Introduction: We investigated the association of the Australian National University Alzheimer's Disease Risk Index (ANU-ADRI) and an AD genetic risk score (GRS) with cognitive performance. Methods: The ANU-ADRI (composed of 11 risk factors for AD) and GRS (composed of 25 AD risk loci) were computed in 1,061 community-dwelling older adults. Participants were assessed on 11 cognitive tests and activities of daily living. Structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the association of the ANU-ADRI and GRS with: 1) general cognitive ability (g) 2) dementia related variance in cognitive performance (δ) and 3) verbal ability, episodic memory, executive function and processing speed. Results: A worse ANU-ADRI score was associated with poorer performance in 'g', δ, and each cognitive domain. A worse GRS was associated with poorer performance in δ and episodic memory. Discussion: The ANU-ADRI was broadly associated with worse cognitive performance, validating its further use in early dementia risk assessment.

Alzheimer's environmental and genetic risk scores are differentially associated with 'g' and δ