Abstract(s)
The current study explored whether education, a proxy of cognitive reserve, modifies the
association between episodic memory (EM) performance and βeta-amyloid load (Aβ), a biomarker
of Alzheimer’s disease, in a cohort of cognitively normal older adults. One hundred and four
participants (mean age 73.3 years) evenly spread out in three bands of education were recruited.
Participants underwent neuropsychological assessment, structural MRI as well as PET imaging to
quantify Aβ load. Moderation analyses and the Johnson–Neyman technique were carried out to
examine the interaction of education with Aβ load to predict EM performance. Linear regressions
were then performed within each group of education to better illustrate the interaction effect (all
analyses were controlled for age and sex). The interaction between education and Aβ load was
significant (p < .05) for years of education, reaching a cutoff point of 13.5 years, above which the
relationship between Aβ load and EM was no longer significant. Similarly, significant associations
were found between Aβ and EM among participants with secondary (p < .01) and preuniversity
education (p < .01), but not with a university degree (p = .253). EM performance is associated with
Aβ load in cognitively normal older individuals, and this relationship is moderated by educational
attainment.