Resting EEG power spectra across middle to late life: associations with age, cognition, APOE-ɛ4 carriage, and cardiometabolic burden

Ashleigh E Smith; Anson Chau; Danielle Greaves; Hannah A D Keage; Daniel Feuerriegel

doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.06.004

Resting EEG power spectra across middle to late life: associations with age, cognition, APOE-ɛ4 carriage, and cardiometabolic burden

Neurobiol Aging. 2023 Oct:130:93-102. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.06.004. Epub 2023 Jun 8.

Authors

Ashleigh E Smith¹, Anson Chau², Danielle Greaves³, Hannah A D Keage⁴, Daniel Feuerriegel⁵

Affiliations

¹ Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
² Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Medical Radiation Science, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
³ Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Cognitive Ageing and Impairment Neurosciences (CAIN), Justice and Society, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; UniSA Online, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
⁴ Cognitive Ageing and Impairment Neurosciences (CAIN), Justice and Society, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
⁵ Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: dfeuerriegel@unimelb.edu.au.

PMID: 37494844
DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.06.004

Abstract

We investigated how resting electroencephalography (EEG) measures are associated with risk factors for late-life cognitive impairment and dementia, including age, apolipoprotein E ɛ4 (APOE-ɛ4) carriage, and cardiometabolic burden. Resting EEG was recorded from 86 adults (50-80 years of age). Participants additionally completed the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE) III and had blood drawn to assess APOE-ɛ4 carriage status and cardiometabolic burden. EEG power spectra were decomposed into sources of periodic and aperiodic activity to derive measures of aperiodic component slope and alpha (7-14 Hz) and beta (15-30 Hz) peak power and peak frequency. Alpha and beta peak power measures were corrected for aperiodic activity. The aperiodic component slope was correlated with ACE-III scores but not age. Alpha peak frequency decreased with age. Individuals with higher cardiometabolic burden had lower alpha peak frequencies and lower beta peak power. APOE-ɛ4 carriers had lower beta peak frequencies. Our findings suggest that the slope of the aperiodic component of resting EEG power spectra is more closely associated with measures of cognitive performance rather than chronological age in older adults.

Keywords: Aging; Apolipoprotein E (APOE); Cardiometabolic; Electroencephalography (EEG); Fitting oscillations and one over f (FOOOF).

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Apolipoprotein E4* / genetics
Apolipoproteins E
Cardiovascular Diseases*
Cognition
Electroencephalography
Humans
Middle Aged

Substances

Apolipoprotein E4
Apolipoproteins E