Sensory impairment and beta-amyloid deposition in the Baltimore longitudinal study of aging

IntroductionBeta-amyloid (A beta) plaque deposition is a biomarker of preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD). Impairments in sensory function are associated with cognitive decline. We sought to investigate the relationship between PET-indicated A beta deposition and sensory impairment. MethodsUsing data from 174 participants >= 55 years in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, we analyzed associations between sensory impairments and A beta deposition measured by PET and Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB) mean cortical distribution volume ratio (cDVR). ResultsThe combinations of hearing and proprioceptive impairment and hearing, vision, and proprioceptive impairment, were positively correlated with cDVR (beta = 0.087 and p = 0.036, beta = 0.110 and p = 0.018, respectively). In stratified analyses of PiB+ participants, combinations of two, three, and four sensory impairments (all involving proprioception) were associated with higher cDVR. DiscussionOur findings suggest a relationship between multi-sensory impairment (notably proprioceptive impairment) and A beta deposition, which could reflect sensory impairment as an indicator or potentially a risk factor for A beta deposition.