1. Plasma REST: a novel candidate biomarker of Alzheimer's disease is modified by psychological intervention in an at-risk population.
- Author
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Ashton, NJ, Hye, A, Leckey, CA, Jones, AR, Gardner, A, Elliott, C, Wetherell, JL, Lenze, EJ, Killick, R, and Marchant, NL
- Subjects
Brain ,Humans ,Alzheimer Disease ,Repressor Proteins ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,Neuropsychological Tests ,Aged ,Aged ,80 and over ,Female ,Male ,Patient Education as Topic ,Mindfulness ,Biomarkers ,and over ,Clinical Sciences ,Public Health and Health Services ,Psychology - Abstract
The repressor element 1-silencing transcription (REST) factor is a key regulator of the aging brain's stress response. It is reduced in conditions of stress and Alzheimer's disease (AD), which suggests that increasing REST may be neuroprotective. REST can be measured peripherally in blood plasma. Our study aimed to (1) examine plasma REST levels in relation to clinical and biological markers of neurodegeneration and (2) alter plasma REST levels through a stress-reduction intervention-mindfulness training. In study 1, REST levels were compared across the following four well-characterized groups: healthy elderly (n=65), mild cognitive impairment who remained stable (stable MCI, n=36), MCI who later converted to dementia (converter MCI, n=29) and AD (n=65) from the AddNeuroMed cohort. REST levels declined with increasing severity of risk and impairment (healthy elderly>stable MCI>converter MCI>AD, F=6.35, P
- Published
- 2017