- August 5, 2026
Product:
CNS Disease Panel 120
Topic:
Immunology, Neurology
Disease Area:
Healthy Aging
Sample Type:
Plasma
Abstract
Lifestyle habits, cognitive reserve, and affective reserve (secure attachment, extraversion, psychological resilience) predict resilience in the oldest-old, though the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. This study explored relationships between these protective factors, 120 + NULISA CNS blood biomarkers, and multidimensional health outcomes (global cognition, mental health, walking speed) in 401 dementia-free participants (age 83–87) from the InveCe.Ab study. Using sparse partial least squares (sPLS) regression, eight biomarkers were stably associated with the protective factors: HBA1, DDC, IFNG, IL15, GOT1, ACHE, SNAP25, and SNCB. Structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that the three protective factors exerted an independent and domain-specific effect on health outcomes. Moreover, lifestyle habits were associated with ACHE (β = 0.26), IL15 (β = 0.22), and GOT1 (β = 0.28); affective reserve showed inverse associations with IFNG (β = −0.13) and IL15 (β = −0.31), and GOT1 (β = −0.18). Regarding health domains, SNAP25 was inversely related to global cognition (β = −0.10), while SNCB was associated with global cognition (β = 0.16) and walking speed (β = 0.13). Notably, no significant mediated effects were found, suggesting that the clinical benefits observed were not directly driven by the aforementioned biological pathways. The present study paves the way for further investigations on the biological mechanisms underlying resilient aging, while further demonstrating the key protective role of individual habits and psychosocial characteristics during the life course.
Authors and Affiliations
Michele Rossi¹, Riccardo Rocco Ferrari¹, Irene Brianzoni¹, Elisa Pellegrini¹, Annalisa Davin¹, Antonio Guaita¹, Elena Rolandi¹, Ilaria Pola², Henrik Zetterberg²˒³˒⁴˒⁵˒⁶˒⁷, Nicholas James Ashton²˒⁸˒⁹, and Andrea Lessa Benedet²
¹ Golgi Cenci Foundation, Corso San Martino 10, 20081, Abbiategrasso, Italy
² Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
³ Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
⁴ Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
⁵ UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, UK
⁶ Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
⁷ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
⁸ Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USA
⁹ Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ, 85351, USA
