Novel Statistical Methods for Investigating Aging and Cognitive Decline

Posted: September 8, 2011

Biostatistical Seminar

Neuropsychological Profiles in Alzheimer’s Disease and Cerebral Infarction: A Longitudinal MIMIC Model

Wednesday, October 5, 2011
3:30pm – 5:30pm
Kresge    G2
Harvard School of Public Health
655 Huntington Avenue

Frances Yang, Ph.D., Richard Jones, Sc.D.
Hebrew Senior Life

Alex Grigorenko
Department of Biostatistics

In this Harvard Catalyst Biostatistics Seminar, the speakers will describe statistical methods for identifying a specific neuropsychological profile characteristic of emerging Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cerebral infarction. They hypothesized that specific neuropsychological functions are preferentially impaired in the presence of AD and vascular neuropathology. The seminar will cover three topics, (1)  Background, (2) an extension of the MIMIC (multiple indicator, multiple cause) model to the longitudinal setting and its implemention in Mplus, and (3) results.

The study used data from the Religious Orders Study (ROS), a large prospective study of cognitive aging and neuropathology.  The sample included 502 ROS participants followed from enrollment to death with an annual neuropsychological battery and brain autopsy.  The analytic approach involved the use of Mplus software to estimate a measurement model for neuropsychological performance assessed with 17 neuropsychological tests, extended to accommodate repeated assessments over 10 years.   Preliminary results will be presented describing the general pattern of cognitive decline and impairments specific to individual tests in the presence of AD neuropathology or cerebrovascular infarction.

Registration is not required.

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