By Dr. Priyom Bose, Ph.D.Aug 7 2023Reviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc. A recent study posted to the medRxiv preprint server investigates the association between the circulating proteome and brain health.
To date, the exact mechanism that links cognitive decline to dementia is not fully understood. Thus, elucidating the pathogenesis of cognitive decline could support the development of effective strategies to prevent and treat dementia and stroke. Samples obtained from PURE study participants were used to detect protein quantitative trait loci for Mendelian randomization analyses, whereas PURE-MIND data were used for observational association analyses. The replication of the observational findings was sought in the Generation Scotland cohort.
Proteins such as brevican , neurocan , and myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein were associated with DSST performance. These proteins have also been linked with structural brain phenotypes. Enrichment analyses identified a notable association with DSST performance, which indicated higher levels of brain-expressed proteins. However, there was not a significant association between protein levels and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment performance. This finding implies the application of MoCA as a screening tool for mild cognitive impairment only.