Assessing causal relationships of key metabolites previously associated with cognition and brain volumes

Summary

There exists a long period prior to diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) where disease is accumulating, but clinical symptoms are not present. To effectively halt or slow the disease process, we need to identify interventional targets in this key period. Understanding factors that are casually associated with phenotypes related to early AD and dementia could hold special value in advancing our understanding and identifying novel interventional targets. We previously identified metabolites to show associations with cognition, whole-brain volume, and hippocampal volume; however, whether these associations are causal is currently unclear. We aim to use genetic approaches to investigate whether these relationships lie on the causal pathway to cognition, whole-brain volume, hippocampal volume, and AD.