Examining a Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite for Telehealth Administration for Reliability Between In-Person and Remote Cognitive Testing with Neuroimaging Biomarkers

J Alzheimers Dis. 2024;99(2):679-691. doi: 10.3233/JAD-231435.

Abstract

Background: The preclinical Alzheimer's cognitive composite (PACC) was developed for in-person administration to capture subtle cognitive decline. At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, cognitive testing was increasingly performed remotely by telephone or video administration. It is desirable to have a harmonized composite measurement derived from both in-person and remote assessments for identifying cognitive changes and to examine its relationship with common neuroimaging biomarkers.

Objective: We defined a telehealth compatible PACC (tPACC) and examined its relationship with neuroimaging biomarkers related to neurodegeneration, brain function and perfusion, white matter integrity, and amyloid-β.

Methods: We examined 648 participants' neuroimaging and in-person and remote cognitive testing data from the Wake Forest Alzheimer's Disease Research Center's Clinical Core cohort (observational study) to calculate a modified PACC (PACC5-RAVLT) score and tPACC scores (in-person and remote). We performed Spearman/intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analyses for reliability of tPACC scores and linear regression models to evaluate associations between tPACC and neuroimaging. Bland-Altman plots for agreement were constructed across cognitively normal and impaired (mild cognitive impairment and dementia) participants.

Results: There was a significant positive relationship between tPACCin - person and PACC5-RAVLT (Overall group: r2 = 0.94, N = 648), and tPACCin - person and tPACCremote (validation subgroup: ICC = 0.82, n = 53). Overall, tPACC showed significant associations with brain thickness/volume, gray matter perfusion, white matter free water, and amyloid-β deposition.

Conclusions: There is a good agreement between tPACCand PACC5-RAVLTfor cognitively normal and impaired individuals. The tPACC is associated with common neuroimaging markers of Alzheimer's disease.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; MRI; PET; amyloid-beta; cognitive composite; cognitive decline; reliability; telehealth testing.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alzheimer Disease* / diagnostic imaging
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
  • Biomarkers*
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • COVID-19
  • Cognitive Dysfunction* / diagnostic imaging
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuroimaging* / methods
  • Neuropsychological Tests*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Telemedicine*