High body fat at midlife, as evidenced by overweight or obese body mass index (BMI), is increasingly understood as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. However, the underlying processes and mechanisms that may underlie this risk remains unknown. With this project, the Investigator proposes to create a new cohort of cognitively normal 120 midlife individuals, age 40-60 years. The investigator and research staff will characterize the participant's overweight or obese status using metabolic tests including, an oral glucose tolerance test, fasting plasma insulin, fasting plasma glucose, and hemoglobin A1c measurements. This testing will generate categories of metabolically abnormal overweight and obese (MAOO), metabolically normal overweight and obese (MNOO), and metabolically normal lean participants (MNLP). Research staff will evaluate differences between these groups on neuroimaging with the newer classification framework of Alzheimer's biomarkers with amyloid (A), tau (T), and neurodegeneration (N), or ATN. Neurodegeneration will be assessed by atrophy on brain MRI as reflected by regional volumes on Freesurfer. Staff will also evaluate MR neuroimaging markers for neuroinflammation using a newer method called diffusion basis spectrum imaging (DBSI), developed at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University in St. Louis in collaboration with The Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Knight ADRC).
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
240
Washington University School of Medicine
St Louis, Missouri, United States
RECRUITINGAim - increased atrophy in MAOO compared to MNOO and MNLP participants
we hypothesize increased atrophy in MAOO compared to MNOO and MNLP particularly in regions important for AD pathology such as the hippocampus and hippocampal sub-regions. These will be measured through the results of the blood tests, MRI scan \& data from the PET scans.
Time frame: 10 hours
Aim 2- higher burden of white matter neuroinflammation on DBSI
We hypothesize a higher burden of white matter neuroinflammation on DBSI in MAOO in relation to other overweight and obese groups. The MRI scan will be used to measure these outcomes.
Time frame: 10 hours
Aim 3-increased amyloid and tau deposition on brain
We hypothesize increased amyloid and tau deposition on brain PET in MAOO versus other groups. The PET scan data will be used to measure these outcomes.
Time frame: 10 hours
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.