Active lifestyles moderate clinical outcomes in autosomal dominant frontotemporal degeneration

• DOI: 10.1002/alz.12001
• Publication Date: 2020-01-16T15:19:58Z
• Authors: K. B. Casaletto; A. M. Staffaroni; A. Wolf; B. Appleby; D. Brushaber; G. Coppola; B. Dickerson; K. Domoto‐Reilly; F. M. Elahi; J. Fields; J. C. Fong; L. Forsberg; N. Ghoshal; N. Graff‐Radford; M. Grossman; H. W. Heuer; G.‐Y. Hsiung; E. D. Huey; D. Irwin; K. Kantarci; D. Kaufer; D. Kerwin; D. Knopman; J. Kornak; J. H. Kramer; I. Litvan; I. R. Mackenzie; M. Mendez; B. Miller; R. Rademakers; E. M. Ramos; K. Rascovsky; E. D. Roberson; J. A. Syrjanen; M. C. Tartaglia; S. Weintraub; B. Boeve; A. L. Boxer; H. Rosen; K. Yaffe
• Keywords: Male; Aging; Biological Psychology; Clinical Sciences; 610; physical activity; Clinical sciences; Neurodegenerative; Neuropsychological Tests; Alzheimer's Disease; frontotemporal dementia; 03 medical and health sciences; Rare Diseases; Cognition; Leisure Activities; 0302 clinical medicine; Behavioral and Social Science; Acquired Cognitive Impairment; Psychology; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (ADRD); Exercise; Aged; Biomedical and Clinical Sciences; exercise; Neurosciences; Alzheimer's Disease including Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD); cognitive activity; Middle Aged; cognitive reserve; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; ARTFL/LEFFTDS Study; Brain Disorders; 3. Good health; Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD); Geriatrics; Neurological; Biomedical Imaging; Biological psychology; Dementia; Female; Atrophy; Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration

AbstractIntroductionLeisure activities impact brain aging and may be prevention targets. We characterized how physical and cognitive activities relate to brain health for the first time in autosomal dominant frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD).MethodsA total of 105 mutation carriers (C9orf72/MAPT/GRN) and 69 non‐carriers reported current physical and cognitive activities at baseline, and completed longitudinal neurobehavioral assessments and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.ResultsGreater physical and cognitive activities were each associated with an estimated >55% slower clinical decline per year among dominant gene carriers. There was also an interaction between leisure activities and frontotemporal atrophy on cognition in mutation carriers. High‐activity carriers with frontotemporal atrophy (−1 standard deviation/year) demonstrated >two‐fold better cognitive performances per year compared to their less active peers with comparable atrophy rates.DiscussionActive lifestyles were associated with less functional decline and moderated brain‐to‐behavior relationships longitudinally. More active carriers “outperformed” brain volume, commensurate with a cognitive reserve hypothesis. Lifestyle may confer clinical resilience, even in autosomal dominant FTLD.