Health Sciences

Alzheimer’s Disease Genomic, Biologic, and Behavioral Pathways Among Exceptional Longevity Families

Chair(s)

• 

  Mary Wojczynski, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Associate Professor
  Genetics
  Washington University in St. Louis
  St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Co-Chair(s)

• 

  Stephanie Cosentino, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Professor of Neuropsychology
  Neurology
  Columbia University Irving Medical Center
  New York City, New York, United States

Discussant(s)

• NR

  Nalini Raghavachari

  Program Officer
  DGCG
  National Institutes of Health
  Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Individual Symposium Abstract First Author(s)

• 

  Laura Xicota, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Associate Research Scientist
  Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center
  Columbia University Irving Medical Center
  New York City, New York, United States
• KA

  Konstantin Arbeev, PhD (he/him/his)

  Associate Research Professor
  Social Science Research Institute
  Duke University
  Durham, North Carolina, United States
• RC

  Rong Cheng, PhD (he/him/his)

  Associate Research Scientist
  Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center and in the Taub Institute
  Columbia University
  New York City, New York, United States
• YG

  Yian Gu, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Associate Professor
  Neurology
  Columbia University
  New York City, New York, United States

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, and its prevalence rates increase sharply in older adults aged 65 and above. Examining whether long-lived families are protected against dementia, and the predictors of dementia within these families, can inform genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors associated with dementia-free survival and the delay of pathological aging. The Long Life Family Study (LLFS), funded by the National Institute on Aging, is an international collaborative study of the genetics and familial components of exceptional longevity and healthy aging. We phenotyped 4,953 individuals from 539 two-generational families (1,727 proband; 3,226 offspring) at baseline (2006-2009), with up to two follow-up in-person visits. These longitudinal, comprehensive in-person visits measured domains of healthy aging, including physical performance, cognition, and blood markers. Extensive genetic analyses were performed using the baseline blood draw, including GWAS chip, linkage analyses, WGS, metabolomics, and transcriptomics. Collectively, this symposium will present novel findings that examined genomic, biological, and behavioral pathways to AD. Specifically, Dr. Xicota will discuss results of the impact of sampling on the limitations of population polygenic risk scores for dementia. Then, Dr. Arbeev will share findings on the longitudinal changes of lysophosphatidylcholine and risk of incident AD. Next, Dr. Cheng will explain results of a multi-omic analysis of the effect of lipids on AD. Lastly, Dr. Gu will discuss analyses of sleep duration in relation to cognition in LLFS. As Discussant, Dr. Nalini Raghavachari from the NIA will share insights and propose future directions for LLFS.

Presentations:

• 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM PST

  Limitations of Polygenic Risk Scores for Dementia in Familial Exceptional Aging: Impact of Sampling
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Laura Xicota, PhD (she/her/hers) – Columbia University Irving Medical Center
• 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM PST

  Age Trajectories of Lysophosphatidylcholines in Relation to Alzheimer's Disease: Findings From LLFS
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Konstantin Arbeev, PhD (he/him/his) – Duke University
• 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM PST

  Genes, Lipids, and Alzheimer Disease Risk in Families With Exceptional Longevity
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Rong Cheng, PhD (he/him/his) – Columbia University
• 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM PST

  Sleep Duration and Cognition in the Long Life Family Study
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Emma Gordon, BS (she/her/hers) – Albert Einstein College of Medicine