The Latin American Spanish version of the Face-Name Associative Memory Exam is sensitive to cognitive and pathological changes in preclinical autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease

• Main Authors: Clara Vila-Castelar, Nathalia Muñoz, Kathryn V. Papp, Rebecca E. Amariglio, Ana Baena, Edmarie Guzmán-Vélez, Yamile Bocanegra, Justin S. Sanchez, Eric M. Reiman, Keith A. Johnson, Reisa A. Sperling, Francisco Lopera, Dorene M. Rentz, Yakeel T. Quiroz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2020-09-01
• Series: Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy
• Subjects: Alzheimer’s disease; Autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease; Neuropsychology; Associative memory; Imaging; PET
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13195-020-00671-w

Abstract Background To determine whether performance on the Latin American Spanish version of the Face-Name Associative Memory Exam (LAS-FNAME) can differentiate between cognitively intact carriers of an autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease mutation (E280A) in Presenilin-1, who are genetically determined to develop early-onset dementia, from matched non-carriers. We also sought to examine whether LAS-FNAME performance is associated with amyloid-β and regional tau burden in mutation carriers. Methods A total of 35 cognitively intact mutation carriers (age range 26–41), 19 symptomatic carriers, and 48 matched non-carriers (age range 27–44) completed a neuropsychological assessment including the LAS-FNAME. A subset of participants (31 carriers [12 symptomatic] and 35 non-carriers) traveled from Colombia to Boston to undergo positron emission tomography (PET) using Pittsburgh compound B to measure mean cortical amyloid-β and flortaucipir for regional tau. ANOVA analyses and Spearman correlations were used to examine group differences and relationships among LAS-FNAME performance and amyloid-β and tau accumulation. Results Compared to non-carriers, cognitively intact mutation carriers had lower scores on the LAS-FNAME Total Scores (p = .040). Across all carriers (including symptomatic carriers), higher levels of amyloid-β (r = − .436, p = .018) and regional tau in the entorhinal (r = − .394, p = .031) and inferior temporal cortex (r = − .563, p = .001) were associated with lower LAS-FNAME Total Scores. Conclusions Performance on the LAS-FNAME differentiated between cognitively intact mutation carriers from non-carriers and was associated with greater amyloid and tau burden when examining all carriers. Findings suggest that the LAS-FNAME is sensitive to early clinical and pathological changes and can potentially help track disease progression in Spanish-speaking individuals.