Sarah Gregory

The University of Edinburgh | UoE · Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences

A number of steroids, including glucocorticoids and sex hormones, have been associated with neurodegenerative and cardiovascular conditions common in aging populations. The application of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) steroid analysis offers an opportunity to conduct simultaneous multiplex steroid analysis within a given...

Background Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and depression are significant challenges facing public health. Research has demonstrated common comorbidities amongst these three conditions, typically focusing on two of them at a time. Objectives The goal of this study, however, was to assess the interrelationships between the three cond...

The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is a primarily plant‐based eating pattern. High adherence to a MedDiet has been associated with a 10‐40% lower incidence of dementia. There is limited evidence exploring associations between the MedDiet and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology. Our study explored cross‐sectional associations between MedDiet and AD out...

Background: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), a primarily plant-based eating pattern, has been associated with lower dementia incidence. Much of the research has focused on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with less research looking at the preclinical symptomatically silent stages that pre-empt MCI...

Previous studies have demonstrated an association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) and better cognitive performance, lower incidence of dementia and lower Alzheimer's disease biomarker burden. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence base for MedDiet associations with hippocampal volume and white matter hy...

Introduction: Tens of millions of people worldwide will develop Alzheimer's disease (AD), and only by intervening early in the preclinical disease can we make a fundamental difference to the rates of late-stage disease where clinical symptoms and societal burden manifest. However, collectively utilizing data, samples, and knowledge amassed by large...

Both research and clinical practice have traditionally centred on the dementia syndrome of Alzheimer's disease rather than its preclinical and prodromal stages. However, there is a strong scientific and ethical impetus to shift focus to earlier disease stages to improve brain health outcomes and help to keep affected individuals symptom-free (demen...

Type 2 diabetes is a robust predictor of cognitive impairment. Impairment in allocentric processing may help identify those at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease dementia. The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of participants with and without diabetes on a task of allocentric spatial processing. This was a cross‐section...

Purpose of review: With an increasing population age, cognitive decline and age-associated neurodegenerative diseases are becoming increasingly prevalent and burdensome in society. Dietary supplementation with inorganic nitrate, which serves as a nitric oxide precursor, has been suggested as a potential nutritional strategy to improve brain health...

Introduction Identifying cost-effective, non-invasive biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a clinical and research priority. Speech data are easy to collect, and studies suggest it can identify those with AD. We do not know if speech features can predict AD biomarkers in a preclinical population. Methods and analysis The Speech on the Phone A...

Hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis (HPAa) dysfunction is associated with progression of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). HPAa abnormalities are also associated with diabetes, obesity, anxiety, depression and traumatic life events, all risk factors for AD. We hypothesised that these risk factors would be associated with AD biomarkers...

Dementia and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) are prevalent disorders in older adults, and increasingly T2D is recognized as a robust predictor of cognitive impairment, decline and dementia. Older adults with T2D experience global cognitive decline at a rate that is double those without T2D over a 5‐year period. With regard to specific cognitive doma...

Background: Exercise has been known to preserve and enhance functional performance in older adults. Eccentric exercise involves muscle contractions characterised by unique features such as lengthening of the muscle-tendon complex by a greater opposing force. Aims: To systematically review randomised-controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the eff...

Throughout the global coronavirus pandemic, we have seen an unprecedented volume of COVID-19 researchpublications. This vast body of evidence continues to grow, making it difficult for research users to keep up with the pace of evolving research findings. To enable the synthesis of this evidence for timely use by researchers, policymakers, and othe...

BACKGROUND Background: Harnessing the power of big data has unexplored potential in the field of dementia and brain health research. However, as interest in big data increases it is important to learn what the public understands about the use of their routinely collected healthcare data for research purposes, and their attitudes to such use. Partic...

With disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) still elusive, the search for alternative intervention strategies has intensified. Growing evidence suggests that dysfunction in hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal-axis (HPAA) activity may contribute to the development of AD pathology. The HPAA, may therefore offer a novel target for therape...

Objective Depression and trauma are associated with changes in brain regions implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. The present study examined associations between childhood trauma, depression, adult cognitive functioning and risk of dementia. Methods Data from 378 participants in the PREVENT Dementia Study aged 40–59 years. Linear and logistic models...

Background Including participants in patient and public involvement activities is increasingly acknowledged as a key pillar of successful research activity. Such activities can influence recruitment and retention, as well as researcher experience and contribute to decision making in research studies. However, there are few established methodologies...

Background Multimorbidity including physical and mental illness is increasing in prevalence. We aimed to investigate the associations between physical conditions and medication use with anxiety and depression in midlife. Methods We conducted an observational cross-sectional study of volunteers in the PREVENT Dementia study. Using logistic and line...

Background Patient, public and participant involvement (PPPI) is increasingly acknowledged as a key pillar of successful research activity. PPPI can influence recruitment and retention, as well as researcher experience and contribute to decision making in research studies. However, there are few established methodologies of how to set up and manage...

Background: Including participants in patient and public involvement activities is increasingly acknowledged as a key pillar of successful research activity. Such activities can influence recruitment and retention, as well as researcher experience and contribute to decision making in research studies. However, there are few established methodologie...

Introduction 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) is an intracellular enzyme that catalyses conversion of cortisone into cortisol; correspondingly, 11β-HSD1 inhibitors inhibit this conversion. This systematic review focuses on the use of 11β-HSD1 inhibitors in diseases known to be associated with abnormalities in hypothalamic pituitar...

Objectives Hearing aid usage supports communication and independence; however, many do not use their hearing aids. This study explored the experiences of hearing aid use in adults with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease. Methods Participants completed semi-structured interviews which were analysed using thematic analysis. Ten people...

Aim To develop a pilot core competency framework for clinical research staff. Background Clinical research networks in the United Kingdom (UK) are continuously developing as study demands change, thereby creating more diverse opportunities for individuals working in clinical research roles. It is imperative for clinical research staff to be skille...

Aim: Despite the growing importance of public and patient involvement in biomedical research, comparatively little attention has been paid to the important role of research participants themselves. Our aim in this paper is to explore the impact research participant involvement has within the PREVENT and the European Prevention of Alzheimer's Demen...

Background: No established treatment algorithm exists for patients with schizophrenia. Whether switching antipsychotics or early use of clozapine improves outcome in (first-episode) schizophrenia is unknown. Methods: This three-phase study was done in 27 centres, consisting of general hospitals and psychiatric specialty clinics, in 14 European c...

Background: Connecting willing patients with dementia to suitable clinical research studies has been historically challenging. The United Kingdom Dementia and Neurodegenerative Research Network (DeNDRoN) was established to link patients into high-quality studies. One component is DemReg, a register of dementia patients and their carers who have ag...