2023 American Academy of Neurology Abstract Website

Objective:

This study investigated alcohol, tobacco, and drug use in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Database in an attempt to discover alternative indicators for the development of AD.

Background:

Dementia and its impact on the aging population is a growing public health concern. AD is the most common form of neurodegenerative disease and is characterized by a decline in cognitive function that affects a person’s day-to-day activities. AD diagnosis occurs in stages, beginning with cognitive symptoms and progressing to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) then mild, moderate, or severe AD. Various lifestyle and health related factors are hypothesized to contribute to the development of AD; however, literature remains incongruent regarding the negative or positive effects of these variables.

Design/Methods:

1,326 participants were analyzed via MANOVA, to determine if alcohol, tobacco, and drug use affected the onset of cognitive symptoms, mild cognitive impairment, AD symptoms, and AD diagnosis.

Results:

Results showed that alcohol use significantly impacted participants’ onset of cognitive symptoms (F(1,326) = 4.596, p<.05), indicating that for those who used alcohol, cognitive symptoms developed 2.1 years later in comparison to those who did not. Tobacco and drug use did not show a significant impact on the onset of cognitive symptoms, MCI, Alzheimer’s symptoms, or AD diagnosis.

Conclusions:

Although the stages of AD are well-described, its diagnosis presents a challenge as its symptoms are often attributed to the consequences of aging and literature regarding AD is often misaligned. These results may provide diagnostic insight regarding AD and emphasizes the importance of a patient’s social history. Future research should focus on improving diagnostic criteria for AD, providing guidance to researchers and physicians on the implementation of early interventions.