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Iulita MF, Bejanin A, Vilaplana E, Carmona-Iragui M, Benejam B, Videla L, Barroeta I, Fernández S, Altuna M, Pegueroles J, Montal V, Valldeneu S, Giménez S, González-Ortiz S, Torres S, El Bounasri El Bennadi S, Padilla C, Rozalem Aranha M, Estellés T, Illán-Gala I, Belbin O, Valle-Tamayo N, Camacho V, Blessing E, Osorio RS, Videla S, Lehmann S, Holland AJ, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Alcolea D, Clarimón J, Zaman SH, Blesa R, Lleó A, Fortea J. Association of biological sex with clinical outcomes and biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down syndrome. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad074. [PMID: 37056479 PMCID: PMC10088472 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of sex differences in Alzheimer's disease is increasingly recognized as a key priority in research and clinical development. People with Down syndrome represent the largest population with a genetic link to Alzheimer's disease (>90% in the 7th decade). Yet, sex differences in Alzheimer's disease manifestations have not been fully investigated in these individuals, who are key candidates for preventive clinical trials. In this double-centre, cross-sectional study of 628 adults with Down syndrome [46% female, 44.4 (34.6; 50.7) years], we compared Alzheimer's disease prevalence, as well as cognitive outcomes and AT(N) biomarkers across age and sex. Participants were recruited from a population-based health plan in Barcelona, Spain, and from a convenience sample recruited via services for people with intellectual disabilities in England and Scotland. They underwent assessment with the Cambridge Cognitive Examination for Older Adults with Down Syndrome, modified cued recall test and determinations of brain amyloidosis (CSF amyloid-β 42 / 40 and amyloid-PET), tau pathology (CSF and plasma phosphorylated-tau181) and neurodegeneration biomarkers (CSF and plasma neurofilament light, total-tau, fluorodeoxyglucose-PET and MRI). We used within-group locally estimated scatterplot smoothing models to compare the trajectory of biomarker changes with age in females versus males, as well as by apolipoprotein ɛ4 carriership. Our work revealed similar prevalence, age at diagnosis and Cambridge Cognitive Examination for Older Adults with Down Syndrome scores by sex, but males showed lower modified cued recall test scores from age 45 compared with females. AT(N) biomarkers were comparable in males and females. When considering apolipoprotein ɛ4, female ɛ4 carriers showed a 3-year earlier age at diagnosis compared with female non-carriers (50.5 versus 53.2 years, P = 0.01). This difference was not seen in males (52.2 versus 52.5 years, P = 0.76). Our exploratory analyses considering sex, apolipoprotein ɛ4 and biomarkers showed that female ɛ4 carriers tended to exhibit lower CSF amyloid-β 42/amyloid-β 40 ratios and lower hippocampal volume compared with females without this allele, in line with the clinical difference. This work showed that biological sex did not influence clinical and biomarker profiles of Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down syndrome. Consideration of apolipoprotein ɛ4 haplotype, particularly in females, may be important for clinical research and clinical trials that consider this population. Accounting for, reporting and publishing sex-stratified data, even when no sex differences are found, is central to helping advance precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Florencia Iulita
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
- Women’s Brain Project, Guntershausen 8357, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Bejanin
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Eduard Vilaplana
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Maria Carmona-Iragui
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
- Barcelona Down Medical Center, Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down, Barcelona 08029, Spain
| | - Bessy Benejam
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
- Barcelona Down Medical Center, Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down, Barcelona 08029, Spain
| | - Laura Videla
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
- Barcelona Down Medical Center, Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down, Barcelona 08029, Spain
| | - Isabel Barroeta
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Susana Fernández
- Barcelona Down Medical Center, Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down, Barcelona 08029, Spain
| | - Miren Altuna
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Jordi Pegueroles
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Victor Montal
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Silvia Valldeneu
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Sandra Giménez
- Multidisciplinary Sleep Unit, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona 08041, Spain
| | | | - Soraya Torres
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Shaimaa El Bounasri El Bennadi
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Concepcion Padilla
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Mateus Rozalem Aranha
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Teresa Estellés
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Ignacio Illán-Gala
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Olivia Belbin
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Natalia Valle-Tamayo
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Valle Camacho
- Nuclear Medicine Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona 08041, Spain
| | - Esther Blessing
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ricardo S Osorio
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sebastian Videla
- Clinical Research Support Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08908, Spain
| | - Sylvain Lehmann
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier, Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Biotherapy, Université de Montpellier, CHU de Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier 34295, France
| | - Anthony J Holland
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Group, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, Cambridge CB2 8AH, United Kingdom
- Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge CB21 5EF, United Kingdom
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Möndal 40530, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal 40530, Sweden
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Institute of Neurology, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong 1512-1518, China
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Möndal 40530, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal 40530, Sweden
| | - Daniel Alcolea
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Jordi Clarimón
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Shahid H Zaman
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Group, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, Cambridge CB2 8AH, United Kingdom
- Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge CB21 5EF, United Kingdom
| | - Rafael Blesa
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Alberto Lleó
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
| | - Juan Fortea
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 08025, Spain
- Center of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid 28031, Spain
- Barcelona Down Medical Center, Fundació Catalana Síndrome de Down, Barcelona 08029, Spain
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Pivtoraiko VN, Racic T, Abrahamson EE, Villemagne VL, Handen BL, Lott IT, Head E, Ikonomovic MD. Postmortem Neocortical 3H-PiB Binding and Levels of Unmodified and Pyroglutamate Aβ in Down Syndrome and Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:728739. [PMID: 34489686 PMCID: PMC8416541 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.728739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) have a genetic predisposition for amyloid-β (Aβ) overproduction and earlier onset of Aβ deposits compared to patients with sporadic late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Positron emission tomography (PET) with Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB) detects fibrillar Aβ pathology in living people with DS and AD, but its relationship with heterogeneous Aβ forms aggregated within amyloid deposits is not well understood. We performed quantitative in vitro3H-PiB binding assays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of fibrillar (insoluble) unmodified Aβ40 and Aβ42 forms and N-terminus truncated and pyroglutamate-modified AβNpE3-40 and AβNpE3-42 forms in postmortem frontal cortex and precuneus samples from 18 DS cases aged 43–63 years and 17 late-onset AD cases aged 62–99 years. Both diagnostic groups had frequent neocortical neuritic plaques, while the DS group had more severe vascular amyloid pathology (cerebral amyloid angiopathy, CAA). Compared to the AD group, the DS group had higher levels of Aβ40 and AβNpE3-40, while the two groups did not differ by Aβ42 and AβNpE3-42 levels. This resulted in lower ratios of Aβ42/Aβ40 and AβNpE3-42/AβNpE3-40 in the DS group compared to the AD group. Correlations of Aβ42/Aβ40 and AβNpE3-42/AβNpE3-40 ratios with CAA severity were strong in DS cases and weak in AD cases. Pyroglutamate-modified Aβ levels were lower than unmodified Aβ levels in both diagnostic groups, but within group proportions of both pyroglutamate-modified Aβ forms relative to both unmodified Aβ forms were lower in the DS group but not in the AD group. The two diagnostic groups did not differ by 3H-PiB binding levels. These results demonstrate that compared to late-onset AD cases, adult DS individuals with similar severity of neocortical neuritic plaques and greater CAA pathology have a preponderance of both pyroglutamate-modified AβNpE3-40 and unmodified Aβ40 forms. Despite the distinct molecular profile of Aβ forms and greater vascular amyloidosis in DS cases, cortical 3H-PiB binding does not distinguish between diagnostic groups that are at an advanced level of amyloid plaque pathology. This underscores the need for the development of CAA-selective PET radiopharmaceuticals to detect and track the progression of cerebral vascular amyloid deposits in relation to Aβ plaques in individuals with DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violetta N Pivtoraiko
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Tamara Racic
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Eric E Abrahamson
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Victor L Villemagne
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Benjamin L Handen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Ira T Lott
- Department of Neurology, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Elizabeth Head
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Milos D Ikonomovic
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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Montoliu-Gaya L, Strydom A, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Ashton NJ. Blood Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome. J Clin Med 2021; 10:3639. [PMID: 34441934 PMCID: PMC8397053 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10163639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological evidence suggests that by the age of 40 years, all individuals with Down syndrome (DS) have Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology. Clinical diagnosis of dementia by cognitive assessment is complex in these patients due to the pre-existing and varying intellectual disability, which may mask subtle declines in cognitive functioning. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and positron emission tomography (PET) biomarkers, although accurate, are expensive, invasive, and particularly challenging in such a vulnerable population. The advances in ultra-sensitive detection methods have highlighted blood biomarkers as a valuable and realistic tool for AD diagnosis. Studies with DS patients have proven the potential blood-based biomarkers for sporadic AD (amyloid-β, tau, phosphorylated tau, and neurofilament light chain) to be useful in this population. In addition, biomarkers related to other pathologies that could aggravate dementia progression-such as inflammatory dysregulation, energetic imbalance, or oxidative stress-have been explored. This review serves to provide a brief overview of the main findings from the limited neuroimaging and CSF studies, outline the current state of blood biomarkers to diagnose AD in patients with DS, discuss possible past limitations of the research, and suggest considerations for developing and validating blood-based biomarkers in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Montoliu-Gaya
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience & Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 431 41 Mölndal, Sweden; (K.B.); (H.Z.); (N.J.A.)
| | - Andre Strydom
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK;
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London SE5 8AZ, UK
- London Down Syndrome Consortium (LonDowns), London, UK
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience & Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 431 41 Mölndal, Sweden; (K.B.); (H.Z.); (N.J.A.)
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 45 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience & Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 431 41 Mölndal, Sweden; (K.B.); (H.Z.); (N.J.A.)
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 413 45 Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
| | - Nicholas James Ashton
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience & Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 431 41 Mölndal, Sweden; (K.B.); (H.Z.); (N.J.A.)
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King’s College London, London SE5 9RT, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health, Biomedical Research Unit for Dementia at South London, Maudsley NHS Foundation, London SE5 8AF, UK
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Martinez JL, Zammit MD, West NR, Christian BT, Bhattacharyya A. Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Neurons: Linking Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:703876. [PMID: 34322015 PMCID: PMC8311593 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.703876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS, trisomy 21) is characterized by intellectual impairment at birth and Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology in middle age. As individuals with DS age, their cognitive functions decline as they develop AD pathology. The susceptibility to degeneration of a subset of neurons, known as basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs), in DS and AD is a critical link between cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration in both disorders. BFCNs are the primary source of cholinergic innervation to the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, as well as the amygdala. They play a critical role in the processing of information related to cognitive function and are directly engaged in regulating circuits of attention and memory throughout the lifespan. Given the importance of BFCNs in attention and memory, it is not surprising that these neurons contribute to dysfunctional neuronal circuitry in DS and are vulnerable in adults with DS and AD, where their degeneration leads to memory loss and disturbance in language. BFCNs are thus a relevant cell target for therapeutics for both DS and AD but, despite some success, efforts in this area have waned. There are gaps in our knowledge of BFCN vulnerability that preclude our ability to effectively design interventions. Here, we review the role of BFCN function and degeneration in AD and DS and identify under-studied aspects of BFCN biology. The current gaps in BFCN relevant imaging studies, therapeutics, and human models limit our insight into the mechanistic vulnerability of BFCNs in individuals with DS and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose L. Martinez
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Matthew D. Zammit
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Nicole R. West
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Bradley T. Christian
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Anita Bhattacharyya
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Cellular and Regenerative Biology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
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