JoeVerghese, Professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USAjoe.verghese@einstein.yu.edu
Paul Kowal, PharmD, World Health Organization, Switzerland; David A Bennett, MD, Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Chicago, IL
Submitted April 01, 2015
We appreciate the report by Dr. Mahlknecht and colleagues, which corroborates the Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome (MCR) construct. While our prior work focused on the incidence, [1] prevalence, [2] and risk of dementia associated with MCR, [2, 3] Mahlknecht and colleagues report that hyposmia and vascular risk factors are associated with the development of MCR. The finding is interesting and suggests that MCR may be a common pathway for both non-Alzheimer type dementias and Alzheimer's disease.
Further, the hyposmia finding provides additional support for links between non-cognitive abilities and dementia risk. This was recently the subject of a National Institute on Aging Workshop, which highlighted what was known and gaps in knowledge regarding the interactions between motor and sensory function in aging and Alzheimer's disease. [4] The growing recognition of non-cognitive motoric and sensory features in the prodrome to dementia provides another opportunity to improve current dementia risk stratification and gain insights into potential targets of interventions.
1. Verghese J, Ayers E, Barzilai N, et al. Motoric cognitive risk syndrome: Multicenter incidence study. Neurology 2014;83:2278-2284.
2. Verghese J, Annweiler C, Ayers E, et al. Motoric cognitive risk syndrome: Multicountry prevalence and dementia risk. Neurology 2014;83:718 -726.
3. Verghese J, Wang C, Lipton RB, Holtzer R. Motoric cognitive risk syndrome and the risk of dementia. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2013;68:412-418.
4. Albers MW, Gilmore GC, Kaye J, et al. At the interface of sensory and motor dysfunctions and Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2015;11:70- 98.
For disclosures, please contact the editorial office at journal@neurology.org.
We appreciate the report by Dr. Mahlknecht and colleagues, which corroborates the Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome (MCR) construct. While our prior work focused on the incidence, [1] prevalence, [2] and risk of dementia associated with MCR, [2, 3] Mahlknecht and colleagues report that hyposmia and vascular risk factors are associated with the development of MCR. The finding is interesting and suggests that MCR may be a common pathway for both non-Alzheimer type dementias and Alzheimer's disease.
Further, the hyposmia finding provides additional support for links between non-cognitive abilities and dementia risk. This was recently the subject of a National Institute on Aging Workshop, which highlighted what was known and gaps in knowledge regarding the interactions between motor and sensory function in aging and Alzheimer's disease. [4] The growing recognition of non-cognitive motoric and sensory features in the prodrome to dementia provides another opportunity to improve current dementia risk stratification and gain insights into potential targets of interventions.
1. Verghese J, Ayers E, Barzilai N, et al. Motoric cognitive risk syndrome: Multicenter incidence study. Neurology 2014;83:2278-2284.
2. Verghese J, Annweiler C, Ayers E, et al. Motoric cognitive risk syndrome: Multicountry prevalence and dementia risk. Neurology 2014;83:718 -726.
3. Verghese J, Wang C, Lipton RB, Holtzer R. Motoric cognitive risk syndrome and the risk of dementia. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2013;68:412-418.
4. Albers MW, Gilmore GC, Kaye J, et al. At the interface of sensory and motor dysfunctions and Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2015;11:70- 98.
For disclosures, please contact the editorial office at journal@neurology.org.