Publications by authors named "Andreja Speh"
BackgroundThe Models of Patient Engagement for Alzheimer's Disease (MOPEAD) project aimed to identify the most effective and cost-efficient recruitment model for detecting prodromal and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) across five European countries.ObjectiveTo examine differences in cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive performance among countries and recruitment models using MOPEAD data.MethodsIndividuals aged 65-85 with a high risk for prodromal or mild AD were included.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackgroundThe introduction of anti-amyloid treatments (AAT) for Alzheimer's disease (AD) has put the cost-effectiveness into focus.ObjectiveEstimate the potential cost-effectiveness of diagnostic pathways combined with AAT for early AD.MethodsDiagnostic accuracy of blood-based (BBM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers was obtained from Norwegian memory clinics using positron emission tomography (PET) as reference standard.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The implementation of disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) will require cost-effective diagnostic processes. As part of The Precision Medicine In AD consortium (PMI-AD) project, the aim is to analyze the baseline costs of diagnosing early AD at memory clinics in Norway, Slovenia, and the Netherlands.
Methods: The costs of cognitive testing and a clinical examination, apolipoprotein E, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), positron emission tomography and blood-based biomarkers (BBM), which are used in different combinations in the three countries, were analyzed.
Article Synopsis
- - Slovenia has a population of 2.1 million and an estimated 44,278 individuals with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's dementia who could benefit from disease-modifying treatments (DMTs), like lecanemab.
- - A study identified 114 individuals whose overall diagnostic expenses exceed €80,000 each, indicating high costs for treatment exploration.
- - Nationwide treatment for all potential candidates could cost €1.06 billion, which is more than Slovenia's total medication budget for 2022 (€743 million), suggesting significant impacts on healthcare logistics and treatment approaches for Alzheimer's disease.
Background: Previous research on associations between cardiovascular health, measured at a single timepoint, and rate of age-related cognitive decline shows divergent findings dependent on the participants' age and the health metric studied. The aim of this study was to add to the knowledge in this field by investigating whether change in cardiovascular health, assessed with Life's Simple 7 (LS7) score, is associated with rate of cognitive change in young-old and old-old adults.
Methods: The study included 1022 participants aged ≥ 60 years from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care-Kungsholmen (SNAC-K), who underwent repeated neuropsychological testing (episodic memory, semantic memory, verbal fluency, and perceptual speed) across up to 15 years.
Objective: The Montreal cognitive assessment scale (MoCA) is commonly used for detecting individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the validity of the Slovenian MoCA as a screening tool for MCI and to determine the optimal cut-off point to detect MCI in the elderly population.
Methods: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), MoCA, and neuropsychological testing assessment were conducted on 93 individuals aged ≥ 60 years.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the link between vascular risk factors (VRFs) and cognitive decline before a dementia diagnosis, using data from 1,449 participants aged 60 and older.
- Results showed that individuals who developed dementia had poorer Life's Simple 7 scores, especially in diet and glucose levels, which were associated with faster cognitive decline.
- The findings suggest that VRFs significantly impact cognitive decline rates in older adults, particularly those in the early stages of dementia.
Predicting sojourn times across dementia disease stages, institutionalization, and mortality.
Alzheimers Dement
February 2024
Introduction: Inferring the timeline from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to severe dementia is pivotal for patients, clinicians, and researchers. Literature is sparse and often contains few patients. We aim to determine the time spent in MCI, mild-, moderate-, severe dementia, and institutionalization until death.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objective: The life's simple 7 approach was proposed to define cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics. We sought to investigate the associations between behavioral, biological, and genetic markers for CVH and vascular brain aging in older adults.
Methods: This population-based cohort study included participants who had repeated brain MRI measures from 2001 to 2003 to 2007-2010 (i.
Background: Modifiable vascular risk factors have been associated with late-life cognitive impairment. The Life Simple 7 (LS7) score comprises seven cardiovascular health metrics: smoking, diet, physical activity, body mass index, plasma glucose, total serum cholesterol, and blood pressure.
Objective: To investigate the association between individual and composite LS7 metrics and rate of cognitive decline, and potential differences in these associations between young-old and old-old individuals.