First overseas article! Tupai Beiming has become the only domestically produced device in the Biomarker and Cognition Research (BIOCIS) project

First overseas article! Tupai Beiming has become the only domestically produced device in the Biomarker and Cognition Research (BIOCIS) project

background

In the field of dementia, we have a profound understanding of early identification of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia, drug and non drug treatments for dementia, as well as mitigating and preventing modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline.

Previous studies have shown that biomarkers have already appeared in the early stages of cognitive impairment, with plasma, brain imaging, retina, and microbiome being markers of accelerated neurodegeneration that occurs before cognitive decline. This provides a critical opportunity for early diagnosis of cognitive impairment, therefore, studying the potential pathological biology of cognitive impairment through the characterization of liquid and neuroimaging biomarkers, disease progression, neuropsychology, and clinical outcomes has important clinical value.

The Biomarkers and Cognition Study (BIOCIS) project in Singapore is a 5-year longitudinal study initiated by Li Guangqian School of Medicine at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, with the participation of multiple institutions including Duke National University of Singapore, Sun Yat sen University First Hospital, and Nanyang Technological University School of Social Sciences. Its goal is to investigate the potential mechanisms of cognitive impairment and dementia by collecting fluid biomarker profiles, neuroimaging and retinal changes, neuropsychological and clinical outcomes from various ethnic populations in Southeast Asia. The research plan and other related content were published in the internationally renowned journal Jpad, namely the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Prevention (Impact Factor 6.4)

Among them, the data collection of the retina will use the 400000 speed ultra wide angle panoramic OCTA developed by China Tupai Medical to collect information on the structure of the retina and choroid, blood flow, etc. This is also the first time that Tupai technology has been included in an overseas research project.

research design  

BIOCIS is a 5-year longitudinal study that evaluates participants annually. 2500 participants aged 30 to 95 will be recruited from the community in Singapore. Participants will undergo evaluation to identify biomarkers of dementia through neuroimaging, fluid biomarkers, cognitive assessment, behavior and lifestyle, retinal scanning, and microbiome indicators.

discuss

In the first year of the project, both blood and neuroimaging tests showed positive findings. Compared with the healthy control group, the cognitively impaired group had higher levels of blood lipids and sugars, and significantly higher levels of biomarkers in the blood (i.e. GFAP, P-tau181, Oa β, a β 42, and a β 40), which were also higher than those in the cognitively impaired group (CU). In the APOE genotype, the proportion of APOE ε 2 gene is slightly higher in the healthy control group. The APOE ε 4 gene, on the other hand, has a higher proportion in the mild cognitive impairment and dementia groups. The APOE ε 2 allele may have a certain degree of protective effect on the occurrence of dementia, while APOE ε 4 is associated with earlier onset and higher likel-ihood of dementia.

Neuroimaging examination shows that as the lesion progresses, white matter lesions worsen and the hippocampus undergoes progressive atrophy. White matter abnormalities can disrupt neural communication and exacerbate cognitive deficits, making them a key focus of early detection and intervention. With the completion of data collection, the BIOCIS project can be compared with Western longitudinal studies such as the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and the UK Biobank to investigate phenotypic differences between races.

Eye information is collected using the 400000 speed global scanning OCTA of Tupai, and combined with the laser speckle flow imaging system (LSFG) for real-time evaluation to collect retinal hemodynamic information.

conclusion

The longitudinal study of BIOCIS will help identify new biomarkers, pathological trajectories, epidemiology of dementia, and reversible risk factors in Southeast Asian populations. Completing the BIOCIS longitudinal study can help us understand the risk stratification of Asian populations and may provide information for public healthcare and precision medicine, bringing good news to patients in preventing Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Corresponding author: Nagaendran Kandiah

Associate Professor, Director of the Cognitive Impairment Research Center at Lee Kwong Tsien School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Senior neurologist specializing in cognitive neurology and vascular neurology. He also serves as a clinical scientist for the National Medical Research Council in Singapore.

Content writing: Li Xintu Pai Medical
Content review: Zhou Jiantu Pai Medical