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Activities of daily living and their neural correlates across the Alzheimer's disease continuum: Evidence from a Latin American cohort
(Wiley, 2026-04-29)
Patricio Riquelme
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Gonzalo Forno
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Joaquín Migeot
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Rodrigo Henríquez
;
Patricia Lillo
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:sec> <jats:title>INTRODUCTION</jats:title> <jats:p>Functional decline in activities of daily living (ADL)—advanced (AADL), instrumental (IADL), and basic (BADL)—is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, integrated clinical–neuroanatomical evidence on progression across the AD continuum remains limited, particularly in Latin American populations.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>METHODS</jats:title> <jats:p>We studied 138 older adults with subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD). ADL domains were assessed using the Technology‐Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire. Structural magnetic resonance imaging data were analyzed using voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) to identify gray matter (GM) correlates of ADL performance.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>RESULTS</jats:title> <jats:p>A hierarchical decline from AADL to IADL to BADL differentiated clinical stages. SCC and MCI differed mainly in AADL performance, whereas ADD showed decline across all domains. VBM revealed GM correlates consistent with this hierarchy, with distinct but partially overlapping substrates for each ADL domain.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>DISCUSSION</jats:title> <jats:p>These findings underscore a diagnostically informative and anatomically organized progression of ADL decline.</jats:p> </jats:sec>
Scopus© Citations 1 3
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The neuroactive potential of the elderly human gut microbiome is associated with mental health status
(Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2026-04-15)
Paulina Calderón-Romero
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Benjamin Valderrama
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Thomaz F. S. Bastiaanssen
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Patricia Lillo
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Daniela Thumala-Dockendorff
<jats:p> Ageing is usually associated with physiological decline, increased mental health issues, and cognitive. deterioration, alongside specific changes in the gut microbiome. However, the relationship between the neuroactive potential of the gut microbiome and mental health and cognition among the elderly remains less explored. This study examines a cohort of 153 older Chilean adults with cognitive complaints, assessing anthropometric data, mental health via five distinct tests, and gut microbiome composition through 16SV4 sequencing. Our findings reveal associations between anthropometric factors and depression scores in mental tests of participants with their gut microbiome composition. Notably, depression was associated with changes in the abundance of <jats:italic>Lachnospiraceae Eubacterium xylanophilum group</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Fusobacteriaceae Fusobacterium</jats:italic> . Additionally, bacterial pathways involved in metabolising neuroactive compounds such as tryptophan, short-chain fatty acids, p-cresol, glutamate, and nitric oxide were associated with participant age, sex, and cognitive performance. Moreover, participants’ sex was associated with the neuroactive potential of specific bacteria, suggesting a role of the gut microbiome in sex-related mental health differences in the elderly. Altogether, this study provides the first evidence from a South American cohort linking the inferred neuroactive potential of the gut microbiome to cognitive and psychological function in older adults with cognitive complaints, offering novel insights into microbiota-based mechanisms that may contribute to mental health and ageing. </jats:p>
1
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Plasma ATN biomarkers across the alzheimer’s disease continuum in a Chilean community- and clinic-based cohort
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2026-02-14)
Paulina Orellana
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Fernando Henríquez
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Felipe Cabral-Miranda
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Hernán Hernandez
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Pamela C L Ferreira
2
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Impact of cardiometabolic factors and AD plasma biomarkers on white matter hyperintensities volume in individuals with cognitive complaints from the global south
(Elsevier BV, 2026-02)
Patricio Riquelme-Contreras
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Fernando Henriquez
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Cecilia Gonzalez-Campo
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Florencia Altschuler
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Matías Fraile-Vazquez
2
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Teleneuropsychology in Latin America: Experiences and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic
(FapUNIFESP (SciELO), 2026)
Loreto Olavarria Vera
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Claudia Dechent
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Mario Parra Rodriguez
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Lucía Crivelli
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Nilton Santos Custodio Capuñay
<jats:p>ABSTRACT. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of teleneuropsychology (TeleNP) to deliver remote neuropsychological services in settings with limited clinic access. Objective: To examine TeleNP practices in Latin America (LA), focusing on clinicians’ perceptions of utility, validity, and barriers. Methods: A descriptive, exploratory cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2020 and January 2021 among health professionals practicing neuropsychology in LA. The instrument, validated through a Delphi process, assessed professional background, TeleNP use, patient profiles, applied tests, and perceived advantages and challenges. Results: A total of 212 clinicians from 10 countries participated (mean age and clinical experience=42.7 years and 12.3 years, respectively). Participants were primarily psychologists (75.9%), but also neurologists, geriatricians, psychiatrists and speech-language pathologists. TeleNP adoption rose from 4.2% regular and 13.7% occasional pre-pandemic use to 58% at the time of the survey, with significant cross-country variation (χ2=79.0, df=30, p<0.001). TeleNP was used mainly for patient (90%) and informant (89.5%) interviews, screening (71.8%), and, in half of the cases, more extensive assessments. The advantages reported were improved access (81.5%), reduced transportation costs (79.8%), patient comfort (66.1%), and easier scheduling (66.1%). The main barrier identified was limited patient connectivity (84.7%). Regulatory knowledge was heterogeneous: 36.7% reported TeleNP authorization in their country, 23.5% reported no authorization, and 39.8% were unsure. Conclusion: TeleNP adoption in LA increased during the pandemic and is perceived as a valid, accessible modality to address geographic disparities in neuropsychological care. However, heterogeneous implementation, regulatory uncertainty, and technological limitations remain major challenges, underscoring the need for standardized guidelines.</jats:p>
1
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Loss in Old Age: The Role of Sociodemographic and Cognitive Factors
(SAGE Publications, 2025-12-08)
Daniela Thumala-Dockendorff
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Marcelo Arnold-Cathalifaud
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Teresa Parrao
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Rodrigo Assar
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Roque Villagra
<jats:p>Understanding how different types of losses accumulate and are perceived in later life is essential for designing effective mental health interventions. This study examined the types, co-occurrence, and perceived intensity of losses experienced by older adults in Chile, where no prior research has systematically addressed this phenomenon. We also analyzed how sociodemographic variables (sex, education, income, and social network characteristics) and cognitive impairment without dementia relate to the experience of loss. One hundred ninety-four community-dwelling older adults in Chile completed the Scale of Losses in Old Age (SLO), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Results confirmed the accumulation of diverse, mostly moderate-intensity losses, particularly the death of significant others and declines in health and physical capacity. Losses tended to co-occur and were significantly associated with socioeconomic disadvantage and dissatisfaction with close relationships, especially with children. Cognitive impairment was associated with greater intensity of specific losses but did not independently predict overall burden. These findings highlight the importance of considering the number and types of losses, their subjective appraisal, and the structural and relational conditions that shape their psychological impact. The study offers a novel framework for assessing loss in old age and provides context-sensitive evidence to inform policy and intervention design.</jats:p>
2
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Can Frontal Assessment Battery Discriminate between Patients with Alzheimer’s and Frontotemporal Dementia?
(Oxford University Press (OUP), 2025-08-29)
Fabrissio Grandi
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Loreto Olavarría
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Mario A Parra
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David Martínez-Pernía
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Cesar Serey
Objectives: The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) is a widely used tool for assessing executive function. However, its ability to distinguish between Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD) and behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) remains under debate. This study assessed the diagnostic utility of the Chilean version of the FAB (FAB-Ch) in differentiating ADD from bvFTD and used data-driven cluster analysis to explore dysexecutive profiles. Method: A total of 288 participants were recruited: 45 with ADD, 33 with bvFTD, and 208 cognitively unimpaired controls (CU). Mean FAB-Ch total scores were compared across groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves evaluated the instrument's ability to distinguish (i) dementia from no dementia, (ii) ADD from bvFTD, and (iii) executive dysfunction. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted to identify executive profiles among dementia patients. Results: FAB-Ch scores were significantly lower in individuals with dementia compared to controls (p < .001). However, there were no significant differences between ADD and bvFTD groups (p = .59). The FAB-Ch showed strong discriminatory power between dementia and controls (AUC = 0.882; sensitivity = 0.731; specificity = 0.885), but poor discrimination between ADD and bvFTD (AUC = 0.465; p = .59). Cluster analysis among patients with dementia revealed three distinct executive profiles corresponding to different levels of cognitive impairment (p < .001). Conclusion: The FAB-Ch effectively differentiates individuals with dementia from cognitively unimpaired controls but does not distinguish between ADD and bvFTD. Nevertheless, it is sensitive to executive dysfunction and can aid in the clinical characterization of dementia severity and heterogeneity.
1
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Functional Capacity in Activities of Daily Living in the Alzheimer’s Disease Continuum
(Wiley, 2024-12)
Fernando Henriquez
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Carmen Dominguez
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Fabrissio Grandi
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Cecilia Gonzalez Campo
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Patricio Riquelme Contreras
The most common and prevalent dementia worldwide is Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is a continuum composed of Subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCD), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer’s Disease dementia (ADD) stage. One of the main clinical variables in patients with dementia is performance in functional capacity since its alterations are associated with poor prognosis and disease progression. Functional capacity is measured through activities of daily living (ADL), which are divided into three domains: i) Basic (BADL), ii) Instrumental (IADL), and iii) Advanced (AADL). The study aimed to characterize the performance of the different stages of the AD continuum in the ADL domains and their association with cognitive abilities.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Method</jats:title><jats:p>A cross‐sectional study of subjects at different stages of the AD continuum was conducted: Healthy Controls (CTR) (n = 17), SCD (n = 77), MCI (n = 30), and ADD (n = 23), who were matched for age, sex, and education. ADLs were estimated using The Technology‐Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire (T‐ADLQ), which assesses the three domains and a total score. T‐ADLQ performance was compared across groups and correlated with cognitive ability instruments (ACE‐III and IFS).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Result</jats:title><jats:p>The results showed that patients with ADD performed worse on the BADL, IADL, and total ADLs compared to the other three groups. There were no significant differences between the CTR, SCD, and MCI on the BADL, IADL, and total ADLs. However, the AADL, in addition to differentiating the ADD patients from the other three groups, also showed differences between CTR and MCI subjects and between SCD and MCI subjects (Table 1 and Figure 1). The correlation study showed that AADL correlated significantly with global cognitive and executive function assessment (Figure 2).</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title><jats:p>AADL shows progressive functional impairment at different stages of the AD continuum, which is further associated with global cognitive and executive function performances. As one progresses to a more advanced stage of the disease continuum, the performance of ADLs, especially AADLs, worsens, which could indicate a marker of disease progression, allowing for better patient follow‐up.
1
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Heterogeneous factors influence social cognition across diverse settings in brain health and age-related diseases
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2024-01-02)
Sol Fittipaldi
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Agustina Legaz
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Marcelo Maito
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Hernan Hernandez
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Florencia Altschuler
Aging diminishes social cognition, and changes in this capacity can indicate brain diseases. However, the relative contribution of age, diagnosis and brain reserve to social cognition, especially among older adults and in global settings, remains unclear when considering other factors. Here, using a computational approach, we combined predictors of social cognition from a diverse sample of 1,063 older adults across nine countries. Emotion recognition, mentalizing and overall social cognition were predicted via support vector regressions from various factors, including diagnosis (subjective cognitive complaints, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia), demographics, cognition/executive function, brain reserve and motion artifacts from functional magnetic resonance imaging recordings. Higher cognitive/executive functions and education ranked among the top predictors, outweighing age, diagnosis and brain reserve. Network connectivity did not show predictive values. The results challenge traditional interpretations of age-related decline, patient–control differences and brain associations of social cognition, emphasizing the importance of heterogeneous factors.
Scopus© Citations 31 1
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The “when” matters: Evidence from memory markers in the clinical continuum of Alzheimer’s disease.
(2023)
Gonzalo Forno
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Mario A. Parra
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Daniela Thumala
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Roque Villagra
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Mauricio Cerda
6Scopus© Citations 5

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