Sophie Boutin

Universite de Montreal, Canada

Title: Unravelling the link between pathology, cognitive complaints and sex in early Alzheimer's disease

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Biography

Sophie Boutin completed her bachelor's degree in psychology at McGill University in Montreal, where she developed a strong foundation in neuroscience and cognitive psychology. She is currently a third-year PhD student in neuropsychology at Universite de Montreal, pursuing both research and clinical training. Her research focuses on leveraging clinical and neuroimaging data to explore sex differences in Alzheimer's disease (AD), with a particular interest in how these differences influence symptom presentation and the progression of AD pathology in its early stages. By examining factors such as subjective cognitive complaints, beta-amyloid accumulation, and grey matter degeneration, her work aims to deepen our understanding of how biological sex may affect the trajectory of cognitive decline. Her goal is to contribute to more personalized and effective approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, enhancing clinical outcomes and quality of life for all men and women at risk for or living with AD.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Subjective cognitive complaints, or perceived cognitive alterations by the individual without objective decline, emerge during early AD phases and may correlate with cerebral amyloid ? (A?) levels. Despite increasing interest in the role of biological sex in AD manifestation, the complex relationship between sex, AD pathology and complaints remains unclear in the early stages of AD.

OBJECTIVES: Our study aims to 1) explore the relationship between A? pathology and subjective cognitive complaints in cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI); 2) assess whether subjective cognitive complaints severity can predict cerebral A? levels and cognitive status (CU or MCI) and 3) sex differences in these relationships. 

METHODS: Using linear regressions and general linear models, we examined associations between A? levels and subjective cognitive complaints across six cognitive domains (memory, language, visuospatial, planning, organization, divided attention) in 418 CU older adults and 408 with MCI from the ADNI cohort. We also used logistic regression models to determine which complaint types can predict A? levels and CU or MCI status. We investigated sex differences by looking at the influence of sex on these associations and by running the models separately in men and women. In all models, we controlled for age, education, depression and anxiety symptoms. 

RESULTS: In CU individuals, higher A? levels correlated with more severe language and visuospatial complaints. MCI individuals with elevated A? reported more severe memory, language, and planning complaints. Memory, planning, and organization complaints predicted MCI risk. Sex differences emerged in the association between A? levels and visuospatial complaints, and in complaint types predicting A? levels and cognitive status (CU or MCI). 

CONCLUSION: Subjective cognitive complaints may help signal cognitive decline risk due to their association with AD biomarkers. Sex differences highlight the need for personalized approaches in AD diagnosis and early intervention.