Identification of Predictors for Early Cognitive Decline in Men

Identification of Predictors for Early Cognitive Decline: a Longitudinal Cohort Study in Men Born in 1953

The research program explores how aging influences brain function in test-persons from a Danish birth cohort of men born in 1953.

The research program explores how ageing influences brain function in healthy test-persons from a Danish birth cohort of men born in 1953 in the Metropolitan area of Copenhagen. These test-persons are divided into two groups based on performance in cognitive tests at late midlife compared to young adulthood; Positive expected performance and negative expected performance and sampled from a birth cohort of 11.532 men.

Additionally, persons diagnosed with either MCI or AD will be included from the Memory Clinic at Herlev Hospital.

Researchers aim to identify factors earlier in life that affects or predict changes in cognitive function, specifically of cognitive decline in order to predict healthy vs unhealthy cognitive ageing, including progression to possible dementia. The objective is to be able to predict cognitive decline in ageing.

During the years of data collection, approximately 550 participants will be included and examined.

The examinations include:

• Cognitive test including Cambridge Neuropsychological test automated Battery (CANTAB);
• Sleep
• Life events
• Depression questionnaire
• Blood sample analysis including functional analyses of mitochondria and gene analyses such as genome scanning, SNP analysis
• ApoE ε-type
• Structural and functional changes in the brain measured with magnetic resonance (fMRI)
• Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings of electrical activity and visual attention
• PET-scan (Amyloid and FDG)

The results from these studies will hopefully point to new avenues for intervention in order to change the course of brain ageing

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants who have participated in the Metropolit study and the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank project
• Participants who have been informed about the project and who have signed the informed consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

• Persons who have been asked to participate in the past and have rejected
• Reduced ability to understand project information
• Reduced ability to complete the examinations
• Abuse of alcohol, psychedelic drugs or habit-forming drugs
• Certain neurological disorders
• Certain neurological, mental or psychiatric diagnoses
• Certain depressive diseases
• Former traumatic brain injury
• Contraindication for MR scanning
• Pathological MR result
• Persons that do not like to be informed about a possible pathological result