Ingmar Skoog

University of Gothenburg | GU · Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology

Background Tau‐PET imaging allows in‐vivo detection of neurofibrillary tangles. One tau‐PET tracer (i.e., [18F]flortaucipir) has received FDA‐approval for clinical use, and multiple other tau‐PET tracers have been implemented into clinical trials for participant selection and/or as a primary or secondary outcome measure. To optimize future use of t...

Background High‐income countries (HICs) are over‐represented in current global dementia incidence rates, skewing estimates. Variance in diagnostic methods between HICs and low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) is speculated to contribute to the regional differences in rates. Cohort Studies of Memory in an International Consortium (COSMIC) offers...

Background Tau‐PET imaging allows in‐vivo detection of neurofibrillary tangles. One tau‐PET tracer (i.e., [¹⁸F]flortaucipir) has received FDA‐approval for clinical use, and multiple other tau‐PET tracers have been implemented into clinical trials for participant selection and/or as a primary or secondary outcome measure. To optimize future use of t...

Atrial fibrillation and heart failure have both been suggested to increase stroke and dementia risk. However, in observational studies, reversed causation and unmeasured confounding may occur. To mitigate these issues, this study aims to investigate if higher genetic risk for atrial fibrillation and heart failure increases dementia and stroke risk....

Background C‐reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory biomarker that has been associated with an increased risk of future cognitive decline, alongside other biomarkers such as β‐amyloid (Aβ). We sought to explore the relationship between CRP levels and the amyloid/tau/neurodegeneration (A/T/N) groups in elderly individuals with and without APOE‐ε4...

INTRODUCTION This study investigated the associations of brain age gap (BAG)—a biological marker of brain resilience—with life exposures, neuroimaging measures, biological processes, and cognitive function. METHODS We derived BAG by subtracting predicted brain age from chronological age in 739 septuagenarians without dementia or neurological disor...

Background The effect of varying brain ventricular volume on the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteome has been discussed as possible confounding factors in comparative protein level analyses. However, the relationship between CSF volume and protein levels remains largely unexplored. Moreover, the few existing studies provide conflicting findings, ind...

Purpose Epidemiological studies on idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) imaging markers and their normal values are scarce. This population-based study aimed to analyze several morphologic and volumetric iNPH-related imaging markers in a large sample, determining their distribution, diagnostic accuracy, suggested cut-offs, and associatio...

Background and Objectives Individuals aged 70 and older frequently experience an increased risk of deficits in both physical and cognitive functions. However, the natural progression and interrelationship of these deficits, as well as their neurologic correlates, remain unclear. We aimed to classify the data-driven physical-cognitive phenotypes and...

Introduction Cumulative blood pressure metrics may provide greater precision for measuring temporal risk exposure, especially in later life where data are mixed regarding associations of high blood pressure (BP) on cognitive function. We examined the relationship between greater cumulative exposure to high BP in later life and several domains of co...

Background Personality is associated with dementia risk. Neuroticism and conscientiousness may be involved in resistance and resilience to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) pathology (ADP). These traits have also been associated with unspecific biomarkers of neurodegeneration; glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light (NfL). This study...

Importance Poststroke cognitive impairment is common, but the cognitive trajectory following a first stroke, relative to prestroke cognitive function, remains unclear. Objective To map the trajectory of cognitive function before any stroke and after stroke in global cognition and in 4 cognitive domains, as well as to compare the cognitive trajecto...

INTRODUCTION Early dementia detection in the general population is challenged by high cerebral grey matter (GM) heterogeneity preceding behavioural symptoms. Here, we identify distinct GM patterns and their associated factors in a population-based cohort to detect at-risk individuals. METHODS This cross-sectional study examined 746 dementia-free 70...

In this study, we evaluated birth cohort (i.e., generational) differences in the onset and rate of acceleration in cognitive decline prior to death (i.e., terminal decline [TD]). We obtained data from two cohorts, born in 1901–1902 (n = 755, 64% females) and 1930 (n = 347, 48% females), identified and sampled at age 70 from the same city population...

Background: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is one of the most frequently diagnosed cause of dizziness among older adults. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of BPPV and positional symptoms of dizziness and nystagmus among 75-year-olds and to identify factors associated with BPPV and positional dizziness and nystagmus. Methods...

Co-pathologies are common in dementia with Lewy bodies and other dementia disorders. We investigated cerebrovascular and Alzheimer’s disease co-pathologies in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies in comparison with patients with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, mixed dementia, vascular dementia or Parkinson’s disease with dementia...

Background and objectives: Previous randomized controlled trials and longitudinal studies have indicated that ongoing antihypertensive use in late life reduces all-cause dementia risk, but the specific impact on Alzheimer dementia (AD) and non-AD risk remains unclear. This study investigates whether previous hypertension or antihypertensive use mo...

Backgrounds Cognitive problems are common symptoms among individuals with stress-related exhaustion. It is still unknown whether these individuals are at a higher risk of developing dementia later. This study aims to examine the relationship between midlife stress-related exhaustion and dementia incidence. Methods A population sample of 777 women...

Dizziness is a common complaint among older adults and one of the most important risks for falls. Objectives. This study aimed to report falls, physical capacity, and self-rated health in men and women with and without dizziness in a population-based sample of 70-year-olds, and to investigate which factors may be associated with falls and dizziness...

Background Some cohort studies have reported a decline in dementia prevalence and incidence over time, although these findings have not been consistent across studies. We reviewed evidence on changes in dementia prevalence and incidence over time using published population-based cohort studies that had used consistent methods with each wave and aim...

Background: Brain computed tomography (CT) is an accessible and commonly utilized technique for assessing brain structure. In cases of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), the presence of ventriculomegaly is often neuroradiologically evaluated by visual rating and manually measuring each image. Previously, we have developed and tested a...

Little is known about birth cohort differences in the impact of stroke on cognitive aging. Given improved poststroke rehabilitation and better treatments for vascular health risk, we may expect a reduction in the stroke impact in later-born cohorts. We tested this prediction using data from two cohorts, born in 1901–1907 (n = 1,155) and 1930 (n = 9...

Background: Emerging observational evidence supports a role for higher fruit and vegetable intake in protecting against the development of depression. However, there is a scarcity of research in older adults or in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: Participants were 7,801 community-based adults (mean age 68.6 ± 8.0 years, 55.8% fema...

Two of every three persons living with dementia reside in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). The projected increase in global dementia rates is expected to affect LMICs disproportionately. However, the majority of global dementia care costs occur in high‐income countries (HICs), with dementia research predominantly focusing on HICs. This imb...

INTRODUCTION The LIfestyle for BRAin Health (LIBRA) index yields a dementia risk score based on modifiable lifestyle factors and is validated in Western samples. We investigated whether the association between LIBRA scores and incident dementia is moderated by geographical location or sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS We combined data from...

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD) eligible for treatment with the recently FDA-approved lecanemab based on data from a population-based sample of 70-year-olds and extrapolate an estimation of individuals eligible in Europe and the United States. Methods: Participants from the Gothenburg H70 Birth...

Objective: Knowledge regarding hearing acuity in the nonagenarian age group is sparse. In this study we aimed to advance our understanding of hearing loss in the 10th decade of life. Design: A cross-sectional study in which standardized hearing measurements were performed during home visits, which included care home facilities and nursing homes to...

INTRODUCTION White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are an important imaging marker for cerebral small vessel diseases, but their risk factors and cognitive associations have not been well documented in populations of different ethnicities and/or from different geographical regions. METHODS We investigated how WMHs were associated with vascular risk...

The relation between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures is poorly understood in cognitively healthy individuals from the general population. Participants’ ( n = 226) mean age was 70.9 years (SD = 0.4). CSF concentrations of amyloid beta (Aβ)1‐42, total tau (t‐tau), phosphor...

Treatment options for sarcopenia are currently limited, and primarily rely on two main therapeutic approaches: resistance-based physical activity and dietary interventions. However, details about specific nutrients in the diet or supplementation are unclear. We aim to investigate the relationship between nutrient intake and lean mass, function, and...

Objective Few long‐term studies have examined the life‐time prevalence of comorbid psychiatric conditions in patients with obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD). We therefore studied the frequency of comorbid psychiatric disorders, and their relation to onset and prognosis, in patients with OCD who were followed for almost half a century. Methods Du...

Background:Good social connections are proposed to positively influence the course of cognitive decline by stimulating cognitive reserve and buffering harmful stress-related health effects. Prior meta-analytic research has uncovered links between social connections and the risk of poor health outcomes such as mild cognitive impairment, dementia, an...

Background Keratoconus (KC) is characterized by pathological thinning and bulging of the cornea that may lead to visual impairment. The etiology of sporadic KC remains enigmatic despite intensive research in recent decades. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between previously highlighted genetic variants associated with KC a...

Treatment options for sarcopenia are currently limited, primarily relying on two main therapeutic approaches: resistance-based physical activity and dietary interventions. However, details about specific nutrients in the diet or supplementation are unclear. Our objective is to investigate the relationship between nutrient intake and lean mass, func...

Background Depression is a known risk factor for dementia, and social support may lower the risk of depression in older adults. There is, however, a lack of longitudinal analyses examining the association between emotional versus instrumental support and depressive symptoms in older adults. We analyzed the association of emotional and instrumental...

Background Current evidence suggests an association between sarcopenia and multiple negative outcomes. Traditional methods to diagnose sarcopenia are based on dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) and whole body magnetic resonance imaging. These tests are complicated, time‐consuming and expensive. We aim to bring a more accessible way to diagnose...

Background In old age, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders rarely occur in isolation, but rather cluster together, in the so‐called metabolic syndrome (MetS). Although individual MetS components (obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia) have been linked to dementia, their combined effect on cognition remains poorly explored. We recentl...

Background Remotely administered, unsupervised smartphone‐based cognitive tests have the potential for scalable and cost‐effective screening of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in clinical trials and primary care. Previous work has provided initial evidence for the feasibility and validity of these tools in clinical and community settings. However, more st...

Background Current evidence suggests an association between sarcopenia and multiple negative outcomes. Traditional methods to diagnose sarcopenia are based on dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) and whole body magnetic resonance imaging. These tests are complicated, time‐consuming and expensive. We aim to bring a more accessible way to diagnose...

Background and Objectives Very divergent prevalence rates for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) are reported, probably due to differences in study sample selection and diagnostic criteria. This MRI-based study aimed to determine the prevalence of iNPH and iNPH-specific radiologic changes and their association with clinical symptoms in...

Background This study examined how living alone and loneliness associate with all-cause mortality in older men and women. Methods Baseline data from the Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies, including 70-year-olds interviewed in 2000 and 75-year-olds (new recruits) interviewed in 2005 were used for analyses ( N = 778, 353 men, 425 women). Six-year...

Objective To examine the association between midlife tobacco smoking and late-life brain atrophy and white matter lesions. Methods The study includes 369 women from the Prospective Population Study of Women in Gothenburg, Sweden. Cigarette smoking was reported at baseline 1968 (mean age=44 years) and at follow-up in 1974–1975 and 1980–1981. CT of...

INTRODUCTION Cranial computed tomography (CT) is an affordable and widely available imaging modality that is used to assess structural abnormalities, but not to quantify neurodegeneration. Previously we developed a deep‐learning–based model that produced accurate and robust cranial CT tissue classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed 917 CT...

Brain gray- and white matter changes is well described in alcohol-dependent elderly subjects; however, the effect of lower levels of alcohol consumption on the brain is poorly understood. We investigated the impact of different amounts of weekly alcohol consumption on brain structure in a population-based sample of 70-year-olds living in Gothenburg...

Background: Population-based studies of the relation between polygenic scores (PGSs) for longevity (longevity-PGSs) and MRI measures of relevance for ageing are few, especially in age-homogeneous samples from the normal population. The aim of this study was to investigate this relationship in 70-year olds free from stroke and dementia. Particip...

Study objectives: We examined and compared cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between self-reported sleep disturbances and various cognitive domains in five separate Nordic European longitudinal aging studies (baseline N=5631, Mean age=77.7, Mean follow-up=4.16 years). Methods: Comparable sleep parameters across studies included reduc...

Importance The utility of antihypertensives and ideal blood pressure (BP) for dementia prevention in late life remains unclear and highly contested. Objectives To assess the associations of hypertension history, antihypertensive use, and baseline measured BP in late life (age >60 years) with dementia and the moderating factors of age, sex, and rac...

The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) is an established verbal learning test commonly used to quantify memory impairments due to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) both at a clinical dementia stage or prodromal stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Focal memory impairment-as quantified e.g. by the RAVLT-at an MCI stage is referred to as amnestic...

INTRODUCTION: White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are an important imaging marker for cerebral small vessel diseases, but their risk factors and cognitive associations have not been well-documented in populations of different ethnicities and/or from different geographical regions. METHOD: Magnetic resonance imaging data of five population-based coh...

Across multiancestry groups, we analyzed Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) associations in over 176,000 individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) versus controls. We demonstrate that the two diseases share the same protective association at the HLA locus. HLA-specific fine-mapping showed that hierarchical protective effects...

Background In this study, we examined the effect of alcohol, as well as the combined effect of seven lifestyle factors, on all-cause mortality in older adults (baseline age 70 years). Methods Data was derived from the population-based Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort study, including 1124 participants from the 2014–16 examination. Risk consumption was...

Cerebral microinfarcts (CMIs) are small ischemic lesions invisible to the naked eye at brain autopsy, while the larger ones (0.5-4 mm in diameter) have been visualized in-vivo on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). CMIs can be detected on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) as incidental small DWI-positive lesions (ISDPLs) and on structural MRI for thos...

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for open-angle glaucoma in a population of 70-year-olds in Gothenburg, Sweden and to compare the visual function between the glaucoma population and the non-glaucoma population. Methods: Of the entire cohort (n = 1203), 1182 participants responded a questionnaire on self-reported glaucoma...

Background Neurofilament light chain protein (NFL), a marker of neuronal axonal degeneration, is increased in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). Assays for analysis of NFL in plasma are now widely available but plasma NFL has not been reported in iNPH patients. Our aim was to examine plasma N...

Objective: Automated pure-tone audiometry is frequently used in teleaudiology and hearing screening. Given the high prevalence of age-related hearing loss, older adults are an important target population. This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of automated audiometry in older adults, and to examine the influence of test frequency, age, sex,...

Background The interplay of genetic and environmental factors can trigger a cascade of neuropathological changes leading to individual differences in brain aging. The apparent age of the brain (brain age) can differ from chronological age, potentially reflecting different resilience mechanisms. Brain age has also the potential as biomarker to predi...

Background The relation between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and neurodegeneration and brain regions of relevance for very early pathological processes in AD is poorly understood. This study aims to investigate cross‐sectional associations between the CSF biomarkers amyloid‐β 1‐42 (Aβ42), total‐tau (T‐tau), phosp...

Background Diet is a lifestyle factors that could influence the risk of developing dementia. However, the impact of diet on the brain is not fully understood. Investigating associations between dietary patterns and neuroimaging markers of relevance for dementia could potentially increase this understanding. Method This study includes cross‐section...

Background Progressive decline in cognition and renal function are both related to ageing. The estimated global prevalence of dementia was 55 million people in 2019, a number expected to increase to 139 million by 2050. Furthermore, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the second fastest growing cause of death globally. Few studies have examined the lin...

Background and objectives Studies associate chronic kidney disease (CKD) with neurodegeneration. This study investigated the relation between kidney function, blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and structural brain MRI markers of neurodegeneration, in a sample including individuals with and without CKD. Methods Participants from the Gothenburg H70...

Purpose This study aimed to identify the prevalence of conductive/mixed and sensorineural hearing loss, with an attempt to differentiate between sensory and neural components in 85-year-olds. Method A comprehensive auditory test protocol, including pure-tone audiometry, speech audiometry, auditory brainstem response (ABR), and distortion product o...

Background: Parental history of dementia appears to increase the risk of dementia, but there have been inconsistent results. We aimed to investigate whether the association between parental history of dementia and the risk of dementia are different by dementia subtypes and sex of parent and offspring. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, we...

Background: Longitudinal studies are essential to understand the ageing process, and risk factors and consequences for disorders, but attrition may cause selection bias and impact generalizability. We describe the 1930 cohort of the Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies, followed from age 70 to 88, and compare baseline characteristics for those who c...

Blood phosphorylated tau (p-tau) biomarkers, at differing sites, demonstrate high accuracy to detect Alzheimerʼs disease (AD). However, knowledge on the optimal marker for disease identification across the AD continuum and the link to pathology is limited. This is partly due to heterogeneity in analytical methods. In this study, we employed an immu...

Introduction: Previous meta-analyses have linked social connections and mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and mortality. However, these used aggregate data from North America and Europe and examined a limited number of social connection markers. Methods: We used individual participant data (N = 39271, Mage = 70.67 (40-102), 58.86% female, Med...