Background: Our previous studies revealed that apoA-I, transthyretin, and complement component 3 (C3) in serum were associated with cognitive decline, and that atrophy of atrophy of the medial temporal structures was associated with decreased levels of apoA-I1,2). Increased risk of dementia was observed in the aftermath of disaster like earthquake and tsunami. The 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake, which was featured twice strong earthquakes of seismic intensity 7 and aftershock activities in the long period, produced house damaging and persistent and strong stress in people. In present study, we analyzed the levels of the blood-based biomarker and hippocampal atrophy in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Method: We obtained the data of serum biomarker levels and MRI imaging at every 6 month during the 3 years after the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake and also those at 6 months before the earthquake. In total, 111 serum marker-test results were obtained from 6 months before to 42 months after the earthquake. Atrophy of the medial temporal structures was measured by the semi-quantified VSRAD score in about 1,000 subjects.
Result: Serum transthyretin and C3 levels were decreased at 6 months after the