TY - JOUR
T1 - Telomere length and cognitive changes in 7,877 older UK adults of European ancestry
AU - Packer, Amy
AU - Habiballa, Leena
AU - Tato-Barcia, Esteban
AU - Breen, Gerome
AU - Brooker, Helen J.
AU - Corbett, Anne
AU - Arathimos, Ryan
AU - Ballard, Clive
AU - Hampshire, Adam
AU - Palmer, Abbie
AU - Dima, Danai
AU - Aarsland, Dag
AU - Creese, Byron
AU - Malanchini, Margherita
AU - Powell, Timothy
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2024 Packer, Habiballa, Tato-Barcia, Breen, Brooker, Corbett, Arathimos, Ballard, Hampshire, Palmer, Dima, Aarsland, Creese, Malanchini and Powell.
PY - 2024/11/1
Y1 - 2024/11/1
N2 - Background: Telomere length (TL) has been linked to cognitive function, decline and dementia. This study aimed to explore whether both measured TL and genetic disposition for TL predict dimensions of cognitive performance in a longitudinal sample of older UK adults. Methods: We analysed data from PROTECT study participants aged ≥50 years without a dementia diagnosis, who had completed longitudinal cognitive testing. We calculated polygenic scores for telomere length (PGS-TL) for 7,877 participants and measured relative telomere length (RTL) in a subgroup of 846 participants using DNA extracted from saliva samples collected within 6 months either side of their baseline cognitive testing. Latent growth models were used to examine whether RTL and PGS-TL predict both baseline and longitudinal changes in cognitive performance (4 time-points, annually). Results: In the whole sample, we did not observe significant associations between either measure of telomere length and initial or longitudinal changes in cognitive performance. Stratifying by median age, in older adults (≥ ∼62 years), longer baseline RTL showed a nominal association with poorer baseline verbal reasoning performance (n = 423, Mintercept = 47.58, B = −1.05, p =.011) and PGS-TL was associated with performance over time (n = 3,939; slope factor, Mslope = 3.23, B = −0.45, p =.001; slope2 factor, Mslope2 = 0.21, B = 0.13, p =.002). Conclusion: Our findings suggest either the absence of a significant relationship between telomere length (RTL and PGS-TL) and cognitive performance (baseline and change over time), or possibly a weak age-dependent and domain-specific relationship, in older adults of European ancestry. More research is needed in representative and ancestrally diverse samples over a longer assessment period. Alternative biological ageing indicators may still provide utility in the early detection of individuals at risk for cognitive decline (e.g., pace-of ageing epigenetic clocks).
AB - Background: Telomere length (TL) has been linked to cognitive function, decline and dementia. This study aimed to explore whether both measured TL and genetic disposition for TL predict dimensions of cognitive performance in a longitudinal sample of older UK adults. Methods: We analysed data from PROTECT study participants aged ≥50 years without a dementia diagnosis, who had completed longitudinal cognitive testing. We calculated polygenic scores for telomere length (PGS-TL) for 7,877 participants and measured relative telomere length (RTL) in a subgroup of 846 participants using DNA extracted from saliva samples collected within 6 months either side of their baseline cognitive testing. Latent growth models were used to examine whether RTL and PGS-TL predict both baseline and longitudinal changes in cognitive performance (4 time-points, annually). Results: In the whole sample, we did not observe significant associations between either measure of telomere length and initial or longitudinal changes in cognitive performance. Stratifying by median age, in older adults (≥ ∼62 years), longer baseline RTL showed a nominal association with poorer baseline verbal reasoning performance (n = 423, Mintercept = 47.58, B = −1.05, p =.011) and PGS-TL was associated with performance over time (n = 3,939; slope factor, Mslope = 3.23, B = −0.45, p =.001; slope2 factor, Mslope2 = 0.21, B = 0.13, p =.002). Conclusion: Our findings suggest either the absence of a significant relationship between telomere length (RTL and PGS-TL) and cognitive performance (baseline and change over time), or possibly a weak age-dependent and domain-specific relationship, in older adults of European ancestry. More research is needed in representative and ancestrally diverse samples over a longer assessment period. Alternative biological ageing indicators may still provide utility in the early detection of individuals at risk for cognitive decline (e.g., pace-of ageing epigenetic clocks).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85209366562&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fragi.2024.1480326
DO - 10.3389/fragi.2024.1480326
M3 - Article
SN - 2673-6217
VL - 5
JO - Frontiers in Aging
JF - Frontiers in Aging
M1 - 1480326
ER -