SAN DIEGO — While post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are independent risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia, the association of their interaction on AD biomarkers has not been clear.
To remedy that, a study published in Aging & Mental Health sought to access the impact of PTSD on the association between SCD and tau and amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) as well as global cognition in older veterans.1
Researchers from the VA San Diego Healthcare System and San Diego State University focused on 87 Vietnam-Era veterans without dementia (42 with PTSD; 45 without PTSD) from the DoD-Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. The study team reported that all participants had both tau and amyloid PET imaging as well as cognitive testing and that SCD was measured using the Everyday Cognition questionnaire.
Results indicated that, while SCD was associated with tau PET, amyloid PET and global cognition, PTSD actually moderated these associations for tau and amyloid PET levels. “Specifically, veterans without PTSD had a stronger positive relationship between SCD and AD biomarkers when compared to those with PTSD,” the authors advised.
The researchers concluded that higher SCD was associated with greater tau and amyloid burden and worse cognitive performance across the sample, although the tau and amyloid associations were stronger for the veterans without PTSD.
“Results highlight the potential benefit of comprehensive clinical assessments including consideration of mental health among older Veterans with SCD to understand the underlying cause of the cognitive concerns,” they pointed out. “Additionally, more work is needed to understand alternative mechanisms driving SCD in older veterans with PTSD.”
- Luu B, Bangen KJ, Clark AL, Weigand AJ, et. Al. Department of Defense Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. PTSD moderates the association between subjective cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers in older veterans. Aging Ment Health. 2024 Aug 8:1-9. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2024.2389547. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39118434.