Regina Leckie | University of Pittsburgh (original) (raw)

Papers by Regina Leckie

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, May 11, 2018

Psychological Medicine, Oct 4, 2019

Background.The diet of most adults is low in fish and, therefore, provides limited quantities of ... more Background.The diet of most adults is low in fish and, therefore, provides limited quantities of the long-chain, omega-3 fatty acids (LCn-3FAs), eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA, DHA). Since these compounds serve important roles in the brain, we sought to determine if healthy adults with low-LCn-3FA consumption would exhibit improvements in neuropsychological performance and parallel changes in brain morphology following repletion through fish oil supplementation.Methods.In a randomized, controlled trial, 271 mid-life adults (30–54 years of age, 118 men, 153 women) consuming ⩽300 mg/day of LCn-3FAs received 18 weeks of supplementation with fish oil capsules (1400 mg/day of EPA and DHA) or matching placebo. All participants completed a neuropsychological test battery examining four cognitive domains: psychomotor speed, executive function, learning/episodic memory, and fluid intelligence. A subset of 122 underwent neuroimaging before and after supplementation to measure whole-brain and subcortical tissue volumes.Results.Capsule adherence was over 95%, participant blinding was verified, and red blood cell EPA and DHA levels increased as expected. Supplementation did not affect performance in any of the four cognitive domains. Exploratory analyses revealed that, compared to placebo, fish oil supplementation improved executive function in participants with low-baseline DHA levels. No changes were observed in any indicator of brain morphology.Conclusions.In healthy mid-life adults reporting low-dietary intake, supplementation with LCn-3FAs in moderate dose for moderate duration did not affect neuropsychological performance or brain morphology. Whether salutary effects occur in individuals with particularly low-DHA exposure requires further study.

Neuropsychologia, Jul 1, 2014

Hippocampus, Jan 20, 2015

License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided t... more License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Age-related cognitive decline is linked to numerous molecular, structural, and functional changes in the brain. However, physical activity is a promising method of reducing unfavorable age-related changes. Physical activity exerts its effects on the brain through many molecular pathways, some of which are regulated by genetic variants in humans. In this paper, we highlight genes including apolipoprotein E (APOE), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) along with dietary omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as potential moderators of the effect of physical activity on brain health. There are a growing number of studies indicating that physical activity might mitigate the genetic risks for disease and brain dysfunction and that the combination of greater amounts of DHA intake with physical activity mi...

doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00985 BDNF mediates improvements in executive function following a 1-year... more doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00985 BDNF mediates improvements in executive function following a 1-year exercise intervention

This study was funded by the National

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is becoming increasingly prevalent in the US, especially in older... more Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is becoming increasingly prevalent in the US, especially in older adults. In fact, 25.9% of adults over the age of 65 have been diagnosed with T2DM. In addition to the increased cardiovascular disease risks, cognitive and brain health impairments are also associated with T2DM. Overall lower brain volumes and poorer memory function is observed in T2DM, indicating poorer brain health than non-diabetics. While the mechanisms behind poorer cognitive function and brain health are unknown, impaired glucose control, as measured by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), is one aspect of T2DM that may provide insight into this ongoing inquiry. The Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD) trial was designed to longitudinally examine the cardiovascular health effects of weight-loss in older adults diagnosed with T2DM. The trial randomized participants into two conditions: Intensive Lifestyle Intervention (ILI) consisting of a physical activity regimen and caloric-restri...

Journal of Aging Research, 2012

Age-related cognitive decline is linked to numerous molecular, structural, and functional changes... more Age-related cognitive decline is linked to numerous molecular, structural, and functional changes in the brain. However, physical activity is a promising method of reducing unfavorable age-related changes. Physical activity exerts its effects on the brain through many molecular pathways, some of which are regulated by genetic variants in humans. In this paper, we highlight genes including apolipoprotein E (APOE), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) along with dietary omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as potential moderators of the effect of physical activity on brain health. There are a growing number of studies indicating that physical activity might mitigate the genetic risks for disease and brain dysfunction and that the combination of greater amounts of DHA intake with physical activity might promote better brain function than either treatment alone. Understanding whether genes or other lifestyles moderate the effects o...

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2014

Social Neuroscience, 2013

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2013

To the Editor: Physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of dementia1 and extends the lifespan.2 Al... more To the Editor: Physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of dementia1 and extends the lifespan.2 Although most prospective studies assess PA according to self-report, these measures are limited in scope and susceptible to social desirability biases. Despite the prospect that PA may alleviate cognitive impairment, few studies have objectively assessed PA in cognitively impaired individuals. Herein the feasibility of objectively measuring PA and adherence to wearing an activity-monitoring device in a cognitively impaired sample was assessed. Participants were recruited from the Pittsburgh Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC). Details of clinical adjudication have been described.3,4 Participants and care-givers signed an informed consent/assent approved by the University of Pittsburgh institutional review board and were remunerated $50. A control group of 28 cognitively normal adults, age matched to the impaired group, were also enrolled. Information on the number of subjects recruited, consented, and returning the device was documented. Participants were given a PA monitoring device (BodyMedia, SenseWear, Pittsburgh, PA), an accelerometer designed to be worn on the arm, at the time of their ADRC visit and were asked to return the device in a prepaid envelope after 7 days of data collection. Caregivers were required to be present at the ADRC visit, so results are reported only from subjects with caregivers. Caregivers were important in maintaining adherence and were provided information and instructions on the device. The device collected information on number of steps, estimates of metabolic equivalent of tasks (METs), and active energy expenditure (EE) and has been extensively validated.5 Minutes of moderate and intense PA were estimated from standard criteria based on METs. Fifty-two cognitively impaired individuals were approached, and 47 (90.4%) were recruited. At least 3 days of accelerometry are necessary for assessing PA.6 Of the 39 participants (83%) completing the study with at least 3 days of data, 26 were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 13 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Nine lived alone (4 AD, 5 MCI) and 30 with a caregiver. The AD group was less educated than the MCI or control group (P = .005) and slightly older than the MCI group (P = .05) (Table 1). Table 1 Physical Activity and Demographic Information According to Group Of the eight cognitively impaired individuals not completing the study, four were diagnosed with AD, three with MCI, and one with impairment without subjective memory complaints. Those not completing the study (mean age 78.2 ± 9.5) were older but statistically equivalent to those finishing the study (mean age 74.2 ± 10.3; P = .70). The reasons for not finishing the study were that the monitoring device was lost or not returned (n = 2), was returned without data (n = 2), was returned but was worn for fewer than 3 days (n = 3), and was returned prematurely for unknown reasons (n = 1). The cognitively normal adults (n = 28) had a 100% adherence rate for wearing the device for at least 3 days. The daily percentage of time wearing the device did not differ between the cognitively normal and impaired groups (t(1,65) = 0.89; P = .40), nor did it differ between the diagnostic subgroups (t(1,37) = 0.81; P = .42). This study demonstrates that it is feasible to use PA monitoring devices in individuals with cognitive impairment. There was interest in and a commitment to wearing the device for at least 3 days, and most wore the device for 7 days (Table 1). Demonstrating feasibility of PA monitoring devices in a cognitively impaired population is fundamental for designing randomized trials of PA, but despite the high level of interest in participating, adherence was lower in the cognitively impaired population (83%) than in the cognitively normal adults (100%). These numbers should be considered when designing future trials and power analyses to assess adherence and sample sizes. PA monitoring devices have been validated in samples across the lifespan7 and are used to assess risk of falls,8 quality of life,9 and sleep10 in elderly adults. The current study demonstrated the feasibility of objectively assessing PA in a community sample of individuals with dementia. Given the cross-sectional nature of the study, the small sample size, and the limited information on comorbidities, it will be necessary for future studies to systematically and comprehensively assess and control for potential confounders between groups. Nonetheless, this study demonstrates that there is interest in using this type of technology to monitor activity and lifestyle in cognitively impaired individuals. Future studies could use this technology for monitoring activity, sleep, and physical exertion in elderly adults with the aim of developing non-pharmacological interventions to enhance cognition or prevent further cognitive decline.

Psychological Medicine, 2019

BackgroundThe diet of most adults is low in fish and, therefore, provides limited quantities of t... more BackgroundThe diet of most adults is low in fish and, therefore, provides limited quantities of the long-chain, omega-3 fatty acids (LCn-3FAs), eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA, DHA). Since these compounds serve important roles in the brain, we sought to determine if healthy adults with low-LCn-3FA consumption would exhibit improvements in neuropsychological performance and parallel changes in brain morphology following repletion through fish oil supplementation.MethodsIn a randomized, controlled trial, 271 mid-life adults (30–54 years of age, 118 men, 153 women) consuming ⩽300 mg/day of LCn-3FAs received 18 weeks of supplementation with fish oil capsules (1400 mg/day of EPA and DHA) or matching placebo. All participants completed a neuropsychological test battery examining four cognitive domains: psychomotor speed, executive function, learning/episodic memory, and fluid intelligence. A subset of 122 underwent neuroimaging before and after supplementation to measure w...

Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, 2014

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences