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Jett S, Boneu C, Zarate C, Carlton C, Kodancha V, Nerattini M, Battista M, Pahlajani S, Williams S, Dyke JP, Mosconi L. Systematic review of 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies of brain high energy phosphates and membrane phospholipids in aging and Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1183228. [PMID: 37273652 PMCID: PMC10232902 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1183228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Many lines of evidence suggest that mitochondria have a central role in aging-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mitochondrial dysfunction, cerebral energy dysmetabolism and oxidative damage increase with age, and are early event in AD pathophysiology and may precede amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques. In vivo probes of mitochondrial function and energy metabolism are therefore crucial to characterize the bioenergetic abnormalities underlying AD risk, and their relationship to pathophysiology and cognition. A majority of the research conducted in humans have used 18F-fluoro-deoxygluose (FDG) PET to image cerebral glucose metabolism (CMRglc), but key information regarding oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), the process which generates 90% of the energy for the brain, cannot be assessed with this method. Thus, there is a crucial need for imaging tools to measure mitochondrial processes and OXPHOS in vivo in the human brain. 31Phosphorus-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) is a non-invasive method which allows for the measurement of OXPHOS-related high-energy phosphates (HEP), including phosphocreatine (PCr), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and inorganic phosphate (Pi), in addition to potential of hydrogen (pH), as well as components of phospholipid metabolism, such as phosphomonoesters (PMEs) and phosphodiesters (PDEs). Herein, we provide a systematic review of the existing literature utilizing the 31P-MRS methodology during the normal aging process and in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD, with an additional focus on individuals at risk for AD. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the technique, in addition to considering future directions toward validating the use of 31P-MRS measures as biomarkers for the early detection of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Jett
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Camila Boneu
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Camila Zarate
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Caroline Carlton
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Vibha Kodancha
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Matilde Nerattini
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Michael Battista
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Silky Pahlajani
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Schantel Williams
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jonathan P. Dyke
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lisa Mosconi
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
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Parasoglou P, Osorio RS, Khegai O, Kovbasyuk Z, Miller M, Ho A, Dehkharghani S, Wisniewski T, Convit A, Mosconi L, Brown R. Phosphorus metabolism in the brain of cognitively normal midlife individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease. NEUROIMAGE. REPORTS 2022; 2:100121. [PMID: 36532654 PMCID: PMC9757821 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurometabolic abnormalities and amyloid-beta plaque deposition are important early pathophysiologic changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study investigated the relationship between high-energy phosphorus-containing metabolites, glucose uptake, and amyloid plaque using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) and positron emission tomography (PET). METHODS We measured 31P-MRS, fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET, and Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB)-PET in a cohort of 20 cognitively normal middle-aged adults at risk for AD. We assessed 31P-MRS reliability by scanning a separate cohort of 13 healthy volunteers twice each. We calculated the coefficient-of-variation (CV) of metabolite ratios phosphocreatine-to-adenosine triphosphate (PCr/α-ATP), inorganic phosphate (Pi)-to-α-ATP, and phosphomonoesters-to-phosphodiesters (PME/PDE), and pH in pre-defined brain regions. We performed linear regression analysis to determine the relationship between 31P measurements and tracer uptake, and Dunn's multiple comparison tests to investigate regional differences in phosphorus metabolism. Finally, we performed linear regression analysis on 31P-MRS measurements in both cohorts to investigate the relationship of phosphorus metabolism with age. RESULTS Most regional 31P metabolite ratio and pH inter- and intra-day CVs were well below 10%. There was an inverse relationship between FDG-SUV levels and metabolite ratios PCr/α-ATP, Pi/α-ATP, and PME/PDE in several brain regions in the AD risk group. There were also several regional differences among 31P metabolites and pH in the AD risk group including elevated PCr/α-ATP, depressed PME/PDE, and elevated pH in the temporal cortices. Increased PCr/α-ATP throughout the brain was associated with aging. CONCLUSIONS Phosphorus spectroscopy in the brain can be performed with high repeatability. Phosphorus metabolism varies with region and age, and is related to glucose uptake in adults at risk for AD. Phosphorus spectroscopy may be a valuable approach to study early changes in brain energetics in high-risk populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prodromos Parasoglou
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ricardo S. Osorio
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Oleksandr Khegai
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zanetta Kovbasyuk
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Margo Miller
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amanda Ho
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Seena Dehkharghani
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Center for Cognitive Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas Wisniewski
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, Center for Cognitive Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Antonio Convit
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Nathan S Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Lisa Mosconi
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ryan Brown
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Mecheri G, Marie-Cardine M, Sappey-Marinier D, Bonmartin H, Albrand G, Ferry G, Coppard-Meyer N, Courpron P. In vivo hippocampal 31P NMR metabolites in Alzheimer's disease and ageing. Eur Psychiatry 2020; 12:140-8. [DOI: 10.1016/s0924-9338(97)80203-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/1996] [Accepted: 03/11/1997] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
SummaryMemory loss is the most common early symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD). For this study, we chose the hippocampi as regions of interest. The hippocampus, which is closely associated with memory processing, is known to be vulnerable to damage in the early stage of AD. We considered both inter-group (patients vs controls) and intra-group (right vs left hippocampus) comparisons. We examined seven patients meeting the DSM-III-R criteria of senile dementia and the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke-Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS — ADRDA) criteria of probable AD, and II aged controls. This study focused on the measurement of phosphorus 31 (31P) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy metabolites in each hippocampus. We found significant differences in phosphorus metabolites for both intra-group comparison (pH shifted towards relative alkalosis in the left hippocampus of patients) and inter-group consideration (reduced phosphodiesters [Pde]and elevated gamma adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the right hippocampus, higher inorganic phosphate (pHi) in the left hippocampus for patients as compared to controls). We suggest energy failure and membrane functional breakdown in patients compared to aged controls.
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Rijpma A, van der Graaf M, Meulenbroek O, Olde Rikkert MGM, Heerschap A. Altered brain high-energy phosphate metabolism in mild Alzheimer's disease: A 3-dimensional 31P MR spectroscopic imaging study. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 18:254-261. [PMID: 29876246 PMCID: PMC5987799 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease (AD), defects in essential metabolic processes for energy supply and phospholipid membrane function have been implicated in the pathological process. However, post-mortem investigations are generally limited to late stage disease and prone to tissue decay artifacts. In vivo assessments of high energy phosphates, tissue pH and phospholipid metabolites are possible by phosphorus MR spectroscopy (31P–MRS), but so far only small studies, mostly focusing on single brain regions, have been performed. Therefore, we assessed phospholipid and energy metabolism in multiple brain regions of 31 early stage AD patients and 31 age- and gender-matched controls using 31P–MRS imaging. An increase of phosphocreatine (PCr) was found in AD patients compared with controls in the retrosplenial cortex, and both hippocampi, but not in the anterior cingulate cortex. While PCr/inorganic phosphate and pH were also increased in AD, no changes were found for phospholipid metabolites. This study showed that PCr levels are specifically increased in regions that show early degeneration in AD. Together with an increased pH, this indicates an altered energy metabolism in mild AD. Phosphocreatine and pH are increased in mild Alzheimer's disease. Phosphocreatine increase occurs in early affected brain regions. Brain energy metabolism may be altered in mild Alzheimer's disease. Phospholipid and energy metabolites as well as pH, differ across brain regions.
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Key Words
- 1H, proton
- 31P–MRS, phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy
- AC, anterior commissure
- ACC, anterior cingulate cortex
- AD, Alzheimer's disease
- ADP, adenosine diphosphate
- ATP, adenosine triphosphate
- Alzheimer's disease
- CK, creatine kinase
- CSF, cerebrospinal fluid
- Cr, creatine
- Dementia
- Energy metabolism
- GM, grey matter
- GPCh, glycerophosphocholine
- GPEth, glycerophosphoethanolamine
- HL, left hippocampus
- HR, right hippocampus
- LS, least square
- MCI, mild cognitive impairment
- MMSE, Mini Mental State Examination
- MRSI, magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging
- NAD(H), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
- OXPHOS, oxidative phosphorylation
- PC, posterior commissure
- PCh, phosphocholine
- PCr, phosphocreatine
- PDE, phosphodiesters
- PEth, phosphoethanolamine
- PME, phosphomonoesters
- Phospholipid metabolism
- Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging
- Pi, inorganic phosphate
- ROI, region of interest
- RSC, retrosplenial cortex
- WM, white matter
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Rijpma
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Radboudumc Alzheimer Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Marinette van der Graaf
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Paediatrics, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Olga Meulenbroek
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Radboudumc Alzheimer Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel G M Olde Rikkert
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Radboudumc Alzheimer Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Arend Heerschap
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Zhang L, Dong S, Zhao G, Ma Y. 7.0T nuclear magnetic resonance evaluation of the amyloid beta (1-40) animal model of Alzheimer's disease: comparison of cytology verification. Neural Regen Res 2014; 9:430-5. [PMID: 25206831 PMCID: PMC4146198 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.128255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
3.0T magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging is a commonly used method in the research of brain function in Alzheimer's disease. However, the role of 7.0T high-field magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging in brain function of Alzheimer's disease remains unclear. In this study, 7.0T magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease rats, the N-acetylaspartate wave crest was reduced, and the creatine and choline wave crest was elevated. This finding was further supported by hematoxylin-eosin staining, which showed a loss of hippocampal neurons and more glial cells. Moreover, electron microscopy showed neuronal shrinkage and mitochondrial rupture, and scanning electron microscopy revealed small size hippocampal synaptic vesicles, incomplete synaptic structure, and reduced number. Overall, the results revealed that 7.0T high-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy detected the lesions and functional changes in hippocampal neurons of Alzheimer's disease rats in vivo, allowing the possibility for assessing the success rate and grading of the amyloid beta (1-40) animal model of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- MR Neuroradiology Room, Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Dong
- Department of Neurology, Sixth People's Hospital of Jinan, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
| | - Guixiang Zhao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sixth People's Hospital of Jinan, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yu Ma
- Tsinghua University Yuquan Hospital, Beijing, China
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Relkin NR. Beyond symptomatic therapy: a re-examination of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in Alzheimer’s disease. Expert Rev Neurother 2014; 7:735-48. [PMID: 17561789 DOI: 10.1586/14737175.7.6.735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) are generally regarded as palliative treatments for Alzheimer's disease that slow the progression of dementia symptoms without altering Alzheimer's disease's underlying pathogenic mechanisms. This concept is based on inference rather than evidence, and has limited the scope and persistence of AChEI use in clinical practice. Recent preclinical studies demonstrate that AChEIs exhibit a number of biological effects in addition to cholinesterase inhibition. A broader understanding of the possible mechanisms of action of AChEIs in Alzheimer's disease could result in more effective use and assist in the development of new and improved therapies. The available evidence brings into question the prevailing view that AChEIs are exclusively symptomatic treatments and supports the use of these agents persistently throughout the course of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman R Relkin
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 428 East 72nd Street, Suite 500, NY 10017, USA.
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7
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Blesa R, Mohr E, Miletich RS, Randolph C, Hildebrand K, Sampson M, Chase TN. Changes in cerebral glucose metabolism with normal aging. Eur J Neurol 2013; 4:8-14. [PMID: 24283817 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.1997.tb00294.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The pattern of changes in cerebral glucose metabolism occurring with normal aging has been unclear. Advances in imaging technology, such as improved resolution and anatomical referencing, allow for more precise regional measurement than previously possible. This study explored cerebral glucose metabolism in 17 normal controls ranging in age from 20 to 74 years. High resolution PET scanning, with MRI-based regions of interest correcting for partial volume and atrophy effects, revealed a linear association between advancing age and declining cerebral glucose metabolism. The decline averaged 8% per decade for the whole brain. Changes were most pronounced in limbic structures, and could be implicated in age-associated memory loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Blesa
- Hospital Clinic i Provincial, Servei de Neurologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainUniversity of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine/Neurology, Ottawa Civic Hospital and Elisabeth Bruyere Health Center, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaDent Neurological Institute, Millard Filmore Hospital, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USAExperimental Therapeutics Branch, NINDS, National Institutes of Health*, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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9
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Forlenza OV, Wacker P, Nunes PV, Yacubian J, Castro CC, Otaduy MCG, Gattaz WF. Reduced phospholipid breakdown in Alzheimer's brains: a 31P spectroscopy study. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2005; 180:359-65. [PMID: 15700180 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-005-2168-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2004] [Accepted: 12/20/2004] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormalities of membrane phospholipid metabolism have been described in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated, with the aid of (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the in vivo intracerebral availability of phosphomonoesters (PME) and phosphodiesters (PDE) in patients with AD. METHODS Eighteen outpatients with mild or moderate probable AD and 16 nondemented elderly volunteers were assessed with the Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly (CAMDEX) and its cognitive subscale of the CAMDEX schedule (CAMCOG). Scans were performed on a 1.5 T magnetic resonance imager addressing a 40-cm(3) voxel in the left prefrontal cortex. Main outcome measures were mean relative peak areas of PME and PDE, which provide an estimate of membrane phospholipid metabolism. RESULTS PME resonance and the PME/PDE ratio were increased in AD patients as compared to controls (p<0.05). PME was negatively correlated with global cognitive performance as shown by the Mini-Mental State Examination (r(s)=-0.36, p=0.05) and CAMCOG scores (r(s)=-0.49, p=0.007), as well as with discrete neuropsychological functions, namely, memory (r(s)=-0.53, p=0.004), visual perception (r(s)=-0.54, p=0.003), orientation (r(s)=-0.36, p=0.05), and abstract thinking (r(s)=-0.48, p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS We provide evidence of reduced membrane phospholipid breakdown in the prefrontal cortex of mild and moderately demented AD patients. These abnormalities correlate with neuropsychological deficits that are characteristic of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orestes V Forlenza
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM-27) Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Rua Doutor Ovídio Pires de Campos 785, 05403-010, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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10
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Abstract
The neurophysiological basis of cognition is relatively unexplained, with most studies reporting weak relationships between cognition and measures of brain function, such as event-related potentials, brain size and cerebral blood flow. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is an in vivo method used to detect neurochemicals within the brain that are relevant to certain brain processes. The most widely used methods are 1H-MRS and 31P-MRS, which detect compounds that contain hydrogen and phosphorus, respectively. Recent studies have shown that the absolute concentrations or ratios of these neurochemicals, in particular N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), which is associated with neuronal viability, correlate with performance on neuropsychological tests or other measures of cognitive function in normal subjects. Many studies in adults and children have shown a relationship between neurometabolite values and cognitive status or extent of cognitive dysfunction in various neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. We review these studies and conclude that MRS has potential applications for the study of cognitive processes in health and disease and may be used clinically for differential diagnosis, the early detection of pathology and the examination of longitudinal change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy J Ross
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2033, Australia.
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11
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Abstract
This article aims to review the role of the functional neuroimaging modality of positron emission tomography (PET) in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Clinical diagnosis in the early disease stages is difficult and treatments are emerging which rather than reversing structural damage are likely to slow or halt the disease process. While currently no routine diagnostic test confirms AD presence, imaging techniques are an important expanding field in biological neuropsychiatry. The challenge for neuroimaging methods is to achieve high specificity and sensitivity in early disease stages. Glucose metabolic PET imaging with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) has the potential to detect very early neocortical dysfunction before even abnormal neuropsychological testing is obtainable. The implications are for the identification of minimally symptomatic patients that could benefit most from treatment strategies, as well as the monitoring of treatment response and possible therapeutic deceleration of the disease. FDG PET correlates with AD neuropathology and is able to indicate disease progression or severity, meeting both functional neuroimaging prerequisites in diagnosing AD. A combination of functional neuroimaging with different techniques should be able to provide highest diagnostic specificity in diagnosing dementia. This may even lead to a new classification of dementias according to differences in the causative aetiology.
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Montz Andrée R, Jiménez Vicioso A, Coullaut Jáuregui J, López-Ibor Aliño JJ, Carreras Delgado JL. [PET in neurology and psychiatry I. PET with FDG in the study of the CNS]. REVISTA ESPANOLA DE MEDICINA NUCLEAR 2002; 21:370-86; quiz 387-9. [PMID: 12236914 DOI: 10.1016/s0212-6982(02)72110-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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13
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Hsu YY, Du AT, Schuff N, Weiner MW. Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy in dementias. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2001; 14:145-66. [PMID: 11563438 PMCID: PMC1857299 DOI: 10.1177/089198870101400308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This article reviews recent studies of magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy in dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, idiopathic Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and vascular dementia. Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy can detect structural alteration and biochemical abnormalities in the brain of demented subjects and may help in the differential diagnosis and early detection of affected individuals, monitoring disease progression, and evaluation of therapeutic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Y Hsu
- Magnetic Resonance Unit, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco 94121, USA
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14
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Abstract
Brain aging, Alzheimer disease and stroke share common elements of deficits in calcium regulation, declines in mitochondrial function, increases in generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), accumulated damage from ROS and immune system dysfunction. The problem is to distinguish less significant side reactions, such as gray hair, from aspects of aging that contribute to disease. Toward establishing cause and effect relationships, a neuron cell culture system is described that allows comparisons with age under uniform environmental conditions. This neuron culture model indicates that susceptibility to death by apoptosis and consequences of the inflammatory response from beta-amyloid are age-related and an inherent characteristic of the neurons. Further mechanistic investigations are possible. New therapeutic approaches are suggested that combine inhibition of calcium overloads (calcium channel blockers), reduced ROS damage (melatonin, N-acetyl-cysteine), and bolstered mitochondrial function and energy generation (creatine). Together with newly demonstrated capabilities for adult and aged neuron regeneration and multiplication, i.e. plasticity, these approaches offer new hope toward reversing age-related decrements and damage from neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- G J Brewer
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Springfield, IL, 62794-9626, USA.
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15
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Martinelli P, Scaglione C, Lodi R, Iotti S, Barbiroli B. Deficit of brain and skeletal muscle bioenergetics in progressive supranuclear palsy shown in vivo by phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Mov Disord 2000; 15:889-93. [PMID: 11009196 DOI: 10.1002/1531-8257(200009)15:5<889::aid-mds1020>3.0.co;2-t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain and muscle energy metabolism was assessed in vivo in five patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) using phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P MRS). 31P MRS disclosed a reduced phosphocreatine (PCr) and an increased calculated free adenosine diphosphate (ADP) in the occipital lobes of all patients. In our patients with PSP, inorganic phosphate (Pi) was significantly increased and Mg2+ was reduced. In the gastrocnemius muscle, Pi at rest was increased in four patients, and the three patients who were able to perform an incremental exercise showed a rate of PCr postexercise recovery slower than control subjects. Our findings show that multisystemic deficit of energy metabolism occurs in PSP and suggest that it may play a role in the pathogenesis of this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Martinelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Universitá di Bologna, Italy
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16
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Moore CM, Frederick BB, Renshaw PF. Brain biochemistry using magnetic resonance spectroscopy: relevance to psychiatric illness in the elderly. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2000; 12:107-17. [PMID: 10593699 DOI: 10.1177/089198879901200304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) allows for the noninvasive study of cerebral biochemistry. It has been used to investigate cerebral metabolic changes associated with mental illness in vivo and in vitro. In this review, we will discuss the application of MRS to psychiatric illness in the elderly. Following a brief description of the basic principles of MRS, the use of phosphorus (31P) and proton (1H) MRS to enable a better understanding of normal brain aging, dementia (Alzheimer's disease, multiple subcortical infarct dementia, Down syndrome, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, age-associated memory impairment, and other dementias), major depression, and electroconvulsive therapy is detailed.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Moore
- Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, USA
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Blass JP, Sheu RK, Gibson GE. Inherent abnormalities in energy metabolism in Alzheimer disease. Interaction with cerebrovascular compromise. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2000; 903:204-21. [PMID: 10818509 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2000.tb06370.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) is a form of the dementia syndrome. AD appears to have a variety of fundamental etiologies that lead to the neuropathological manifestations which define the disease. Patients who are at high risk to develop AD typically show impairments of cerebral metabolic rate in vivo even before they show any evidence of the clinical disease on neuropsychological, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging examinations. Therefore, impairment in energy metabolism in AD can not be attributed to loss of brain substance or to electrophysiological abnormalities. Among the characteristic abnormalities in the AD brain are deficiencies in several enzyme complexes which participate in the mitochondrial oxidation of substrates to yield energy. There include the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC), the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (KGDHC), and Complex IV of the electron transport chain (COX). The deficiency of KGDHC may be due to a mixture of causes including damage by free radicals and perhaps to genetic variation in the DLST gene encoding the core protein of this complex. Inherent impairment of glucose oxidation by the AD brain may reasonably be expected to interact synergistically with an impaired supply of oxygen and glucose to the AD brain, in causing brain damage. These considerations lead to the hypothesis that cerebrovascular compromise and inherent abnormalities in the brain's ability to oxidize substrates can interact to favor the development of AD, in individuals who are genetically predisposed to develop neuritic plaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Blass
- Dementia Research Service, Burke Medical Research Institute, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, White Plains, New York 10605, USA.
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18
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Johnson SC, Saykin AJ, Baxter LC, Flashman LA, Santulli RB, McAllister TW, Mamourian AC. The relationship between fMRI activation and cerebral atrophy: comparison of normal aging and alzheimer disease. Neuroimage 2000; 11:179-87. [PMID: 10694460 DOI: 10.1006/nimg.1999.0530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional MRI has recently been used to examine activation associated with aging and dementia, yet little is known regarding the effect of cerebral atrophy on fMRI signal. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between measures of global and regionally specific atrophy and fMRI activation in normal aging and in Alzheimer disease (AD). Two groups of subjects were studied with echoplanar imaging and quantitative structural volumetry: healthy controls spanning a broad age and atrophy range (n = 16) and patients with mild AD (n = 8). Results from a semantic task previously found to activate left inferior frontal (LIFG) and left superior temporal (LSTG) gyri were analyzed. The correlations between clusters of activation in the LIFG and LSTG and measures of local atrophy in the LIFG and LSTG regions were evaluated. For control subjects, there was no significant correlation between activation and regional or total brain atrophy (for LIFG r = -0.03, NS; for LSTG r = 0.20, NS). In contrast, for AD patients, there was a significant positive correlation between atrophy and activation in LIFG (r = 0.70, P = 0.05) but not LSTG (r = 0.00, NS). These results suggest that activation of language regions and atrophy within those regions may be independent among healthy adults spanning a broad age and atrophy range. However, in AD, a relationship exists in the LIFG that may reflect compensatory recruitment of cortical units or disease-specific changes in the hemodynamic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- S C Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry, New Hampshire Hospital, Lebanon, New Hampshire, 03756, USA
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19
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Hu MT, Taylor-Robinson SD, Chaudhuri KR, Bell JD, Labbé C, Cunningham VJ, Koepp MJ, Hammers A, Morris RG, Turjanski N, Brooks DJ. Cortical dysfunction in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients: a combined (31)P-MRS and (18)FDG-PET study. Brain 2000; 123 ( Pt 2):340-52. [PMID: 10648441 DOI: 10.1093/brain/123.2.340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Regional cerebral phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P-MRS) was performed in 10 non- demented Parkinson's disease patients and nine age-matched control subjects. Five of the patients undergoing (31)P-MRS and four additional Parkinson's disease patients had cerebral 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose PET ((18)FDG-PET), the results of which were compared with those of eight age-matched control subjects. All Parkinson's disease patients underwent neuropsychological testing including performance and verbal subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised, Boston Naming Test, Controlled Oral Word Association test (FAS Test) and California Learning Test to exclude clinical dementia. (31)P MR spectra from right and left temporo-parietal cortex, occipital cortex and a central voxel incorporating basal ganglia and brainstem were obtained. (31)P MR peak area ratios of signals from phosphomonoesters (PMEs), inorganic phosphate (P(i)), phosphodiesters (PDEs), alpha-ATP, gamma-ATP and phosphocreatine (PCr) relative to beta-ATP were measured. Relative percentage peak areas of PMEs, P(i), PDEs, PCr, and alpha-, beta- and gamma-ATP signals were also measured with respect to the total (31)P-MRS signal. Significant bilateral increases in the P(i)/beta-ATP ratio were found in temporoparietal cortex (P = 0.002 right and P = 0.014 left cortex) for the non-demented Parkinson's disease patients compared with controls. In the right temporoparietal cortex, there was also a significant increase in the mean relative percentage P(i) (P = 0.001). (18)FDG-PET revealed absolute bilateral reductions in glucose metabolism after partial volume effect correction in posterior parietal and temporal cortical grey matter (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively) for the Parkinson's disease group, using both volume of interest analysis and statistical parametric mapping. There were significant correlations between right temporoparietal P(i)/beta-ATP ratios and estimated reductions in performance IQ (r = 0.96, P < 0.001). Left temporoparietal P(i)/beta-ATP ratios correlated with full scale IQ and verbal IQ (r = -0.82, P = 0.006, r = -0.86, P = 0.003, respectively). In summary, temporoparietal cortical hypometabolism was seen in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients with both (31)P-MRS and (18)FDG-PET, suggesting that both glycolytic and oxidative pathways are impaired. This dysfunction may reflect either the presence of primary cortical pathology or deafferentation of striato-cortical projections. (31)P-MRS and (18)FDG-PET may both provide useful predictors of future cognitive impairment in a subset of Parkinson's disease patients who go on to develop dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- M T Hu
- Medical Research Council Cyclotron Unit, Department of Neurosciences, Guys, King's, St Thomas's Hospital Medical School and Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK
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20
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Abstract
Varying degrees of metabolic arrest are used by many living species to survive in a harsh environment. For example, in hibernating mammals, neuronal activity and cerebral metabolism are profoundly depressed in most regions of the brain and limited energy resources are deployed to maintain vital cell functions. Gathering evidence suggests that energy resources are also limited in both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and that this promotes metabolic stress and the degenerative process. Key steps in this process are energy requiring, and this further compromises cell energy reserves. It may be possible to slow the progress of these diseases by inducing slow-wave sleep (SWS) at night with gammahydroxybutyrate. Patients with these diseases sleep poorly and generate little SWS. SWS and hibernation are thought to be on a continuum of energy conservation. Thus, the induction of SWS may retard the degenerative process by depressing cell metabolism and by directing energy utilization to vital cell functions. In this way, GHB-induced SWS may duplicate the effects of hibernation and extend biologic time.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Mamelak
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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21
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Wahlund LO. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography in Alzheimer's disease. ACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA. SUPPLEMENTUM 1996; 168:50-3. [PMID: 8997420 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1996.tb00373.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Modern imaging techniques such as X-ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are widely used in the clinical evaluation of patients with dementia disorders. Computed tomography was introduced for clinical practice in the beginning of the 1970s. The advent of MRI came later with the first equipment used for clinical purposes being introduced in the first half of the 1980s. The two modalities differ in many aspects: CT has a lower contrast resolution compared with MRI and is also faster and often more convenient for patients. In contrast, MRI gives a superior picture of the brain tissue without the use of contrast agents. Moreover, MRI, like CT, does not suffer from bone artifacts. The latter is of special importance in the study of dementia diseases (especially Alzheimer's) where structural changes are present close to the brain. The possibility of image in arbitrary imaging planes also makes MRI more suitable to study structures of relevance in Alzheimer's disease such as the medial temporal lobes and the hippocampal formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L O Wahlund
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Family Medicine, Huddinge Hospital, Sweden
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22
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Hüll M, Fiebich BL, Lieb K, Strauss S, Berger SS, Volk B, Bauer J. Interleukin-6-associated inflammatory processes in Alzheimer's disease: new therapeutic options. Neurobiol Aging 1996; 17:795-800. [PMID: 8892354 DOI: 10.1016/0197-4580(96)00107-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The cytokine interleukin-6 is consistently detected in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients but not in the brains of nondemented elderly persons. Until recently it was unclear whether an interleukin-6-associated inflammatory mechanism is an early or late event in the pathological cascade of Alzheimer's disease. We investigated whether interleukin-6 could be detected in plaques of Alzheimer's disease patients prior to the onset of neuritic degeneration. We found interleukin-6 mostly in plaques where neuritic pathology has not yet developed. This indicates that the appearance of interleukin-6 may precede neuritic changes and is not just a consequence of neuritic degeneration. Therefore, one may hypothesize that activation of inflammatory mechanisms may cause neuritic degeneration in plaques. A suppression of interleukin-6 synthesis could, therefore, be of therapeutic value. Upon screening a number of substances, we found that a small number of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, including tenidap, were able to inhibit interleukin-6 synthesis in cultured human astrocytoma cells. These substances may be therapeutically useful in Alzheimer's disease and should be evaluated in clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Hüll
- Department of Psychiatry, Freiburg University Medical School, Germany
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23
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Hüll M, Strauss S, Berger M, Volk B, Bauer J. The participation of interleukin-6, a stress-inducible cytokine, in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Behav Brain Res 1996; 78:37-41. [PMID: 8793035 DOI: 10.1016/0166-4328(95)00213-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
A loss of synapses in the cortices of demented persons appears to be the primary correlate of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it is still unclear how synaptic pathology is connected to other pathological findings such as neurofibrillary and neuritic degeneration or inflammatory markers in AD. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) immunoreactivity has previously been detected in plaques in the brains of AD patients. In addition, elevated IL-6 concentrations have been measured biochemically in the brains of AD patients. Since transgenic mice bearing additional copies of the IL-6 gene under the control of a brain-specific promoter develop a marked cortical pathology including severe alterations of the dendritic arborization of cortical neurons, an IL-6 related inflammatory event could well be connected to the synaptic pathology in AD. In this study, we investigated whether IL-6 immunoreactivity in plaques could already be found prior to the onset of neuritic changes, or whether the presence of this cytokine is restricted to the later stages of plaque formation. While diffuse plaques represent an early stage of plaque formation, primitive and classic plaques (displaying neuritic pathology) are thought to reflect later stages of plaque pathology. Using a silver-staining method, we classified plaque stages in serial sections of paraffin-embedded cortices of clinically diagnosed and histopathologically confirmed AD patients and of control persons with no clinical history of dementia. Adjacent sections were stained with an antibody directed against IL-6. IL-6 was detectable in a significant proportion of plaques, but only in the brains of demented patients. In the AD cases, IL-6 was found in diffuse plaques in a significantly higher ratio as would have been expected from a random distribution of IL-6 among all plaque types. This observation suggests that IL-6 expression may precede neuritic changes and that in AD an immunological mechanism may be involved both in the transformation from diffuse to primitive plaques and in the development of dementia. The reasons for the increased expression of IL-6 in the brains of AD patients are still unknown. Basal IL-6 levels were found to be slightly elevated along normal aging. Based on several studies indicating that IL-6 expression is inducible also by psychological stress, one could speculate whether long-lasting stressful experiences may contribute to the pathological process underlying Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Hüll
- Department of Psychiatry, Freiburg University Medical School, Germany
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24
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Klunk WE, Xu C, Panchalingam K, McClure RJ, Pettegrew JW. Quantitative 1H and 31P MRS of PCA extracts of postmortem Alzheimer's disease brain. Neurobiol Aging 1996; 17:349-57. [PMID: 8725895 DOI: 10.1016/0197-4580(96)00035-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Several previous studies have shown metabolic abnormalities in perchloric acid extracts of postmortem Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain by both proton (1H) and phosphorus-31 (31P) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). In all of these studies the results were expressed in relative terms, in units of mol percent. The results of this study, expressed in the absolute units of mumol/g wet weight, verify the previous 1H and 31P MRS studies. Absolute increases were found for myo-inositol, aspartate, L-glutamate, alanine, phosphocholine, and the phosphodiesters,. Absolute decreases were found for phosphoethanolamine and N-acetyl-l-aspartate. Many of these changes also were observed in non-AD dementia brain extracts, but changes in myo-inositol, inositol-l-phosphate, aspartate, and L-glutamate appeared to be more specific for AD in extracts of many brain areas. These results suggest that compounds related to membrane degradation and excitatory neuro-transmission increase in Alzheimer's disease while compounds related to neuronal integrity and inhibitory neurotransmission are decreased.
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Affiliation(s)
- W E Klunk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA 15261, USA
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25
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Fukuzako H, Fukuzako T, Takeuchi K, Ohbo Y, Ueyama K, Takigawa M, Fujimoto T. Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy in schizophrenia: correlation between membrane phospholipid metabolism in the temporal lobe and positive symptoms. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 1996; 20:629-40. [PMID: 8843487 DOI: 10.1016/0278-5846(96)00036-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
1. To determine any correlations between phosphorus metabolites in the temporal lobes and clinical symptoms in schizophrenic patients, the authors performed 31phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 31 medicated patients and age- and sex- matched normal subjects. 2. Schizophrenic patients demonstrated an increased level of phosphodiesters (PDE) in the temporal lobes bilaterally and a decreased level of beta-adenosine triphosphate (beta-ATP) in the left temporal lobe. 3. A significant positive correlation was observed between the level of PDE in the left temporal lobe and the score of positive symptoms on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. 4. These results suggest that altered membrane phospholipid metabolism in the left temporal lobe is associated with neuroleptic-resistant positive symptoms in schizophrenic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Fukuzako
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan
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26
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Abstract
Improvement of the cholinergic deficit in Alzheimer's disease (AD) by intracerebral application of nerve growth factor (NGF) serves as a paradigmatic example for a novel approach to the treatment of neurodegeneration. The first part of this paper presents and discusses experiments which were performed in our laboratory to study the NGF receptor response after intracerebral NGF treatment in vivo. We found that intraparenchymal NGF elicits prolonged tyrosine phosphorylation of Trk type NGF receptors. Our results indicate that intraparenchymal injections are preferable to intraventricular application for targeting specific neuronal populations with minimal side effects. Besides the cholinergic deficit, severely disturbed brain energy metabolism, particularly in cortical association areas, is another consistent feature of AD. Metabolic hypofunction is observed early in the disease progression and correlates with the cognitive impairment. Cell culture findings are presented which indicate that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and other neurotrophins with activity on the TrkB tyrosine kinase receptor, increase mRNA levels and biochemical activity of enzymes of the glycolytic pathway in brain cells. Treatment with these factors was also found to stimulate glucose utilization in rat embryonic cortex cells in primary cultures. Our observations suggest that selected neurotrophins should become useful not only for the treatment of the cholinergic deficit in AD, but also of the cortical metabolic hypofunction associated with this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Knusel
- Andrus Gerontology Center, Division of Neurogerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
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27
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Abstract
The prevalence of dementia is expected to increase markedly as our population ages. Although only a minority of cases currently are found to have treatable causes, the personal and financial costs of misdiagnosis are great. Furthermore, progress in developing effective therapy hinges on accurate diagnosis. This article reviews the current state of diagnostic testing in the diagnosis of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- T A Sandson
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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28
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Messier C, Gagnon M. Glucose regulation and cognitive functions: relation to Alzheimer's disease and diabetes. Behav Brain Res 1996; 75:1-11. [PMID: 8800646 DOI: 10.1016/0166-4328(95)00153-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Glucose has been found to improve memory in animals and humans. Animal research has revealed that glucose may improve memory through a facilitation of acetylcholine (ACh) synthesis and release in the brain. This glucose-related memory improvement has prompted research in elderly humans. These studies have shown that the memory-improving action of glucose depends on each individuals' blood glucose regulation. Based on these data, researchers have evaluated the effect of glucose on memory in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Results demonstrated that glucose could improve memory in a subset of patients that had abnormalities in their blood glucose regulation. Interestingly, these alterations in blood glucose regulation were believed to depend on the severity of the disease process. Another line of investigation has focused on alterations in brain glucose metabolism. Both animal models and studies with Type II diabetic elderly patients have shown that altered glucose regulation impairs learning and memory processes. It is possible that in AD patients, hyperglycemia exerts a deleterious effect by potentiating the neuronal death produced by other pathological processes taking place such as amyloid deposition. Based on these data, it appears important to find the prevalence of altered glucoregulation at various stages of AD. Secondly, it may be of interest to determine prospectively whether altered glucoregulation is linked to a faster progression of the disease. Finally, if such a relationship is observed, the next logical step would be to determine whether AD patients could benefit from treatments aimed at normalizing blood glucose regulation and improving insulin sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Messier
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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29
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Gilberto González R. Molecular and functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging for the study of dementia. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1996; 777:37-48. [PMID: 8624115 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1996.tb34399.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The living brain's structure, function, and underlying chemistry are increasingly being revealed in sharpened detail by the extraordinary evolution of magnetic resonance (MR) technology. Recent years have ushered in a wealth of new information about neurophysiology and pathological states owing to such technologies as functional MR imaging (fMRI), MR spectroscopy (MRS), and MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI). These advances are of substantial benefit in the study of the dementias, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD). One primary objective of our laboratory at the Massachusetts General Hospital NMR Center is to utilize these extant and emerging MR technologies to further understanding of the human brain as it undergoes assault by AD. Our approach is guided by the belief that the pathological states observed in the AD brain must be accompanied by structural, chemical and/or physiological changes that can be made visible in an in vivo MR study. Quantitative measurements by MRI medical temporal lobe structures have been shown to be abnormal by several groups including our own. This use of MRI will be reviewed by others. In this paper, I will review recent advances in the application of MR for the study of chemical and functional brain abnormalities in dementia, and in particular to the investigation of AD.
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30
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Hüll M, Strauss S, Berger M, Volk B, Bauer J. Inflammatory mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 1996; 246:124-8. [PMID: 8739396 DOI: 10.1007/bf02189112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
In recent years many studies have indicated an involvement of inflammatory mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Acute-phase proteins such as alpha 1-antichymotrypsin and c-reactive protein, elements of the complement system, and activated microglial and astroglial cells are consistently found in brains of AD patients. Most importantly, also cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) have been detected in the cortices of AD patients, indicating a local activation of components of the unspecific inflammatory system. Up to now it has remained unclear whether inflammatory mechanisms represent a primary event or only an unspecific reaction to brain tissue damage. Therefore, we investigated whether IL-6 immunoreactivity could be found in plaques prior to the onset of neuritic changes, or whether the presence of this cytokine is restricted to later stages of plaque pathology. We confirmed our previous observation that IL-6 is detectable in a significant proportion of plaques in the brains of demented patients. In AD patients IL-6 was found in diffuse plaques in a significant higher ratio as would have been expected from a random distribution of IL-6 among all plaque types. This observation suggests that IL-6 may precede neuritic changes, and that immunological mechanism may be involved both in the transformation from diffuse to neuritic plaques in AD and in the development of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Hüll
- Department of Psychiatry, Freiburg University Medical School, Germany
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31
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Meier-Ruge W, Bertoni-Freddari C. The significance of glucose turnover in the brain in the pathogenetic mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease. Rev Neurosci 1996; 7:1-19. [PMID: 8736675 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro.1996.7.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive survey of the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Two mechanisms are of etiological importance in the development of a degenerative dementing brain disease: 1. Lesions in the mitochondrial genome that are caused by free radicals. Primary degenerative AD is characterized by a tendency to acquire random lesions within mitochondrial DNA that are produced by free radicals. The consequence of these lesions is a decrease in glucose turnover and a decline in oxidative phosphorylation. Point mutations on chromosome 21 are hypothesized to increase the susceptibility of mitochondrial DNA to lesions created by free radicals. 2. Ischemic brain lesions as well as traumatic brain damage cause an increase in the release of excitotoxic amino acids (glutamate, aspartate, etc.). These neurotransmitters increase CA(+2) influx into the nerve cell and significantly lower energy production. From a pathogenetic point of view, AD is characterized by a decrease in glucose turnover in the brain. The progression of AD can be monitored by F18- deoxyglucose PET studies. This technique also allows the recognition of patients who are prone to develop AD. The actual development of a cognitive deficit is a threshold phenomenon that occurs if glucose turnover in the hippocampus or temporoparietal cortex drops below a critical level of about 40% of the level of age-matched controls. The low glucose turnover in AD causes a cholinergic deficit by decreasing the synthesis of AcCoA, which is used by choline acetyltransferase in the acetylation of choline to acetylcholine. The decrease in glucose turnover also reduces oxidative phosphorylation. The resulting decrease in ATP triggers the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein by activating protein kinase 40erk. The hyperphosphorylation leads to the development of paired helical filaments. The generation of beta amyloid and the loss of neuronal synapses are also caused by a decrease in oxidative phosphorylation, since beta amyloid precursor proteins are not inserted into the membranes of nerve cells in the absence of a sufficient amount of ATP. This results in the generation of intact beta amyloid molecules and leads to amyloidosis in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Meier-Ruge
- Department of Pathology, University Medical School Basel, Switzerland
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32
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Smith CD. Quantitative computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in aging and Alzheimer's disease. A review. J Neuroimaging 1996; 6:44-53. [PMID: 8555663 DOI: 10.1111/jon19966144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent aging research, quantitative techniques have been used to overcome limitations of qualitative interpretation of magnetic resonance and computed tomographic imaging. The purpose of this review is to summarize imaging results emphasizing quantitative studies using these two modalities in human aging. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy is viewed as an extension of imaging, and results of in vivo spectroscopic studies are included. Because Alzheimer's disease (AD) is closely related to aging, a discussion of quantitative imaging techniques that may distinguish normal elderly from patients with AD is included.
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Affiliation(s)
- C D Smith
- Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington 40536, USA
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33
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Nuclear magnetic resonance is a non-destructive and non-invasive technology that is highly suited for research in psychiatry. It is establishing itself as a versatile means of studying brain morphology, chemistry and function and is finding a place in the diagnosis of disease, monitoring of treatment and the study of basic brain processes. METHOD A literature review was undertaken. RESULTS Magnetic resonance spectroscopy has been shown to distinguish between psychiatric disorders, and has provided evidence of their pathophysiological mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS Spectroscopy in particular opens a window, for the first time, on the study of in vivo brain chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Maier
- Institute of Neurology, London
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34
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Smith CD, Pettigrew LC, Avison MJ, Kirsch JE, Tinkhtman AJ, Schmitt FA, Wermeling DP, Wekstein DR, Markesberry WR. Frontal lobe phosphorus metabolism and neuropsychological function in aging and in Alzheimer's disease. Ann Neurol 1995; 38:194-201. [PMID: 7654066 DOI: 10.1002/ana.410380211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
31P Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the frontal lobe was performed in 17 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), 8 elderly controls (EC), and 17 young controls (YC). The phosphocreatine/inorganic phosphate (PCr/Pi) ratio in AD (2.32 +/- 0.26 SD) was significantly lower than in EC (2.65 +/- 0.41). In AD patients, a correlation was observed between the PCr/Pi ratio and the dementia rating scale (r = -0.50, p = 0.04). A significant positive correlation between PCr/Pi ratio and age was observed in both AD (r = 0.67, p = 0.003) and YC (r = 0.63, p = 0.006) groups, however, suggesting caution in interpretation of this ratio in AD. We did not find differences between AD, EC, or YC in any other spectroscopic measure. A significant sex difference in the phosphomonoester/phosphodiester ratio (PME/PDE) ratio was observed in AD brain. Females had a lower PME/PDE ratio than males.
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Affiliation(s)
- C D Smith
- Magnetic Resonanance Imaging and Spectroscopy Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington 40536, USA
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35
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Passe TJ, Charles HC, Rajagopalan P, Krishnan KR. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a review of neuropsychiatric applications. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 1995; 19:541-63. [PMID: 8588055 DOI: 10.1016/0278-5846(95)00101-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
1. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a powerful new neuropsychiatric research tool which allows for the noninvasive investigation of in vivo biochemistry. This review focuses on the recent applications of MRS to in vivo neuropsychiatric research. 2. The history of MRS as it has progressed from an in vitro method of biochemical analysis to its current in vivo research uses is presented. 3. A brief overview of the physical principles of MRS, including methods for spectral localization, is discussed. 4. Applications of the different MRS modalities (1H, 31P, 19F, 7Li, 13C and 23Na) to various neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, affective disorders, acquired immunodeficiency disease, etc. are reviewed. The study of both fluorinated neuroleptics and the antidepressant fluoxetine using 19F MRS are discussed in greater detail. 5. Finally, potential future neuropsychiatric applications of MRS and specifically 19F MRS are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- T J Passe
- Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
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Rajagopalan P, Krishnan KR, Passe TJ, Macfall JR. Magnetic resonance imaging using deoxyhemoglobin contrast versus positron emission tomography in the assessment of brain function. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 1995; 19:351-66. [PMID: 7624487 DOI: 10.1016/0278-5846(95)00017-p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
1. Function of the brain can be assessed through radiologic imaging to determine physiology of underlying tissue. 2. Until recently, positron emission tomography has been the standard tool with which to study function. 3. In the past few years, several investigators have attempted to use magnetic resonance imaging, which has better resolution and is less expensive, to provide functional information. 4. A noninvasive technique termed BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent) has become a popular area of research to determine physiologic change that occurs in the brain in resting as well as activated states. 5. This article reviews what information PET has given us with regard to function of the brain, followed by a discussion of the principle of functional MRI of the brain with emphasis on what has been done in this field as well as future application of the technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Rajagopalan
- Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
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Buckley PF, Waddington JL. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in schizophrenia: a nascent technology for a neurodevelopmental disorder? Biol Psychiatry 1994; 36:789-91. [PMID: 7893843 DOI: 10.1016/0006-3223(94)90590-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Hoyer S, Müller D, Plaschke K. Desensitization of brain insulin receptor. Effect on glucose/energy and related metabolism. JOURNAL OF NEURAL TRANSMISSION. SUPPLEMENTUM 1994; 44:259-68. [PMID: 7897397 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-7091-9350-1_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The overall majority of cases of Alzheimer disease are not caused by genetic abnormalities. A pluricausal etiology is assumed, and the age factor may be of pivotal significance. Aging leads to inherent changes in basic metabolic principles, including the functionally most important cerebral glucose/energy metabolism. Experimentally induced perturbation of the neuronal control over the glucose metabolism by means of intracerebroventricular administration of streptozotocin leads to cascade-like abnormalities in glucose breakdown and energy formation and in membrane phospholipid and monoaminergic catecholamine metabolism, which closely resemble the disturbances found in sporadic Alzheimer disease. It is concluded that this model is a good tool for in vivo study of the cellular events characteristic for this human neurodegenerative disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Hoyer
- Department of Pathochemistry and General Neurochemistry, University of Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany
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