Greater burden of Alzheimer's Co-pathology in women with Parkinson's disease dementia.
Greater burden of Alzheimer's Co-pathology in women with Parkinson's disease dementia.
Where did the research take place?
Possible study sites were matched from the text; these need review.
Arizona, HN · Possible study site
MethodsAll subjects were enrolled in the Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders (AZSAND) and Brain and Body Donation Program (BBDP) and had annual standardized research clinical assessments by neuropsychologists, subspecialty behavioral and movement disorders neurologists, as well as comprehensive neuropathological examinations after death.Location evidence
US · Author affiliation · country only
Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Banner Health, Sun City, AZ, USA.Location evidence
Scottsdale, US · Author affiliation
Department of Neurology, Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, USA.Location evidence
Phoenix, US · Author affiliation
Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA.Location evidence
Boston, US · Author affiliation
Department of Neurology, Center for Mind/Brain Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.Location evidence
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Original abstract
ObjectiveTo investigate sex differences in Alzheimer's disease (AD) related pathology among autopsy-confirmed Parkinson's disease (PD) cases.BackgroundAD and PD frequently co-occur in older adults, yet the influence of sex on AD pathology in the context of PD remains unexplored.MethodsAll subjects were enrolled in the Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders (AZSAND) and Brain and Body Donation Program (BBDP) and had annual standardized research clinical assessments by neuropsychologists, subspecialty behavioral and movement disorders neurologists, as well as comprehensive neuropathological examinations after death.ResultsAmong 230 autopsy-confirmed PD cases, females exhibited greater amyloid plaque pathology burden than males, regardless of a co-occurring AD diagnosis. Specifically, females with PD had significantly higher mean cortical total plaque scores (mean 6.5/15 vs. 4.9/15, p = 0.045) and greater CERAD neuritic plaque density (mean 1.7/3 vs. 1.3/3, p = 0.035). Females were also more likely to have a higher cortical plaque burden (plaque total ≥ 5: 56.8% vs. 39.7%, p = 0.015). In multivariable logistic regression models, female subjects showed greater than twice the odds of having an amyloid plaque burden ≥5 compared to males (OR = 2.18; 95% CI = 1.17-4.06; p = 0.014), when controlling for ApoE ε4 status, Lewy body density score, and age at death.ConclusionsFemale sex is associated with increased amyloid plaque pathology in PD, independent of ApoE ε4 status. These findings highlight a sex-specific vulnerability to AD pathology in PD patients and support the need for sex-informed approaches to reseach in mixed neurodegenerative disease.