contribute to cognitive decline via other mechanisms.
