The Relevance of the Blood-brain Barrier to Cognitive Dysfunction and Alzheimer's Disease

The Relevance of the Blood-brain Barrier to Cognitive Dysfunction and Alzheimer's Disease

This study attempts to replicate the findings published in Nature Medicine by Nation and colleagues (2019). By using a large observational cohort (DZNE - Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study; DELCODE) consisting of cognitively healthy individuals, individuals with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia due to Alzheimer's disease, an association between the blood-brain barrier and cognitive dysfunction is investigated. The integrity of the blood-brain barrier is investigated by using a novel MRI protocol as well as a novel biomarker in the cerebrospinal fluid.

Inclusion criteria:

- ≥ 50 years with neuropsychologically confirmed no cognitive dysfunction, mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia

Exclusion cirteria:

• no current or prior history of any neurological or psychiatric condition, which might affect cognitive function
• no neurodegenerative disease other than AD
• specifically no extensive vascular white matter dementia or vascular dementia