A recent study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia utilizes transcriptomic data to examine the protective effects of the Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) diet in reducing the risk of dementia and slowing cognitive decline. Study: The MIND diet, brain transcriptomic alterations, and dementia. Image Credit: New Africa / Shuterstock.
com About the study Preliminary evidence from randomized clinical trials suggests that the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and Mediterranean diets may be protective against cognitive decline. The MIND diet was originally designed to emphasize nutrients and foods linked to dementia prevention. Higher MIND diet scores have been associated with slower cognitive decline and lower dementia risk.
The authors of the current study previously analyzed ribonucleic acid (RNA)-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from autopsied cortical tissues from the Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP) and Religious Orders Study (ROS). This study revealed dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) expression of various gene clusters was associated with cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease pathology, and dementia. In the present study, RNA-seq and clinical data were obtained from 1,204 participants from the ROS and MAP.
Enrollment in ROS and MAP commenced in 1994 and 1997, respectively. Study participants were free of dementia at enrollment. Clinical assessments were performed at baseline, followed by annual evaluations until death.
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