1
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Mathys H, Boix CA, Akay LA, Xia Z, Davila-Velderrain J, Ng AP, Jiang X, Abdelhady G, Galani K, Mantero J, Band N, James BT, Babu S, Galiana-Melendez F, Louderback K, Prokopenko D, Tanzi RE, Bennett DA, Tsai LH, Kellis M. Single-cell multiregion dissection of Alzheimer's disease. Nature 2024; 632:858-868. [PMID: 39048816 PMCID: PMC11338834 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07606-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia worldwide, but the cellular pathways that underlie its pathological progression across brain regions remain poorly understood1-3. Here we report a single-cell transcriptomic atlas of six different brain regions in the aged human brain, covering 1.3 million cells from 283 post-mortem human brain samples across 48 individuals with and without Alzheimer's disease. We identify 76 cell types, including region-specific subtypes of astrocytes and excitatory neurons and an inhibitory interneuron population unique to the thalamus and distinct from canonical inhibitory subclasses. We identify vulnerable populations of excitatory and inhibitory neurons that are depleted in specific brain regions in Alzheimer's disease, and provide evidence that the Reelin signalling pathway is involved in modulating the vulnerability of these neurons. We develop a scalable method for discovering gene modules, which we use to identify cell-type-specific and region-specific modules that are altered in Alzheimer's disease and to annotate transcriptomic differences associated with diverse pathological variables. We identify an astrocyte program that is associated with cognitive resilience to Alzheimer's disease pathology, tying choline metabolism and polyamine biosynthesis in astrocytes to preserved cognitive function late in life. Together, our study develops a regional atlas of the ageing human brain and provides insights into cellular vulnerability, response and resilience to Alzheimer's disease pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hansruedi Mathys
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Carles A Boix
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Computational and Systems Biology Program, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Leyla Anne Akay
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ziting Xia
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Ayesha P Ng
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xueqiao Jiang
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ghada Abdelhady
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kyriaki Galani
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Julio Mantero
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Neil Band
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin T James
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sudhagar Babu
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Fabiola Galiana-Melendez
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kate Louderback
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dmitry Prokopenko
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rudolph E Tanzi
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Li-Huei Tsai
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Manolis Kellis
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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2
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Boyle R, Townsend DL, Klinger HM, Scanlon CE, Yuan Z, Coughlan GT, Seto M, Shirzadi Z, Yau WYW, Jutten RJ, Schneider C, Farrell ME, Hanseeuw BJ, Mormino EC, Yang HS, Papp KV, Amariglio RE, Jacobs HIL, Price JC, Chhatwal JP, Schultz AP, Properzi MJ, Rentz DM, Johnson KA, Sperling RA, Hohman TJ, Donohue MC, Buckley RF. Identifying longitudinal cognitive resilience from cross-sectional amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:148. [PMID: 38961512 PMCID: PMC11220971 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01510-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leveraging Alzheimer's disease (AD) imaging biomarkers and longitudinal cognitive data may allow us to establish evidence of cognitive resilience (CR) to AD pathology in-vivo. Here, we applied latent class mixture modeling, adjusting for sex, baseline age, and neuroimaging biomarkers of amyloid, tau and neurodegeneration, to a sample of cognitively unimpaired older adults to identify longitudinal trajectories of CR. METHODS We identified 200 Harvard Aging Brain Study (HABS) participants (mean age = 71.89 years, SD = 9.41 years, 59% women) who were cognitively unimpaired at baseline with 2 or more timepoints of cognitive assessment following a single amyloid-PET, tau-PET and structural MRI. We examined latent class mixture models with longitudinal cognition as the dependent variable and time from baseline, baseline age, sex, neocortical Aβ, entorhinal tau, and adjusted hippocampal volume as independent variables. We then examined group differences in CR-related factors across the identified subgroups from a favored model. Finally, we applied our favored model to a dataset from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI; n = 160, mean age = 73.9 years, SD = 7.6 years, 60% women). RESULTS The favored model identified 3 latent subgroups, which we labelled as Normal (71% of HABS sample), Resilient (22.5%) and Declining (6.5%) subgroups. The Resilient subgroup exhibited higher baseline cognitive performance and a stable cognitive slope. They were differentiated from other groups by higher levels of verbal intelligence and past cognitive activity. In ADNI, this model identified a larger Normal subgroup (88.1%), a smaller Resilient subgroup (6.3%) and a Declining group (5.6%) with a lower cognitive baseline. CONCLUSION These findings demonstrate the value of data-driven approaches to identify longitudinal CR groups in preclinical AD. With such an approach, we identified a CR subgroup who reflected expected characteristics based on previous literature, higher levels of verbal intelligence and past cognitive activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory Boyle
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Diana L Townsend
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hannah M Klinger
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Catherine E Scanlon
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ziwen Yuan
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gillian T Coughlan
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mabel Seto
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zahra Shirzadi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Wai-Ying Wendy Yau
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roos J Jutten
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christoph Schneider
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michelle E Farrell
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bernard J Hanseeuw
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Cliniques Universitaires SaintLuc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elizabeth C Mormino
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Wu Tsai Neuroscience Institute, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hyun-Sik Yang
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn V Papp
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca E Amariglio
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Heidi I L Jacobs
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Julie C Price
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jasmeer P Chhatwal
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aaron P Schultz
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael J Properzi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dorene M Rentz
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Keith A Johnson
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Reisa A Sperling
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Timothy J Hohman
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michael C Donohue
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute, University of Southern California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Rachel F Buckley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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3
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Sun MK, Alkon DL. Alzheimer's therapeutic development: shifting neurodegeneration to neuroregeneration. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2024; 45:197-209. [PMID: 38360510 PMCID: PMC10939773 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2024.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), similar to AD-related dementias, is characterized by impaired/lost neuronal structures and functions due to a long progression of neurodegeneration. Derailed endogenous signal pathways and disease processes have critical roles in neurodegeneration and are pharmacological targets in inducing neuroregeneration. Pharmacologically switching/shifting the brain status from neurodegeneration to neuroregeneration is emerging as a new therapeutic concept, one that is not only achievable, but also essential for effective therapy for AD. The results of the pharmacological-induced shift from neurodegeneration to neuroregeneration are twofold: arresting cognitive deterioration (and directing the brain toward cognitive recovery) in established AD, and preventing neurodegeneration through building up cognitive resilience in patients with preclinical or probable AD. In this review, we discuss these new developments in AD pharmacology and relevant clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao-Kun Sun
- Synaptogenix, Inc., 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036, USA.
| | - Daniel L Alkon
- Synaptogenix, Inc., 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036, USA
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4
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Aiken-Morgan AT, Capuano AW, Wilson RS, Barnes LL. Changes in Body Mass Index and Incident Mild Cognitive Impairment Among African American Older Adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2024; 79:glad263. [PMID: 37962543 PMCID: PMC10876072 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glad263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research suggests a decline in body mass index (BMI) among older adults is associated with negative health outcomes, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and incident dementia. However, no studies have examined the effects of education or developing MCI on BMI trajectories over time. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize trajectories of change in BMI among older adults who develop MCI. METHODS Participants were from the Minority Aging Research Study (MARS), a longitudinal cohort study of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease in older African Americans living in the greater Chicago, Illinois, area. The study included annual clinical evaluations of cognitive status, as well as measurements of height and weight for BMI calculation. Older African American participants without cognitive impairment at baseline were included in the present analysis (N = 436, 78% women, mean baseline age = 72 [SD = 5.7], mean education = 15 [SD = 3.5]). RESULTS In piecewise linear mixed-effects models that included a random intercept and 2 random slopes, BMI declined over time (B = -0.20, SE = 0.02, p < .001), with a faster decline after MCI diagnosis (additional decline, B = -0.15, SE = 0.06, p = .019). Older age was associated with lower baseline BMI (B = -0.19, SE = 0.05, p < .001), as was higher education (B = -0.34, SE = 0.09, p < .001). Further, higher education was associated with a slower decline in BMI before MCI (B = 0.02, SE = 0.006, p = .001), but a faster decline after MCI (B = -0.06, SE = 0.022, p = .003). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest an accelerated decline in BMI following an MCI diagnosis, with higher education related to an even faster BMI decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne T Aiken-Morgan
- Campbell University Divinity School, Campbell University, Buies Creek, North Carolina, USA
- Center on Health and Society, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ana W Capuano
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Robert S Wilson
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lisa L Barnes
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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5
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Ciesla M, Pobst J, Gomes-Osman J, Lamar M, Barnes LL, Banks R, Jannati A, Libon D, Swenson R, Tobyne S, Bates D, Showalter J, Pascual-Leone A. Estimating dementia risk in an African American population using the DCTclock. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 15:1328333. [PMID: 38274984 PMCID: PMC10810014 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1328333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) is increasing. African Americans are twice as likely to develop dementia than other ethnic populations. Traditional cognitive screening solutions lack the sensitivity to independently identify individuals at risk for cognitive decline. The DCTclock is a 3-min AI-enabled adaptation of the well-established clock drawing test. The DCTclock can estimate dementia risk for both general cognitive impairment and the presence of AD pathology. Here we performed a retrospective analysis to assess the performance of the DCTclock to estimate future conversion to ADRD in African American participants from the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Minority Aging Research Study (MARS) and African American Clinical Core (AACORE). We assessed baseline DCTclock scores in 646 participants (baseline median age = 78.0 ± 6.4, median years of education = 14.0 ± 3.2, 78% female) and found significantly lower baseline DCTclock scores in those who received a dementia diagnosis within 3 years. We also found that 16.4% of participants with a baseline DCTclock score less than 60 were significantly more likely to develop dementia in 5 years vs. those with the highest DCTclock scores (75-100). This research demonstrates the DCTclock's ability to estimate the 5-year risk of developing dementia in an African American population. Early detection of elevated dementia risk using the DCTclock could provide patients, caregivers, and clinicians opportunities to plan and intervene early to improve cognitive health trajectories. Early detection of dementia risk can also enhance participant selection in clinical trials while reducing screening costs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joyce Gomes-Osman
- Linus Health, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Melissa Lamar
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lisa L. Barnes
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Russell Banks
- Linus Health, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, College of Arts and Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Ali Jannati
- Linus Health, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - David Libon
- Linus Health, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States
| | - Rodney Swenson
- Linus Health, Boston, MA, United States
- University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, ND, United States
| | | | | | | | - Alvaro Pascual-Leone
- Linus Health, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, United States
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6
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Mathys H, Peng Z, Boix CA, Victor MB, Leary N, Babu S, Abdelhady G, Jiang X, Ng AP, Ghafari K, Kunisky AK, Mantero J, Galani K, Lohia VN, Fortier GE, Lotfi Y, Ivey J, Brown HP, Patel PR, Chakraborty N, Beaudway JI, Imhoff EJ, Keeler CF, McChesney MM, Patel HH, Patel SP, Thai MT, Bennett DA, Kellis M, Tsai LH. Single-cell atlas reveals correlates of high cognitive function, dementia, and resilience to Alzheimer's disease pathology. Cell 2023; 186:4365-4385.e27. [PMID: 37774677 PMCID: PMC10601493 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 79.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia worldwide, but the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment remain poorly understood. To address this, we generated a single-cell transcriptomic atlas of the aged human prefrontal cortex covering 2.3 million cells from postmortem human brain samples of 427 individuals with varying degrees of AD pathology and cognitive impairment. Our analyses identified AD-pathology-associated alterations shared between excitatory neuron subtypes, revealed a coordinated increase of the cohesin complex and DNA damage response factors in excitatory neurons and in oligodendrocytes, and uncovered genes and pathways associated with high cognitive function, dementia, and resilience to AD pathology. Furthermore, we identified selectively vulnerable somatostatin inhibitory neuron subtypes depleted in AD, discovered two distinct groups of inhibitory neurons that were more abundant in individuals with preserved high cognitive function late in life, and uncovered a link between inhibitory neurons and resilience to AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hansruedi Mathys
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
| | - Zhuyu Peng
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Carles A Boix
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Matheus B Victor
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Noelle Leary
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sudhagar Babu
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Ghada Abdelhady
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Xueqiao Jiang
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ayesha P Ng
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kimia Ghafari
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Alexander K Kunisky
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Julio Mantero
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kyriaki Galani
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Vanshika N Lohia
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Gabrielle E Fortier
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Yasmine Lotfi
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Jason Ivey
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Hannah P Brown
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Pratham R Patel
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Nehal Chakraborty
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Jacob I Beaudway
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Imhoff
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Cameron F Keeler
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Maren M McChesney
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Haishal H Patel
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Sahil P Patel
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Megan T Thai
- University of Pittsburgh Brain Institute and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | | | - Manolis Kellis
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Li-Huei Tsai
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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7
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Jackson KL, Luo J, Willroth EC, Ong AD, James BD, Bennett DA, Wilson R, Mroczek DK, Graham EK. Associations Between Loneliness and Cognitive Resilience to Neuropathology in Older Adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2023; 78:939-947. [PMID: 36789449 PMCID: PMC10214654 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbad023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Loneliness in the aging population is associated with decreased cognitive function and increased neuropathology; less is understood about the association of loneliness and cognitive resilience (CR), defined as the discordance between a person's actual and expected cognition given their neuropathology. Here we assess the effect of loneliness and change in loneliness on CR at end of life and across older adulthood. METHODS Data were combined from 2 longitudinal studies of older adults. CR proximate to death (CRlast_level) and across time (CRslope) was obtained by independently regressing global cognition and change in cognition onto multiple neuropathology indicators and extracting the resulting residuals. We used a series of simple linear regression models to assess the effect of loneliness level and change on CRlast_level and CRslope. RESULTS Higher baseline loneliness was associated with lower CRlast_level (β = -0.11, 95% confidence interval [95% CI; -0.18, -0.04], p < .01); higher baseline loneliness and increasing loneliness over time was associated with lower CRslope (β = -0.13, 95% CI [-0.22, -0.05], p < .01 and β = -0.12, 95% CI [-0.20, -0.04], p < .01, respectively). Results were robust to covariate inclusion and independent of objective social isolation. DISCUSSION Higher and increasing loneliness was associated with lower CR in the face of neuropathology. These results suggest that some individuals are less resilient to the accumulation of neuropathology than others, and experiencing high/increasing loneliness is a key factor putting some at risk. Interventions aimed at optimizing cognitive function across older adults should include loneliness reduction as a potential area of focus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn L Jackson
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jing Luo
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Emily C Willroth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Anthony D Ong
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Bryan D James
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, RUSH University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, RUSH Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - David A Bennett
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, RUSH University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Neurological Sciences, RUSH Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Robert Wilson
- Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, RUSH University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Neurological Sciences, RUSH Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, RUSH Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Daniel K Mroczek
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Eileen K Graham
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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