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Fang Y, Doyle MF, Alosco ML, Mez J, Satizabal CL, Qiu WQ, Lunetta KL, Murabito JM. Cross-Sectional Association Between Blood Cell Phenotypes, Cognitive Function, and Brain Imaging Measures in the Community-Based Framingham Heart Study. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 87:1291-1305. [PMID: 35431244 PMCID: PMC9969805 DOI: 10.3233/jad-215533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Peripheral inflammation is associated with increased risk for dementia. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), red cell distribution width (RDW), and mean platelet volume (MPV), are easily measured circulating blood cell phenotypes reflecting chronic peripheral inflammation, but their association with dementia status is unclear. OBJECTIVE We sought to investigate the cross-sectional association of these inflammatory measures with neuropsychological (NP) test performance, and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) Offspring, Third-generation, and Omni cohorts. METHODS We identified FHS participants who attended an exam that included a complete blood cell count (CBC) and underwent NP testing (n = 3,396) or brain MRI (n = 2,770) within five years of blood draw. We investigated the association between NLR, RDW, and MPV and NP test performance and structural MRI-derived volumetric measurements using linear mixed effect models accounting for family relationships and adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS Participants were on average 60 years old, 53% female, and about 80% attended some college. Higher NLR was significantly associated with poorer performance on visual memory, and visuospatial abilities, as well as with larger white matter hyperintensity volume. We also observed associations for higher RDW with poorer executive function and smaller total cerebral brain volume. CONCLUSION Chronic peripheral inflammation as measured by NLR and RDW was associated with worse cognitive function, reduced brain volume, and greater microvascular disease in FHS participants. If confirmed in other samples, CBC may provide informative and cost-effective biomarkers of abnormal brain aging in the community.
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Foley ÉM, Tripodis Y, Yhang E, Koerte IK, Martin BM, Palmisano J, Makris N, Schultz V, Lepage C, Muehlmann M, Wróbel PP, Guenette JP, Cantu RC, Lin AP, Coleman M, Mez J, Bouix S, Shenton ME, Stern RA, Alosco ML. Quantifying and Examining Reserve in Symptomatic Former National Football League Players. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 85:675-689. [PMID: 34864657 PMCID: PMC8926024 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Repetitive head impacts (RHI) from contact sports have been associated with cognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, not all individuals exposed to RHI develop such disorders. This may be explained by the reserve hypothesis. It remains unclear if the reserve hypothesis accounts for the heterogenous symptom presentation in RHI-exposed individuals. Moreover, optimal measurement of reserve in this population is unclear and likely unique from non-athlete populations. OBJECTIVE We examined the association between metrics of reserve and cognitive and neuropsychiatric functioning in 89 symptomatic former National Football League players. METHODS Individual-level proxies (e.g., education) defined reserve. We additionally quantified reserve as remaining residual variance in 1) episodic memory and 2) executive functioning performance, after accounting for demographics and brain pathology. Associations between reserve metrics and cognitive and neuropsychiatric functioning were examined. RESULTS Higher reading ability was associated with better attention/information processing (β=0.25; 95% CI, 0.05-0.46), episodic memory (β=0.27; 95% CI, 0.06-0.48), semantic and phonemic fluency (β=0.24; 95% CI, 0.02-0.46; β=0.38; 95% CI, 0.17-0.59), and behavioral regulation (β=-0.26; 95% CI, -0.48, -0.03) performance. There were no effects for other individual-level proxies. Residual episodic memory variance was associated with better attention/information processing (β=0.45; 95% CI, 0.25, 0.65), executive functioning (β=0.36; 95% CI, 0.15, 0.57), and semantic fluency (β=0.38; 95% CI, 0.17, 0.59) performance. Residual executive functioning variance was associated with better attention/information processing (β=0.44; 95% CI, 0.24, 0.64) and episodic memory (β=0.37; 95% CI, 0.16, 0.58) performance. CONCLUSION Traditional reserve proxies (e.g., years of education, occupational attainment) have limitations and may be unsuitable for use in elite athlete samples. Alternative approaches of reserve quantification may prove more suitable for this population.
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Alosco ML, Mian AZ, Buch K, Farris CW, Uretsky M, Tripodis Y, Baucom Z, Martin B, Palmisano J, Puzo C, Ang TFA, Joshi P, Goldstein LE, Au R, Katz DI, Dwyer B, Daneshvar DH, Nowinski C, Cantu RC, Kowall NW, Huber BR, Alvarez VE, Stern RA, Stein TD, Killiany RJ, McKee AC, Mez J. Structural MRI profiles and tau correlates of atrophy in autopsy-confirmed CTE. Alzheimers Res Ther 2021; 13:193. [PMID: 34876229 PMCID: PMC8653514 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-021-00928-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative tauopathy, cannot currently be diagnosed during life. Atrophy patterns on magnetic resonance imaging could be an effective in vivo biomarker of CTE, but have not been characterized. Mechanisms of neurodegeneration in CTE are unknown. Here, we characterized macrostructural magnetic resonance imaging features of brain donors with autopsy-confirmed CTE. The association between hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) and atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging was examined. METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained by medical record requests for 55 deceased symptomatic men with autopsy-confirmed CTE and 31 men (n = 11 deceased) with normal cognition at the time of the scan, all >60 years Three neuroradiologists visually rated regional atrophy and microvascular disease (0 [none]-4 [severe]), microbleeds, and cavum septum pellucidum presence. Neuropathologists rated tau severity and atrophy at autopsy using semi-quantitative scales. RESULTS Compared to unimpaired males, donors with CTE (45/55=stage III/IV) had greater atrophy of the orbital-frontal (mean diff.=1.29), dorsolateral frontal (mean diff.=1.31), superior frontal (mean diff.=1.05), anterior temporal (mean diff.=1.57), and medial temporal lobes (mean diff.=1.60), and larger lateral (mean diff.=1.72) and third (mean diff.=0.80) ventricles, controlling for age at scan (ps<0.05). There were no effects for posterior atrophy or microvascular disease. Donors with CTE had increased odds of a cavum septum pellucidum (OR = 6.7, p < 0.05). Among donors with CTE, greater tau severity across 14 regions corresponded to greater atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging (beta = 0.68, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS These findings support frontal-temporal atrophy as a magnetic resonance imaging finding of CTE and show p-tau accumulation is associated with atrophy in CTE.
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Brekke B, DeVivo R, McKee AC, Stein TD, Tripodis Y, Phelps A, Weller J, Martin BM, Palmisano J, Steinberg E, Turk KW, Budson A, O'Connor MK, Au R, Qiu W, Goldstein LE, Kowall NW, Stern RA, Killiany RJ, Mez J, Alosco ML. Long‐term effects of repetitive head impacts on gray matter cortical thickness. Alzheimers Dement 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/alz.052875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Turk KW, Geada AW, Alvarez VE, Xia W, Cherry JD, Huber BR, Mez J, Alosco ML, Meng G, Nicks RW, Tripodis Y, Budson A, Dwyer B, Kowall NW, Cantu R, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Stern RA, McKee AC, Stein TD. A comparison between tau and amyloid‐b cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in chronic traumatic encephalopathy and Alzheimer disease. Alzheimers Dement 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/alz.051392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Frank BE, Ally M, Brekke B, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Sugarman M, Ashton NJ, Karikari TK, Tripodis Y, McKee AC, Stein TD, Martin BM, Palmisano J, Steinberg E, Simkin I, Turk KW, Budson A, O'Connor MK, Au R, Qiu W, Goldstein LE, Killiany RJ, Kowall NW, Mez J, Stern RA, Alosco ML. Plasma P‐tau
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and NfL are central nodes in a network of diagnostic, biomarker, and demographic data. Alzheimers Dement 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/alz.052669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Culhane JE, Barr W, Wethe J, Banks SJ, Miller JB, Adler C, Balcer L, Bernick CB, Palmisano J, Tripodis Y, Cummings JL, Reiman EM, Shenton ME, Stern RA, Alosco ML. Neuropsychological test performance in former college and professional American football players. Alzheimers Dement 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/alz.054455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Kochsiek J, O’Donnell LJ, Zhang F, Bonke EM, Sollmann N, Tripodis Y, Wiegand TLT, Kaufmann D, Umminger L, Di Biase MA, Kaufmann E, Schultz V, Alosco ML, Martin BM, Lin AP, Coleman MJ, Rathi Y, Pasternak O, Bouix S, Stern RA, Shenton ME, Koerte IK. Exposure to Repetitive Head Impacts Is Associated With Corpus Callosum Microstructure and Plasma Total Tau in Former Professional American Football Players. J Magn Reson Imaging 2021; 54:1819-1829. [PMID: 34137112 PMCID: PMC8633029 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.27774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI) is associated with an increased risk of later-life neurobehavioral dysregulation and neurodegenerative disease. The underlying pathomechanisms are largely unknown. PURPOSE To investigate whether RHI exposure is associated with later-life corpus callosum (CC) microstructure and whether CC microstructure is associated with plasma total tau and neuropsychological/neuropsychiatric functioning. STUDY TYPE Retrospective cohort study. POPULATION Seventy-five former professional American football players (age 55.2 ± 8.0 years) with cognitive, behavioral, and mood symptoms. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE Diffusion-weighted echo-planar MRI at 3 T. ASSESSMENT Subjects underwent diffusion MRI, venous puncture, neuropsychological testing, and completed self-report measures of neurobehavioral dysregulation. RHI exposure was assessed using the Cumulative Head Impact Index (CHII). Diffusion MRI measures of CC microstructure (i.e., free-water corrected fractional anisotropy (FA), trace, radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD)) were extracted from seven segments of the CC (CC1-7), using a tractography clustering algorithm. Neuropsychological tests were selected: Trail Making Test Part A (TMT-A) and Part B (TMT-B), Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), Stroop Interference Test, and the Behavioral Regulation Index (BRI) from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Adult version (BRIEF-A). STATISTICAL TESTS Diffusion MRI metrics were tested for associations with RHI exposure, plasma total tau, neuropsychological performance, and neurobehavioral dysregulation using generalized linear models for repeated measures. RESULTS RHI exposure was associated with increased AD of CC1 (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.32, P < 0.05) and with increased plasma total tau (r = 0.34, P < 0.05). AD of the anterior CC1 was associated with increased plasma total tau (CC1: r = 0.30, P < 0.05; CC2: r = 0.29, P < 0.05). Higher trace, AD, and RD of CC1 were associated with better performance (P < 0.05) in TMT-A (trace, r = 0.33; AD, r = 0.31; and RD, r = 0.28) and TMT-B (trace, r = 0.31; RD, r = 0.34). Higher FA and AD of CC2 were associated with better performance (P < 0.05) in TMT-A (FA, r = 0.36; AD, r = 0.28), TMT-B (FA, r = 0.36; AD, r = 0.27), COWAT (FA, r = 0.36; AD, r = 0.32), and BRI (AD, r = 0.29). DATA CONCLUSION These results suggest an association among RHI exposure, CC microstructure, plasma total tau, and clinical functioning in former professional American football players. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3 Technical Efficacy Stage: 1.
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Alosco ML, Adler C, Dodick DW, Balcer L, Bernick CB, Palmisano J, Tripodis Y, Cummings JL, Reiman EM, Shenton ME, Stern RA, Banks SJ. Sleep disruption and disorders in former college and professional American football players. Alzheimers Dement 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/alz.056137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Fang Y, Lunetta KL, Mez J, Satizabal CL, Alosco ML, Qiu W, Doyle MF, Murabito JM. Association of blood cell parameters of peripheral inflammation with cognitive function. Alzheimers Dement 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/alz.051838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Daneshvar DH, Mez J, Alosco ML, Baucom ZH, Mahar I, Baugh CM, Valle JP, Weuve J, Paganoni S, Cantu RC, Zafonte RD, Stern RA, Stein TD, Tripodis Y, Nowinski CJ, McKee AC. Incidence of and Mortality From Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in National Football League Athletes. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e2138801. [PMID: 34910152 PMCID: PMC8674746 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.38801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Importance Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease; understanding ALS risk factors is a critical public health issue. Objectives To evaluate the incidence of and mortality from ALS in National Football League (NFL) athletes and to describe characteristics associated with ALS within this cohort. Design, Setting, and Participants This population-based cohort study included all 19 423 NFL athletes who debuted between 1960 and 2019 and played 1 or more professional game. It was conducted between October 3, 2020, and July 19, 2021. Exposure Participation in the NFL, including playing 1 or more professional games. Main Outcomes and Measures Cases of ALS and death information were identified based on public records from NFL statistics aggregators, news reports, obituaries, and National Death Index results. The standardized incidence ratio and the standardized mortality ratio were calculated based on data acquired from surveillance studies of ALS accounting for age, sex, and race. Secondary analyses examined the association of body mass index, NFL career duration, race, birth location, and markers of fame, using a nested case-control design, matching athletes with ALS to athletes without ALS, by NFL debut year. Results A total of 19 423 male former and current NFL players (age range, 23-78 years) were included in this cohort study and were followed up for a cumulative 493 168 years (mean [SD] follow-up, 30.6 [13.7] years). Thirty-eight players received a diagnosis of ALS, and 28 died during the study time frame, representing a significantly higher incidence of ALS diagnosis (standardized incidence ratio, 3.59; 95% CI, 2.58-4.93) and mortality (standardized mortality ratio, 3.94; 95% CI, 2.62-5.69) among NFL players compared with the US male population, adjusting for age and race. Among NFL athletes, nested-case-control analyses found that those who received a diagnosis of ALS had significantly longer careers (mean [SD] duration, 7.0 [3.9] years) than athletes without ALS (mean [SD] duration, 4.5 [3.6] years; odds ratio, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.3). There were no differences in ALS status based on proxies of NFL fame, body mass index, position played, birth location, or race. Conclusions and Relevance The age-, sex-, and race-adjusted incidence of and mortality from ALS among all NFL players who debuted between 1960 and 2019 were nearly 4 times as high as those of the general population. Athletes with a diagnosis of ALS had longer NFL careers than those without ALS, suggesting an association between NFL duration of play and ALS. The identification of these risk factors for ALS helps to inform the study of pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for this fatal neurodegenerative disease.
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Akhter-Khan SC, Tao Q, Ang TFA, Itchapurapu IS, Alosco ML, Mez J, Piers RJ, Steffens DC, Au R, Qiu WQ. Associations of loneliness with risk of Alzheimer's disease dementia in the Framingham Heart Study. Alzheimers Dement 2021; 17:1619-1627. [PMID: 33760348 PMCID: PMC8460688 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The relationship between persistent loneliness and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is unclear. We examined the relationship between different types of mid-life loneliness and the development of dementia and AD. METHODS Loneliness was assessed in cognitively normal adults using one item from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. We defined loneliness as no loneliness, transient loneliness, incident loneliness,or persistent loneliness, and applied Cox regression models and Kaplan-Meier plots with dementia and AD as outcomes (n = 2880). RESULTS After adjusting for demographics, social network, physical health, and apolipoprotein E ε4, persistent loneliness was associated with higher (hazard ratio [HR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25-2.90; P < .01), and transient loneliness with lower (HR, 0.34; 95% CI 0.14-0.84; P < .05), risk of dementia onset, compared to no loneliness. Results were similar for AD risk. DISCUSSION Persistent loneliness in mid-life is an independent risk factor for dementia and AD, whereas recovery from loneliness suggests resilience to dementia risk.
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Tao Q, Alvin Ang TF, Akhter-Khan SC, Itchapurapu IS, Killiany R, Zhang X, Budson AE, Turk KW, Goldstein L, Mez J, Alosco ML, Qiu WQ. Impact of C-Reactive Protein on Cognition and Alzheimer Disease Biomarkers in Homozygous APOE ɛ4 Carriers. Neurology 2021; 97:e1243-e1252. [PMID: 34266923 PMCID: PMC8480484 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000012512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Previous research has shown that elevated blood C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with increased Alzheimer disease (AD) risk only in APOE ε4 allele carriers; the objective of this study was to examine the interactive effects of plasma CRP and APOE genotype on cognition and AD biomarkers. METHODS Data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study were analyzed, including APOE genotype; plasma CRP concentrations; diagnostic status (i.e., mild cognitive impairment and dementia due to AD); Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating Dementia Staging Instrument scores; CSF concentrations of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ42), total tau (t-Tau) and phosphorylated tau (p-Tau); and amyloid (AV45) PET imaging. Multivariable regression analyses tested the associations between plasma CRP and APOE on cognitive and biomarker outcomes. RESULTS Among 566 ADNI participants, 274 (48.4%) had no, 222 (39.2%) had 1, and 70 (12.4%) had 2 APOE ε4 alleles. Among only participants who had 2 APOE ε4 alleles, elevated CRP was associated with lower MMSE score at baseline (β [95% confidence interval] -0.52 [-1.01, -0.12]) and 12-month follow-up (β -1.09 [-1.88, -0.17]) after adjustment for sex, age, and education. The interaction of 2 APOE ε4 alleles and elevated plasma CRP was associated with increased CSF levels of t-Tau (β = 11.21, SE 3.37, p < 0.001) and p-Tau (β = +2.74, SE 1.14, p < 0.01). Among those who had no APOE ε4 alleles, elevated CRP was associated with decreased CSF t-Tau and p-Tau. These effects were stronger at the 12-month follow-up. DISCUSSION CRP released during peripheral inflammation could be a mediator in APOE ε4-related AD neurodegeneration and serve as a drug target for AD.
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Sanborn V, Preis SR, Ang A, Devine S, Mez J, DeCarli C, Au R, Alosco ML, Gunstad J. Association Between Leptin, Cognition, and Structural Brain Measures Among "Early" Middle-Aged Adults: Results from the Framingham Heart Study Third Generation Cohort. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 77:1279-1289. [PMID: 32831199 DOI: 10.3233/jad-191247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing interest in the pathophysiological processes of preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD), including the potential role of leptin. Human studies have shown that both low and high levels of leptin can be associated with worse neurocognitive outcomes, suggesting this relationship may be moderated by another risk factor. OBJECTIVE We examined the association between plasma leptin levels and both neuropsychological test performance and structural neuroimaging and assessed whether body mass index (BMI) is an effect modifier of these associations. METHODS Our study sample consisted of 2,223 adults from the Framingham Heart Study Third Generation Cohort (average age = 40 years, 53% women). RESULTS Among the entire sample, there was no association between leptin and any of the neuropsychological domain measures or any of the MRI brain volume measures, after adjustment for BMI, APOE4, and other clinical factors. However, we did observe that BMI category was an effect modifier for the association between leptin and verbal memory (p for interaction = 0.03), where higher levels of leptin were associated with better performance among normal weight participants (BMI 18.5-24.9) kg/m2 (beta = 0.12, p = 0.02). No association was observed between leptin level and verbal memory test performance among participants who were overweight or obese. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that the association between leptin and cognitive function is moderated by BMI category. Prospective examination of individuals transitioning from middle age to older adulthood will help to clarify the contribution of leptin to AD and other neurodegenerative conditions.
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Mez J, Alosco ML, Nowinski CJ, McKee AC, Tripodis Y. Reader Response: Association of Position Played and Career Duration and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy at Autopsy in Elite Football and Hockey Players. Neurology 2021; 97:297-298. [PMID: 34373356 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000012381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Alosco ML, Mariani ML, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Bernick C, Au R, Banks SJ, Barr WB, Bouix S, Cantu RC, Coleman MJ, Dodick DW, Farrer LA, Geda YE, Katz DI, Koerte IK, Kowall NW, Lin AP, Marcus DS, Marek KL, McClean MD, McKee AC, Mez J, Palmisano JN, Peskind ER, Tripodis Y, Turner RW, Wethe JV, Cummings JL, Reiman EM, Shenton ME, Stern RA. Developing methods to detect and diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy during life: rationale, design, and methodology for the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. Alzheimers Res Ther 2021; 13:136. [PMID: 34384490 PMCID: PMC8357968 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-021-00872-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease that has been neuropathologically diagnosed in brain donors exposed to repetitive head impacts, including boxers and American football, soccer, ice hockey, and rugby players. CTE cannot yet be diagnosed during life. In December 2015, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded a seven-year grant (U01NS093334) to fund the "Diagnostics, Imaging, and Genetics Network for the Objective Study and Evaluation of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (DIAGNOSE CTE) Research Project." The objectives of this multicenter project are to: develop in vivo fluid and neuroimaging biomarkers for CTE; characterize its clinical presentation; refine and validate clinical research diagnostic criteria (i.e., traumatic encephalopathy syndrome [TES]); examine repetitive head impact exposure, genetic, and other risk factors; and provide shared resources of anonymized data and biological samples to the research community. In this paper, we provide a detailed overview of the rationale, design, and methods for the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. METHODS The targeted sample and sample size was 240 male participants, ages 45-74, including 120 former professional football players, 60 former collegiate football players, and 60 asymptomatic participants without a history of head trauma or participation in organized contact sports. Participants were evaluated at one of four U.S. sites and underwent the following baseline procedures: neurological and neuropsychological examinations; tau and amyloid positron emission tomography; magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy; lumbar puncture; blood and saliva collection; and standardized self-report measures of neuropsychiatric, cognitive, and daily functioning. Study partners completed similar informant-report measures. Follow-up evaluations were intended to be in-person and at 3 years post-baseline. Multidisciplinary diagnostic consensus conferences are held, and the reliability and validity of TES diagnostic criteria are examined. RESULTS Participant enrollment and all baseline evaluations were completed in February 2020. Three-year follow-up evaluations began in October 2019. However, in-person evaluation ceased with the COVID-19 pandemic, and resumed as remote, 4-year follow-up evaluations (including telephone-, online-, and videoconference-based cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and neurologic examinations, as well as in-home blood draw) in February 2021. CONCLUSIONS Findings from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project should facilitate detection and diagnosis of CTE during life, and thereby accelerate research on risk factors, mechanisms, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of CTE. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT02798185.
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Katz DI, Bernick C, Dodick DW, Mez J, Mariani ML, Adler CH, Alosco ML, Balcer LJ, Banks SJ, Barr WB, Brody DL, Cantu RC, Dams-O'Connor K, Geda YE, Jordan BD, McAllister TW, Peskind ER, Petersen RC, Wethe JV, Zafonte RD, Foley ÉM, Babcock DJ, Koroshetz WJ, Tripodis Y, McKee AC, Shenton ME, Cummings JL, Reiman EM, Stern RA. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Consensus Diagnostic Criteria for Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome. Neurology 2021; 96:848-863. [PMID: 33722990 PMCID: PMC8166432 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000011850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To develop evidence-informed, expert consensus research diagnostic criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES), the clinical disorder associated with neuropathologically diagnosed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). METHODS A panel of 20 expert clinician-scientists in neurology, neuropsychology, psychiatry, neurosurgery, and physical medicine and rehabilitation, from 11 academic institutions, participated in a modified Delphi procedure to achieve consensus, initiated at the First National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Consensus Workshop to Define the Diagnostic Criteria for TES, April, 2019. Before consensus, panelists reviewed evidence from all published cases of CTE with neuropathologic confirmation, and they examined the predictive validity data on clinical features in relation to CTE pathology from a large clinicopathologic study (n = 298). RESULTS Consensus was achieved in 4 rounds of the Delphi procedure. Diagnosis of TES requires (1) substantial exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHIs) from contact sports, military service, or other causes; (2) core clinical features of cognitive impairment (in episodic memory and/or executive functioning) and/or neurobehavioral dysregulation; (3) a progressive course; and (4) that the clinical features are not fully accounted for by any other neurologic, psychiatric, or medical conditions. For those meeting criteria for TES, functional dependence is graded on 5 levels, ranging from independent to severe dementia. A provisional level of certainty for CTE pathology is determined based on specific RHI exposure thresholds, core clinical features, functional status, and additional supportive features, including delayed onset, motor signs, and psychiatric features. CONCLUSIONS New consensus diagnostic criteria for TES were developed with a primary goal of facilitating future CTE research. These criteria will be revised as updated clinical and pathologic information and in vivo biomarkers become available.
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Mez J, Alosco ML, Daneshvar DH, Saltiel N, Baucom Z, Abdolmohammadi B, Uretsky M, Nicks R, Martin BM, Palmisano JN, Nowinski CJ, Montenigro P, Solomon TM, Mahar I, Cherry JD, Alvarez VE, Dwyer B, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Cantu RC, Kowall NW, Tripodis Y, Huber BR, Stein TD, Stern RA, McKee AC. Validity of the 2014 traumatic encephalopathy syndrome criteria for CTE pathology. Alzheimers Dement 2021; 17:1709-1724. [PMID: 33826224 PMCID: PMC8596795 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Validity of the 2014 traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) criteria, proposed to diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in life, has not been assessed. Methods A total of 336 consecutive brain donors exposed to repetitive head impacts from contact sports, military service, and/or physical violence were included. Blinded to clinical information, neuropathologists applied National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering CTE criteria. Blinded to neuropathological information, clinicians interviewed informants and reviewed medical records. An expert panel adjudicated TES diagnoses. Results A total of 309 donors were diagnosed with TES; 244 donors had CTE pathology. TES criteria demonstrated sensitivity and specificity of 0.97 and 0.21, respectively. Cognitive (odds ratio [OR] = 3.6; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2–5.1), but not mood/behavior or motor symptoms, were significantly associated with CTE pathology. Having Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology was significantly associated with reduced TES accuracy (OR = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.12–0.59). Discussion TES criteria provided good evidence to rule out, but limited evidence to rule in, CTE pathology. Requiring cognitive symptoms in revised criteria and using AD biomarkers may improve CTE pathology prediction.
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Alosco ML, Culhane J, Mez J. Neuroimaging Biomarkers of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: Targets for the Academic Memory Disorders Clinic. Neurotherapeutics 2021; 18:772-791. [PMID: 33847906 PMCID: PMC8423967 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-021-01028-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with exposure to repetitive head impacts, such as those from contact sports. The pathognomonic lesion for CTE is the perivascular accumulation of hyper-phosphorylated tau in neurons and other cell process at the depths of sulci. CTE cannot be diagnosed during life at this time, limiting research on risk factors, mechanisms, epidemiology, and treatment. There is an urgent need for in vivo biomarkers that can accurately detect CTE and differentiate it from other neurological disorders. Neuroimaging is an integral component of the clinical evaluation of neurodegenerative diseases and will likely aid in diagnosing CTE during life. In this qualitative review, we present the current evidence on neuroimaging biomarkers for CTE with a focus on molecular, structural, and functional modalities routinely used as part of a dementia evaluation. Supporting imaging-pathological correlation studies are also presented. We targeted neuroimaging studies of living participants at high risk for CTE (e.g., aging former elite American football players, fighters). We conclude that an optimal tau PET radiotracer with high affinity for the 3R/4R neurofibrillary tangles in CTE has not yet been identified. Amyloid PET scans have tended to be negative. Converging structural and functional imaging evidence together with neuropathological evidence show frontotemporal and medial temporal lobe neurodegeneration, and increased likelihood for a cavum septum pellucidum. The literature offers promising neuroimaging biomarker targets of CTE, but it is limited by cross-sectional studies of small samples where the presence of underlying CTE is unknown. Imaging-pathological correlation studies will be important for the development and validation of neuroimaging biomarkers of CTE.
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Kaufmann D, Sollmann N, Kaufmann E, Veggeberg R, Tripodis Y, Wrobel PP, Kochsiek J, Martin BM, Lin AP, Coleman MJ, Alosco ML, Pasternak O, Bouix S, Stern RA, Shenton ME, Koerte IK. Age at First Exposure to Tackle Football is Associated with Cortical Thickness in Former Professional American Football Players. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3426-3434. [PMID: 33676369 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Younger age at first exposure (AFE) to repetitive head impacts while playing American football increases the risk for later-life neuropsychological symptoms and brain alterations. However, it is not known whether AFE is associated with cortical thickness in American football players. Sixty-three former professional National Football League players (55.5 ± 7.7 years) with cognitive, behavioral, and mood symptoms underwent neuroimaging and neuropsychological testing. First, the association between cortical thickness and AFE was tested. Second, the relationship between clusters of decreased cortical thickness and verbal and visual memory, and composite measures of mood/behavior and attention/psychomotor speed was assessed. AFE was positively correlated with cortical thickness in the right superior frontal cortex (cluster-wise P value [CWP] = 0.0006), the left parietal cortex (CWP = 0.0003), and the occipital cortices (right: CWP = 0.0023; left: CWP = 0.0008). A positive correlation was found between cortical thickness of the right superior frontal cortex and verbal memory (R = 0.333, P = 0.019), and the right occipital cortex and visual memory (R = 0.360, P = 0.012). In conclusion, our results suggest an association between younger AFE and decreased cortical thickness, which in turn is associated with worse neuropsychological performance. Furthermore, an association between younger AFE and signs of neurodegeneration later in life in symptomatic former American football players seems likely.
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Bieniek KF, Cairns NJ, Crary JF, Dickson DW, Folkerth RD, Keene CD, Litvan I, Perl DP, Stein TD, Vonsattel JP, Stewart W, Dams-O’Connor K, Gordon WA, Tripodis Y, Alvarez VE, Mez J, Alosco ML, McKee AC. The Second NINDS/NIBIB Consensus Meeting to Define Neuropathological Criteria for the Diagnosis of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2021; 80:210-219. [PMID: 33611507 PMCID: PMC7899277 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlab001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with exposure to head trauma. In 2015, a panel of neuropathologists funded by the NINDS/NIBIB defined preliminary consensus neuropathological criteria for CTE, including the pathognomonic lesion of CTE as "an accumulation of abnormal hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) in neurons and astroglia distributed around small blood vessels at the depths of cortical sulci and in an irregular pattern," based on review of 25 tauopathy cases. In 2016, the consensus panel met again to review and refine the preliminary criteria, with consideration around the minimum threshold for diagnosis and the reproducibility of a proposed pathological staging scheme. Eight neuropathologists evaluated 27 cases of tauopathies (17 CTE cases), blinded to clinical and demographic information. Generalized estimating equation analyses showed a statistically significant association between the raters and CTE diagnosis for both the blinded (OR = 72.11, 95% CI = 19.5-267.0) and unblinded rounds (OR = 256.91, 95% CI = 63.6-1558.6). Based on the challenges in assigning CTE stage, the panel proposed a working protocol including a minimum threshold for CTE diagnosis and an algorithm for the assessment of CTE severity as "Low CTE" or "High CTE" for use in future clinical, pathological, and molecular studies.
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Cherry JD, Meng G, Daley S, Xia W, Svirsky S, Alvarez VE, Nicks R, Pothast M, Kelley H, Huber B, Tripodis Y, Alosco ML, Mez J, McKee AC, Stein TD. CCL2 is associated with microglia and macrophage recruitment in chronic traumatic encephalopathy. J Neuroinflammation 2020; 17:370. [PMID: 33278887 PMCID: PMC7718711 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-020-02036-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neuroinflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive neurodegenerative disease association with exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI) received though playing contact sports such as American football. Past work has implicated early and sustained activation of microglia as a potential driver of tau pathology within the frontal cortex in CTE. However, the RHI induced signals required to recruit microglia to areas of damage and pathology are unknown. Methods Postmortem brain tissue was obtained from 261 individuals across multiple brain banks. Comparisons were made using cases with CTE, cases with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and cases with no neurodegenerative disease and lacked exposure to RHI (controls). Recruitment of Iba1+ cells around the CTE perivascular lesion was compared to non-lesion vessels. TMEM119 staining was used to characterize microglia or macrophage involvement. The potent chemoattractant CCL2 was analyzed using frozen tissue from the dorsolateral frontal cortex (DLFC) and the calcarine cortex. Finally, the amounts of hyperphosphorylated tau (pTau) and Aβ42 were compared to CCL2 levels to examine possible mechanistic pathways. Results An increase in Iba1+ cells was found around blood vessels with perivascular tau pathology compared to non-affected vessels in individuals with RHI. TMEM119 staining revealed the majority of the Iba1+ cells were microglia. CCL2 protein levels in the DLFC were found to correlate with greater years of playing American football, the density of Iba1+ cells, the density of CD68+ cells, and increased CTE severity. When comparing across multiple brain regions, CCL2 increases were more pronounced in the DLFC than the calcarine cortex in cases with RHI but not in AD. When examining the individual contribution of pathogenic proteins to CCL2 changes, pTau correlated with CCL2, independent of age at death and Aβ42 in AD and CTE. Although levels of Aβ42 were not correlated with CCL2 in cases with CTE, in males in the AD group, Aβ42 trended toward an inverse relationship with CCL2 suggesting possible gender associations. Conclusion Overall, CCL2 is implicated in the pathways recruiting microglia and the development of pTau pathology after exposure to RHI, and may represent a future therapeutic target in CTE.
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Atherton K, Khan MM, Shea C, Chung J, Nair E, Baucom ZH, Abdolmohammadi B, Uretsky M, Martin BM, Palmisano J, Farrell KW, Cherry JD, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Alosco ML, Lunetta KL, Tripodis Y, Stein TD, Farrer LA, Crary JF, McKee AC, Mez J. Genome wide association study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Alzheimers Dement 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/alz.046505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Adams JW, Alosco ML, Mez J, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Tripodis Y, Adler CH, Kubilius C, Cormier KA, Mathais R, Nicks R, Kelley HJ, Saltiel N, Uretsky M, Nair E, Aytan N, Cherry JD, Nowinski CJ, Kowall NW, Goldstein LE, Dwyer B, Katz DI, Cantu RC, Stern RA, McKee AC, Stein TD. Association of probable REM sleep behavior disorder with pathology and years of contact sports play in chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 140:851-862. [PMID: 32939646 PMCID: PMC7669574 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02206-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Probable rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (pRBD) is a synucleinopathy-associated parasomnia in which loss of REM sleep muscle atonia results in motor behavior during REM sleep, including dream enactment. Traumatic brain injury is independently associated with increased risk of pRBD and Lewy body disease, and both pRBD and Lewy body disease are often observed in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). However, the frequency and pathological substrate of pRBD in CTE have not been formally studied and remain unknown. Of the total sample of 247 men, age at death of 63.1 ± 18.8 years (mean ± SD), 80 [32%] were determined by informant report to have symptoms of pRBD. These participants had played more years of contact sports (18.3 ± 11.4) than those without pRBD (15.1 ± 6.5; P = 0.02) and had an increased frequency of Lewy body disease (26/80 [33%] vs 28/167 [17%], P = 0.005). Of the 80 participants with pRBD, 54 [68%] did not have Lewy body disease; these participants were more likely to have neurofibrillary tangles and pretangles in the dorsal and median raphe (41 of 49 [84%] non-LBD participants with pRBD symptoms vs 90 of 136 [66%] non-LBD participants without pRBD symptoms, P = 0.02), brainstem nuclei with sleep regulatory function. Binary logistic regression modeling in the total study sample showed that pRBD in CTE was associated with dorsal and median raphe nuclei neurofibrillary tangles (OR = 3.96, 95% CI [1.43, 10.96], P = 0.008), Lewy body pathology (OR = 2.36, 95% CI [1.18, 4.72], P = 0.02), and years of contact sports participation (OR = 1.04, 95% CI [1.00, 1.08], P = 0.04). Overall, pRBD in CTE is associated with increased years of contact sports participation and may be attributable to Lewy body and brainstem tau pathologies.
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Killiany RJ, DeVivo R, Ellison A, Zhao Y, Steinberg E, Alosco ML, Stern RA, Mez J. Quantitative susceptibility mapping MRI reveals a relationship between iron accumulation, CDR score and cognition across the spectrum from healthy aging to Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimers Dement 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/alz.044019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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