Executive functioning as an indicator of conversion to Alzheimer's Disease: contribution of the eye movement analysis

• Grant number: 15/19632-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2016
• End date: February 02, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Orestes Vicente Forlenza
• Grantee: Marta Luísa Gonçalves de Freitas Pereira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psiquiatria Doutor Antonio Carlos Pacheco e Silva (IPq). Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 17/12339-3 - Executive function impairments and the progression to Alzheimer's Disease: using computational methods for eye movement data analysis, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Background: The study of subtle cognitive alterations previous to the onset of dementia in Alzheimer's disease (AD), a field of intensive research, and the "classic" episodic and semantic memory impairments are being questioned as the only early signals of the disease to be considered. Recent data shows that changes in executive functioning may be present at predementia stages of AD, namely in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). However, the impairment of several executive sub-domains is still unknown. The use of eye-tracking technology has proven to be a non-invasive and cost-effective method in the research of AD markers, including behavioral patterns such as executive changes at pre-dementia stages. Objectives: to investigate executive functioning changes that are predictive of AD in subjects with CCL, through its oculomotor profile. Methods: A sample of control subjects, MCI (amnestic and non-amnestic) and AD patients will be recruited. Subjects will be tested with a research protocol provided by LIM-27, comprising a clinical, neuropsychological and functional assessment, with lumbar puncture (to determine biomarkers in CSF) and MRI scans. Eye movement behavior will be assessed with a set of oculomotor tasks, specifically built for this project, and intended to identify oculomotor paradigms that are expected to be AD markers. Eye movement data will be analyzed and cross-correlated with clinical, neuropsychological and biological variables. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GONCALVES DE FREITAS PEREIRA, MARTA LUISA; DE ARRUDA CAMARGO, MARINA VON ZUBEN; RIBEIRO BELLAN, ARIELLA FORNACHARI; TAHIRA, ANA CAROLINA; DOS SANTOS, BERNARDO; DOS SANTOS, JESSICA; MACHADO-LIMA, ARIANE; NUNES, FATIMA L. S.; FORLENZA, ORESTES VICENTE. Visual Search Efficiency in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: An Eye Movement Study. JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, v. 75, n. 1, p. 261-275, 2020. (13/23135-9, 17/12339-3, 14/20913-3, 15/19632-2)

DE ARRUDA CAMARGO, MARINA VON ZUBEN; PAIS, MARCOS VASCONCELOS; RIBEIRO BELLAN, ARIELLA FORNACHARI; TAHIRA, ANA CAROLINA; DOS SANTOS, BERNARDO; FIDALGO GARCEZ SANT'ANA, LIVEA CARLA; RADANOVIC, MARCIA; FORLENZA, ORESTES VICENTE. Impact of Cognitive Demand on Eye Movement Pattern in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease. JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, v. 90, n. 1, p. 11-pg., 2022-01-01. (17/12339-3, 13/23135-9, 15/19632-2, 14/20913-3)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

PEREIRA, Marta Luísa Gonçalves de Freitas. Executive functioning as an indicator of conversion to Alzheimer\'s disease: the contribution of eye movement analysis. 2019. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina (FM/SBD) São Paulo.