INTRODUCTION: The Mediterranean diet (MeDi) is associated with reduced risk of cognitive impairment, but it is unclear whether it is associated with better brain imaging biomarkers. METHODS: Among 672 cognitively normal participants (mean age, 79.8 years, 52.5% men), we investigated associations of MeDi score and MeDi components with magnetic resonance imaging measures of cortical thickness for the four lobes separately and averaged (average lobar). RESULTS: Higher MeDi score was associated with larger frontal, parietal, occipital, and average lobar cortical thickness. Higher legume and fish intakes were associated with larger cortical thickness: legumes with larger superior parietal, inferior parietal, precuneus, parietal, occipital, lingual, and fish with larger precuneus, superior parietal, posterior cingulate, parietal, and inferior parietal. Higher carbohydrate and sugar intakes were associated with lower entorhinal cortical thickness. DISCUSSION: In this sample of elderly persons, higher adherence to MeDi was associated with larger cortical thickness. These cross-sectional findings require validation in prospective studies.

Department of Neurology Mayo Clinic Rochester MN USA

Department of Psychiatry and Psychology Mayo Clinic Rochester MN USA

Department of Psychiatry and Psychology Mayo Clinic Scottsdale AZ USA; Department of Neurology Mayo Clinic Scottsdale AZ USA; Department of Psychiatry and Psychology Mayo Clinic Rochester MN USA

Department of Radiology Mayo Clinic Rochester MN USA

Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics Department of Health Sciences Research Mayo Clinic Rochester MN USA

Division of Epidemiology Department of Health Sciences Research Mayo Clinic Rochester MN USA; Charles University Prague Faculty in Hradec Králové Hradec Králové Czech Republic

Division of Epidemiology Department of Health Sciences Research Mayo Clinic Rochester MN USA; Department of Neurology Mayo Clinic Rochester MN USA

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Mediterranean Diet, Its Components, and Amyloid Imaging Biomarkers