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Parrotta I, Cacciatore S, D'Andrea F, D'Anna M, Giancaterino G, Lazzaro G, Arcara G, Manzo N. Prevalence, treatment, and neural correlates of apathy in different forms of dementia: a narrative review. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:1343-1376. [PMID: 38015288 PMCID: PMC10942903 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-07197-7] [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: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this review is to provide an overview on prevalence and clinical tools for the diagnosis of apathy, as well as on neurophysiological and neuroimaging findings obtained from studies in patients with apathy in different forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular (VaD) and mixed dementia, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). METHODS Randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, controlled before-after studies, and interrupted time series from four databases (WebOfScience, Scopus, Pubmed, and PsycINFO) addressing apathy in adults or older people aged over 65 years of age affected by dementia were included. RESULTS The prevalence of apathy was 26-82% for AD, 28.6-91.7 for VaD, 29-97.5% in PDD, and 54.8-88.0 in FTD. The assessment of apathy was not consistent in the reviewed studies. Methylphenidate was the most successful pharmacological treatment for apathy. Neurobiological studies highlighted the relationship between both structural and functional brain areas and the presence or severity of apathy. CONCLUSION Apathy is a very common disorder in all types of dementia, although it is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Further studies are needed to investigate its diagnosis and management. A consensus on the different evaluation scales should be achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Parrotta
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Tervuursevest 101, 3001, Louvain, Belgium
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Via Alberoni 70, 30126, Venice, Italy
- Young Epidemiologists of the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (SIGG) (YES) Working Group, Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Via Giulio Cesare Vanini 5, 50129, Florence, Italy
| | - Stefano Cacciatore
- Young Epidemiologists of the Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics (SIGG) (YES) Working Group, Italian Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Via Giulio Cesare Vanini 5, 50129, Florence, Italy.
- Department of Geriatrics, Orthopedics and Rheumatology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, L.go Francesco Vito 1, 00168, Rome, Italy.
| | - Flavio D'Andrea
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Marianna D'Anna
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Giancaterino
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Lazzaro
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Via Alberoni 70, 30126, Venice, Italy
| | - Giorgio Arcara
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Via Alberoni 70, 30126, Venice, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Manzo
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Via Alberoni 70, 30126, Venice, Italy
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Yi HJ, Tan CH, Hong WP, Yu RL. Development and validation of the geriatric apathy scale: Examining multi-dimensional apathy profiles in a neurodegenerative population with cultural considerations. Asian J Psychiatr 2024; 93:103924. [PMID: 38232445 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2024.103924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Apathy is a common motivational deficit in neurodegenerative diseases, but lacks a culturally sensitive tool accounting for ethnic Chinese culture's impact on motivation initiation. This study developed and validated the Geriatric Apathy Scale (GAS), comprehensively incorporating cultural nuances, setting diagnostic cutoffs, and examining apathy's multi-dimensional aspects in a neurodegenerative cohort. METHODS The 16-item GAS was developed by considering ethnic Chinese cultural characteristics and conducting a literature review. The study involved 296 participants, comprising 113 with Parkinson's disease (PD), 66 with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and 117 healthy controls (HC). All participants completed the GAS, Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), Mini-Mental State Examination, and Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). RESULTS The GAS showed good internal consistency (r = 0.862) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.767). It correlated moderately with the AES (r = 0.639, p < .001), weakly with GDS-15 (r = 0.166, p < .01), and negatively with ADLs (r = -1.19, p < .05). Clinical diagnosis cutoff scores were identified at 15.5 for PD (sensitivity: 0.789; specificity: 0.693) and 12.5 for AD (sensitivity: 0.821; specificity: 0.632). Noteworthy disparities were observed in the Cognition and Social Motivation dimension, with elevated severity in both PD and AD compared to HC (p < .01). Interestingly, within-group comparisons revealed greater apathy severity in the Cognition and Social Motivation dimension for PD (p < .001) and AD (p = .001) versus Emotional Response and Expression and Spontaneous Behavioral Activation. CONCLUSIONS The GAS, a psychometrically validated scale, assesses apathy in neurodegenerative populations, accounting for ethnic Chinese culture's influence. It establishes clinical cutoff points and explores the multi-dimensional nature of apathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin-Jou Yi
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hsiang Tan
- Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Pin Hong
- Department of Neurology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Rwei-Ling Yu
- Institute of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Office of Strategic Planning, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
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Cozza M, Boccardi V. A narrative review on mild behavioural impairment: an exploration into its scientific perspectives. Aging Clin Exp Res 2023; 35:1807-1821. [PMID: 37392350 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-023-02472-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
In clinical practice, the admission of patients with late-onset psychological and behavioural symptoms is frequent, regardless of the presence or absence of cognitive decline. These symptoms commonly occur in the prodromal stage of dementia and can precede the onset of dementia. While the concept of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) -which is defined as a level of cognitive impairment insufficient to impact daily functioning- is well established, the notion of Mild Behavioural Impairment (MBI) is not yet widely recognized. However, studies have demonstrated that the presence of MBI in both cognitively normal patients and individuals with MCI is associated with an increased risk of dementia progression. Thus, MBI may serve as a neurobehavioral indicator of pre-dementia risk states. This narrative review aims to discuss the evolution of the term, the relevant clinical aspects, and potential biomarkers that may contribute to the clinical definition of MBI. The objective is to assist clinicians in recognizing the diagnosis and differentiating it from psychiatric syndromes, as well as identifying possible etiologies of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariagiovanna Cozza
- Department of Integration, Intermediate Care Programme, AUSL Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Virginia Boccardi
- Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Piazzale Gambuli 1, 06132, Perugia, Italy.
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Keszycki R, Kawles A, Minogue G, Zouridakis A, Macomber A, Gill N, Vu M, Zhang H, Coventry C, Rogalski E, Weintraub S, Mesulam MM, Geula C, Gefen T. Distinct and shared neuropsychiatric phenotypes in FTLD-tauopathies. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1164581. [PMID: 37358954 PMCID: PMC10289868 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1164581] [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: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) with tau pathology (FTLD-tau) commonly causes dementia syndromes that include primary progressive aphasia (PPA) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). Cognitive decline in PPA and bvFTD is often accompanied by debilitating neuropsychiatric symptoms. In 44 participants with PPA or bvFTD due to autopsy-confirmed FTLD-tau, we characterized neuropsychiatric symptoms at early and late disease stages and determined whether the presence of certain symptoms predicted a specific underlying FTLD-tauopathy. Participants completed annual research visits at the Northwestern University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. All participants had an initial Global Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale score ≤ 2, and neuropsychiatric symptoms were evaluated via the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire (NPI-Q). We assessed the frequency of neuropsychiatric symptoms across all participants at their initial and final visits and performed logistic regression to determine whether symptoms predicted a specific FTLD-tau pathologic diagnosis. Across the FTLD-tau cohort, irritability and apathy were most frequently endorsed at initial and final visits, respectively, whereas psychosis was highly uncommon at both timepoints. Irritability at initial visit predicted greater odds of a 4-repeat compared to a 3-repeat tauopathy (OR = 3.95, 95% CI = 1.10-15.83, p < 0.05). Initial sleep disturbance predicted greater odds of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) compared to other FTLD-tau subtypes (OR = 10.68, 95% CI = 2.05-72.40, p < 0.01). Appetite disturbance at final evaluation predicted lower odds of PSP (OR = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.02-0.74, p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that characterization of neuropsychiatric symptoms can aid in the prediction of underlying FTLD-tauopathies. Given considerable pathologic heterogeneity underlying dementias, neuropsychiatric symptoms may be useful for differential diagnosis and treatment planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Keszycki
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Allegra Kawles
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Grace Minogue
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Antonia Zouridakis
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alyssa Macomber
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Nathan Gill
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Preventative Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - My Vu
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Hui Zhang
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Preventative Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Christina Coventry
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Emily Rogalski
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Sandra Weintraub
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - M-Marsel Mesulam
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Changiz Geula
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Tamar Gefen
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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Mehak SF, Shivakumar AB, Saraf V, Johansson M, Gangadharan G. Apathy in Alzheimer's disease: A neurocircuitry based perspective. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 87:101891. [PMID: 36871779 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
In addition to memory deficits and other cognitive disturbances, patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) experience neuropsychiatric symptoms, notably apathy, which is a state of impaired motivation observed by deficits in goal directed behavior. Apathy is a multifaceted neuropsychiatric condition and appears to be a prognostic indicator, correlating with the progression of AD. Strikingly, recent studies point out that the neurodegenerative pathology of AD may drive apathy independent of cognitive decline. These studies also highlight that neuropsychiatric symptoms, in particular apathy, might manifest early in AD. Here, we review the current understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of apathy as a neuropsychiatric symptom of AD. Specifically, we highlight the neural circuits and brain regions recognized to be correlated with the apathetic symptomatology. We also discuss the current evidence that supports the notion that apathy and cognitive deficits may develop as independent but concurrent phenomena driven by AD pathology, suggesting its efficacy as an additional outcome measure in Alzheimer's disease clinical trials. The current and prospective therapeutic interventions for apathy in AD from a neurocircuitry based perspective are also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonam Fathima Mehak
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104, India.
| | - Apoorva Bettagere Shivakumar
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104, India.
| | - Vikyath Saraf
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104, India.
| | - Maurits Johansson
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, SUS, Sweden; Division of Clinical Sciences, Helsingborg, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry, Helsingborg Hospital, Sweden.
| | - Gireesh Gangadharan
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104, India.
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Dilcher R, Malpas CB, O'Brien TJ, Vivash L. Social Cognition in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia and Pathological Subtypes: A Narrative Review. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 94:19-38. [PMID: 37212100 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) belongs to the spectrum of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and is characterized by frontal dysfunction with executive deficits and prominent socioemotional impairments. Social cognition, such as emotion processing, theory of mind, and empathy may significantly impact daily behavior in bvFTD. Abnormal protein accumulation of tau or TDP-43 are the main causes of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Differential diagnosis is difficult due to the heterogeneous pathology in bvFTD and the high clinicopathological overlap with other FTLD syndromes, especially in late disease stages. Despite recent advances, social cognition in bvFTD has not yet received sufficient attention, nor has its association with underlying pathology. This narrative review evaluates social behavior and social cognition in bvFTD, by relating these symptoms to neural correlates and underlying molecular pathology or genetic subtypes. Negative and positive behavioral symptoms, such as apathy and disinhibition, share similar brain atrophy and reflect social cognition. More complex social cognitive impairments are probably caused by the interference of executive impairments due to increasing neurodegeneration. Evidence suggests that underlying TDP-43 is associated with neuropsychiatric and early social cognitive dysfunction, while patients with underlying tau pathology are marked by strong cognitive dysfunction with increasing social impairments in later stages. Despite many current research gaps and controversies, finding distinct social cognitive markers in association to underlying pathology in bvFTD is essential for validating biomarkers, for clinical trials of novel therapies, and for clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxane Dilcher
- Department of Neurosciences, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Charles B Malpas
- Department of Neurosciences, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medicine and Radiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Australia
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Terence J O'Brien
- Department of Neurosciences, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medicine and Radiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Lucy Vivash
- Department of Neurosciences, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medicine and Radiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
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De Paepe AE, Garcia-Gorro C, Martinez-Horta S, Perez JP, Kulisevsky J, Rodriguez-Dechicha N, Vaquer I, Subira S, Calopa M, Santacruz P, Muñoz E, Mareca C, Ruiz-Idiago J, de Diego-Balaguer R, Camara E. Delineating apathy profiles in Huntington's disease with the short-Lille Apathy Rating Scale. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2022; 105:83-89. [PMID: 36395542 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2022.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Apathy, a prevalent feature in neurological disorders including Huntington's disease (HD), is characterized by a reduction in goal-directed behavior across cognitive, auto-activation (i.e., self-activating thoughts/behavior), and emotional domains. Nonetheless, current diagnostic criteria are incapable of distinguishing multidimensional apathy profiles. Meanwhile, the short-Lille Apathy Rating Scale (LARS-s) bears potential as an operative diagnostic tool to disentangle apathy dimensions in clinical practice. The present study thereby examines the psychometric properties and factor structure of the LARS-s to tap into apathy profiles and their underlying neural correlates in HD. METHODS Forty HD individuals were scanned and evaluated for apathy using the LARS-s, assessed for reliability and validity in HD, and the short-Problem Behavior Assessment (PBA-s). To study the dimensional structure of apathy, principal component analysis (PCA) of the LARS-s was implemented. Resulting factors were associated with gray matter volume through whole-brain voxel-based morphometry. RESULTS The LARS-s demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties, sharing convergent validity with PBA-s apathy and discriminant validity against depression. PCA resulted in three factors representative of apathy profiles across cognitive, auto-activation, and emotional domains. Anatomically, global apathy was significantly related with large-scale motor, cognitive, and limbic networks. Exploratory analyses of apathy profiles revealed correspondence between each factor and distinct cortical and subcortical nodes. CONCLUSION The LARS-s is capable of capturing the multidimensional spectrum of apathy. At the same time, apathy profiles in HD are underpinned by functionally diverse neural networks. Such findings promote the continued study of apathy domains to pinpoint personalized therapeutic targets in neurologic disorders in addition to HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey E De Paepe
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, 08097 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cognition, Development and Education Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Garcia-Gorro
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, 08097 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cognition, Development and Education Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Saül Martinez-Horta
- European Huntington's Disease Network; Movement Disorders Unit, Dept of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau IIB-Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (U.A.B.), Medicine Department, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesus Perez Perez
- European Huntington's Disease Network; Movement Disorders Unit, Dept of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau IIB-Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (U.A.B.), Medicine Department, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaime Kulisevsky
- European Huntington's Disease Network; Movement Disorders Unit, Dept of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau IIB-Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERNED Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Carlos III Institute, Madrid, Spain; Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (U.A.B.), Medicine Department, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Irene Vaquer
- Hestia Duran i Reynals. Hospital Duran i Reynals, Hospitalet de Llobregat Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Subira
- Hestia Duran i Reynals. Hospital Duran i Reynals, Hospitalet de Llobregat Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Matilde Calopa
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pilar Santacruz
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esteban Muñoz
- Movement Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain; IDIBAPS Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain; Facultat de Medicina, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Celia Mareca
- Hospital Mare de Deu de la Mercè, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesus Ruiz-Idiago
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain; Hospital Mare de Deu de la Mercè, Barcelona, Spain; FIDMAG Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ruth de Diego-Balaguer
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, 08097 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cognition, Development and Education Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; ICREA Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Estela Camara
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute - IDIBELL, 08097 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Cognition, Development and Education Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Jenkins LM, Wang L, Rosen H, Weintraub S. A transdiagnostic review of neuroimaging studies of apathy and disinhibition in dementia. Brain 2022; 145:1886-1905. [PMID: 35388419 PMCID: PMC9630876 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Apathy and disinhibition are common and highly distressing neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with negative outcomes in persons with dementia. This paper is a critical review of functional and structural neuroimaging studies of these symptoms transdiagnostically in dementia of the Alzheimer type, which is characterized by prominent amnesia early in the disease course, and behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, characterized by early social-comportmental deficits. We describe the prevalence and clinical correlates of these symptoms and describe methodological issues, including difficulties with symptom definition and different measurement instruments. We highlight the heterogeneity of findings, noting however, a striking similarity of the set of brain regions implicated across clinical diagnoses and symptoms. These regions involve several key nodes of the salience network, and we describe the functions and anatomical connectivity of these brain areas, as well as present a new theoretical account of disinhibition in dementia. Future avenues for research are discussed, including the importance of transdiagnostic studies, measuring subdomains of apathy and disinhibition, and examining different units of analysis for deepening our understanding of the networks and mechanisms underlying these extremely distressing symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisanne M Jenkins
- Correspondence to: Lisanne Jenkins 710 N Lakeshore Drive, Suite 1315 Chicago, IL 60611, USA E-mail:
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Howie Rosen
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA 94158
| | - Sandra Weintraub
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA,Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
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Valotassiou V, Sifakis N, Tzavara C, Lykou E, Tsinia N, Kamtsadeli V, Sali D, Angelidis G, Psimadas D, Tsougos I, Papageorgiou SG, Georgoulias P, Papatriantafyllou J. Differences of apathy perfusion correlates between Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. A 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT study with automated Brodmann areas analysis. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2022; 26:14-22. [PMID: 33207961 DOI: 10.1080/13651501.2020.1846752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To explore differences of apathy perfusion correlates between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) using perfusion SPECT. METHODS We studied 75 FTD and 66 AD patients. We evaluated apathy using Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). We compared perfusion of BAs on left (L) and right (R) hemisphere in AD and FTD. RESULTS Apathy in AD was significantly and negatively correlated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex bilaterally, right anterior prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal cortex bilaterally, especially on the right, orbital part of inferior frontal gyrus bilaterally, left dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, right primary and secondary visual cortex, and with bilateral anterior and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal cortex and orbital part of inferior frontal gyrus, bilaterally, bilateral anterior -ventral and dorsal- cingulate cortex, left posterior ventral cingulate cortex, right inferior, middle and anterior temporal gyri, entorhinal and parahippocampal cortex in FTD. CONCLUSIONS Significant overlapping of apathy perfusion correlates between AD and FTD is seen in frontal areas and anterior cingulate. Right occipital cortex is also involved in AD, while right temporal cortex and left posterior cingulate are involved in FTD. Nuclear imaging could be a useful biomarker for revealing apathy underlying mechanisms, resulting in directed treatments.KEYPOINTSUnderlying neural networks and clinical manifestation of apathy may differ between AD and FTD.Apathy in AD is correlated with hypoperfusion in bilateral frontal areas, more prominent on the right, left anterior cingulate and right occipital cortex.Apathy in FTD is correlated with hypoperfusion in bilateral frontal areas, bilateral anterior cingulate, left posterior cingulate and right temporal cortex.Brain perfusion SPECT with automated BAs analysis and comparison with normal healthy subjects may provide significant information for apathy mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders, affecting patients' treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varvara Valotassiou
- Nuclear Medicine Department, University Hospital of Larissa, Thessaly, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Sifakis
- Nuclear Medicine Department, "Alexandra" General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Chara Tzavara
- Nuclear Medicine Department, University Hospital of Larissa, Thessaly, Greece
| | - Evi Lykou
- 3rd Age Day Care Center, IASIS, Athens, Greece
| | - Niki Tsinia
- 1st University Psychiatric Department, Aeginition Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Dimitra Sali
- Neurology Department, Evrokliniki, Athens, Greece
| | - George Angelidis
- Nuclear Medicine Department, University Hospital of Larissa, Thessaly, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Psimadas
- Nuclear Medicine Department, University Hospital of Larissa, Thessaly, Greece
| | - Ioannis Tsougos
- Medical Physics Department, Medical School, University of Thessaly, Thessaly, Greece
| | | | | | - John Papatriantafyllou
- 3rd Age Day Care Center, IASIS, Athens, Greece.,Memory Disorders Clinic, Medical Center, Athens, Greece
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10
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Pathak N, Vimal SK, Tandon I, Agrawal L, Hongyi C, Bhattacharyya S. Neurodegenerative Disorders of Alzheimer, Parkinsonism, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Multiple Sclerosis: An Early Diagnostic Approach for Precision Treatment. Metab Brain Dis 2022; 37:67-104. [PMID: 34719771 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-021-00800-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are characterised by progressive dysfunction of synapses, neurons, glial cells and their networks. Neurodegenerative diseases can be classified according to primary clinical features (e.g., dementia, parkinsonism, or motor neuron disease), anatomic distribution of neurodegeneration (e.g., frontotemporal degenerations, extrapyramidal disorders, or spinocerebellar degenerations), or principal molecular abnormalities. The most common neurodegenerative disorders are amyloidosis, tauopathies, a-synucleinopathy, and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) proteopathy. The protein abnormalities in these disorders have abnormal conformational properties along with altered cellular mechanisms, and they exhibit motor deficit, mitochondrial malfunction, dysfunctions in autophagic-lysosomal pathways, synaptic toxicity, and more emerging mechanisms such as the roles of stress granule pathways and liquid-phase transitions. Finally, for each ND, microglial cells have been reported to be implicated in neurodegeneration, in particular, because the microglial responses can shift from neuroprotective to a deleterious role. Growing experimental evidence suggests that abnormal protein conformers act as seed material for oligomerization, spreading from cell to cell through anatomically connected neuronal pathways, which may in part explain the specific anatomical patterns observed in brain autopsy sample. In this review, we mention the human pathology of select neurodegenerative disorders, focusing on how neurodegenerative disorders (i.e., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and multiple sclerosis) represent a great healthcare problem worldwide and are becoming prevalent because of the increasing aged population. Despite many studies have focused on their etiopathology, the exact cause of these diseases is still largely unknown and until now with the only available option of symptomatic treatments. In this review, we aim to report the systematic and clinically correlated potential biomarker candidates. Although future studies are necessary for their use in early detection and progression in humans affected by NDs, the promising results obtained by several groups leads us to this idea that biomarkers could be used to design a potential therapeutic approach and preclinical clinical trials for the treatments of NDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nishit Pathak
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Traditional Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, People's Republic of China
| | - Sunil Kumar Vimal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Traditional Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, People's Republic of China
| | - Ishi Tandon
- Amity University Jaipur, Rajasthan, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Lokesh Agrawal
- Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, Kansei Behavioural and Brain Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8577, Japan
| | - Cao Hongyi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Traditional Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, People's Republic of China
| | - Sanjib Bhattacharyya
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Traditional Medicine, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, People's Republic of China.
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11
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Pytel V, Cabrera-Martín MN, Delgado-Álvarez A, Ayala JL, Balugo P, Delgado-Alonso C, Yus M, Carreras MT, Carreras JL, Matías-Guiu J, Matías-Guiu JA. Personalized Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Primary Progressive Aphasia. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 84:151-167. [PMID: 34487043 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative syndrome for which no effective treatment is available. OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), using personalized targeting. METHODS We conducted a randomized, double-blind, pilot study of patients with PPA receiving rTMS, with a subgroup of patients receiving active- versus control-site rTMS in a cross-over design. Target for active TMS varied among the cases and was determined during a pre-treatment phase from a list of potential regions. The primary outcome was changes in spontaneous speech (word count). Secondary outcomes included changes in other language tasks, global cognition, global impression of change, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and brain metabolism using FDG-PET. RESULTS Twenty patients with PPA were enrolled (14 with nonfluent and 6 with semantic variant PPA). For statistical analyses, data for the two variants were combined. Compared to the control group (n = 7), the group receiving active-site rTMS (n = 20) showed improvements in spontaneous speech, other language tasks, patient and caregiver global impression of change, apathy, and depression. This group also showed improvement or stabilization of results obtained in the baseline examination. Increased metabolism was observed in several brain regions after the therapy, particularly in the left frontal and parieto-temporal lobes and in the precuneus and posterior cingulate bilaterally. CONCLUSION We found an improvement in language, patient and caregiver perception of change, apathy, and depression using high frequency rTMS. The increase of regional brain metabolism suggests enhancement of synaptic activity with the treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT03580954 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03580954).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanesa Pytel
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Clínico SanCarlos, San Carlos Health Research Institute (IdISSC), UniversidadComplutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Nieves Cabrera-Martín
- Departmentof Nuclear Medicine, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, San CarlosHealth Research Institute (IdISSC), Universidad Complutense deMadrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Delgado-Álvarez
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Clínico SanCarlos, San Carlos Health Research Institute (IdISSC), UniversidadComplutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Luis Ayala
- Department of ComputerArchitecture and Automation, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paloma Balugo
- Department of ClinicalNeurophysiology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, San Carlos HealthResearch Institute (IdISSC), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Delgado-Alonso
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Clínico SanCarlos, San Carlos Health Research Institute (IdISSC), UniversidadComplutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Yus
- Department of Radiology, HospitalClínico San Carlos, San Carlos Health Research Institute(IdISSC), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Teresa Carreras
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario LaPrincesa, La Princesa Health Research Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Luis Carreras
- Departmentof Nuclear Medicine, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, San CarlosHealth Research Institute (IdISSC), Universidad Complutense deMadrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Matías-Guiu
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Clínico SanCarlos, San Carlos Health Research Institute (IdISSC), UniversidadComplutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi A Matías-Guiu
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Clínico SanCarlos, San Carlos Health Research Institute (IdISSC), UniversidadComplutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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12
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Radakovic R, Colville S, Cranley D, Starr JM, Pal S, Abrahams S. Multidimensional Apathy in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia, Primary Progressive Aphasia, and Alzheimer Disease. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2021; 34:349-356. [PMID: 32410488 PMCID: PMC8326892 DOI: 10.1177/0891988720924716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Apathy is prevalent in dementia, such as behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), primary progressive aphasia (PPA), and Alzheimer disease (AD). As a multidimensional construct, it can be assessed and subsumed under a Dimensional Apathy Framework. A consistent apathy profile in bvFTD and PPA has yet to be established. The aim was to explore apathy profiles and awareness in bvFTD, PPA, and AD. A total of 12 patients with bvFTD, 12 patients with PPA, 28 patients with AD, and 20 matched controls, as well as their informants/carers, were recruited. All participants completed the Dimensional Apathy Scale (DAS), assessing executive, emotional, and initiation apathy subtypes, a 1-dimensional apathy measure, depression measure, and functional and cognitive screens. Apathy subtype awareness was determined through DAS informant/carer and self-rating discrepancy. Apathy profile comparison showed patients with bvFTD had significantly higher emotional apathy than patients with AD (P < .01) and significantly higher apathy over all subtypes than patients with PPA (Ps < .05). Additionally, patients with bvFTD had significantly lower awareness for emotional apathy (P < .01) when compared to patients with AD and PPA. All patient groups had significant global apathy over all subtypes compared to controls. The emergent apathy profile for bvFTD seems to be emotional apathy (indifference or emotional/affective neutrality), with lower self-awareness in this subtype. Further, lower self-awareness for executive apathy (lack of motivation for planning, organization, or attention) differentiates bvFTD from PPA. Future research should investigate the cognitive and neural correlates as well as the practical impact of apathy subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratko Radakovic
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Ratko Radakovic, University of East Anglia Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom. Emails: ;
| | - Shuna Colville
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Denise Cranley
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - John M. Starr
- Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Deceased
| | - Suvankar Pal
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sharon Abrahams
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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13
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Revisiting Apathy in Alzheimer's Disease: From Conceptualization to Therapeutic Approaches. Behav Neurol 2021; 2021:6319826. [PMID: 34394772 PMCID: PMC8356015 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6319826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Apathy is a neurobehavioral syndrome characterized by impaired motivation for goal-directed behaviors and cognitive activity, alongside blunted affect. Apathy is a common neuropsychiatric syndrome in Alzheimer's disease (AD), with a 5-year prevalence over 70%. Apathy also serves as a prognostic indicator, correlating with the progression of AD. Despite advances in its conceptualization and understanding of its neural basis, there is very limited empirical evidence to support the available strategies for the treatment of apathy in AD. Given its complex pathophysiology, including distinct substrates for different apathy dimensions (affective, cognitive, and behavioral), it is unlikely that a single pharmacological or nonpharmacological strategy will be effective for all cases of apathy in AD. High-quality evidence research is needed to better understand the role of specific strategies aiming at a personalized approach.
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14
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Jobson DD, Hase Y, Clarkson AN, Kalaria RN. The role of the medial prefrontal cortex in cognition, ageing and dementia. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab125. [PMID: 34222873 PMCID: PMC8249104 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans require a plethora of higher cognitive skills to perform executive functions, such as reasoning, planning, language and social interactions, which are regulated predominantly by the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex comprises the lateral, medial and orbitofrontal regions. In higher primates, the lateral prefrontal cortex is further separated into the respective dorsal and ventral subregions. However, all these regions have variably been implicated in several fronto-subcortical circuits. Dysfunction of these circuits has been highlighted in vascular and other neurocognitive disorders. Recent advances suggest the medial prefrontal cortex plays an important regulatory role in numerous cognitive functions, including attention, inhibitory control, habit formation and working, spatial or long-term memory. The medial prefrontal cortex appears highly interconnected with subcortical regions (thalamus, amygdala and hippocampus) and exerts top-down executive control over various cognitive domains and stimuli. Much of our knowledge comes from rodent models using precise lesions and electrophysiology readouts from specific medial prefrontal cortex locations. Although, anatomical disparities of the rodent medial prefrontal cortex compared to the primate homologue are apparent, current rodent models have effectively implicated the medial prefrontal cortex as a neural substrate of cognitive decline within ageing and dementia. Human brain connectivity-based neuroimaging has demonstrated that large-scale medial prefrontal cortex networks, such as the default mode network, are equally important for cognition. However, there is little consensus on how medial prefrontal cortex functional connectivity specifically changes during brain pathological states. In context with previous work in rodents and non-human primates, we attempt to convey a consensus on the current understanding of the role of predominantly the medial prefrontal cortex and its functional connectivity measured by resting-state functional MRI in ageing associated disorders, including prodromal dementia states, Alzheimer's disease, post-ischaemic stroke, Parkinsonism and frontotemporal dementia. Previous cross-sectional studies suggest that medial prefrontal cortex functional connectivity abnormalities are consistently found in the default mode network across both ageing and neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular cognitive impairment. Distinct disease-specific patterns of medial prefrontal cortex functional connectivity alterations within specific large-scale networks appear to consistently feature in the default mode network, whilst detrimental connectivity alterations are associated with cognitive impairments independently from structural pathological aberrations, such as grey matter atrophy. These disease-specific patterns of medial prefrontal cortex functional connectivity also precede structural pathological changes and may be driven by ageing-related vascular mechanisms. The default mode network supports utility as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for dementia-associated conditions. Yet, these associations still require validation in longitudinal studies using larger sample sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan D Jobson
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute,
Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing & Vitality,
Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK
| | - Yoshiki Hase
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute,
Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing & Vitality,
Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK
| | - Andrew N Clarkson
- Department of Anatomy, Brain Health Research Centre
and Brain Research New Zealand, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054,
New Zealand
| | - Rajesh N Kalaria
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute,
Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing & Vitality,
Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK
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15
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Miller DS, Robert P, Ereshefsky L, Adler L, Bateman D, Cummings J, DeKosky ST, Fischer CE, Husain M, Ismail Z, Jaeger J, Lerner AJ, Li A, Lyketsos CG, Manera V, Mintzer J, Moebius HJ, Mortby M, Meulien D, Pollentier S, Porsteinsson A, Rasmussen J, Rosenberg PB, Ruthirakuhan MT, Sano M, Zucchero Sarracini C, Lanctôt KL. Diagnostic criteria for apathy in neurocognitive disorders. Alzheimers Dement 2021; 17:1892-1904. [PMID: 33949763 PMCID: PMC8835377 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Apathy is common in neurocognitive disorders (NCD) but NCD-specific diagnostic criteria are needed. METHODS The International Society for CNS Clinical Trials Methodology Apathy Work Group convened an expert group and sought input from academia, health-care, industry, and regulatory bodies. A modified Delphi methodology was followed, and included an extensive literature review, two surveys, and two meetings at international conferences, culminating in a consensus meeting in 2019. RESULTS The final criteria reached consensus with more than 80% agreement on all parts and included: limited to people with NCD; symptoms persistent or frequently recurrent over at least 4 weeks, a change from the patient's usual behavior, and including one of the following: diminished initiative, diminished interest, or diminished emotional expression/responsiveness; causing significant functional impairment and not exclusively explained by other etiologies. DISCUSSION These criteria provide a framework for defining apathy as a unique clinical construct in NCD for diagnosis and further research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Philippe Robert
- Cognition Behaviour Technology Lab, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France.,Association Innovation Alzheimer, Nice, France.,Centre Memoire, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Nice, France
| | | | - Lawrence Adler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniel Bateman
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Jeff Cummings
- Department of Brain Health, School of Integrated Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.,Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| | - Steven T DeKosky
- Department of Neurology, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Corinne E Fischer
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Research, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Zahinoor Ismail
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Alan J Lerner
- University Hospitals - Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Abby Li
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Valeria Manera
- Cognition Behaviour Technology Lab, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France.,Association Innovation Alzheimer, Nice, France
| | - Jacobo Mintzer
- Medical University of South Carolina and Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Administration Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | | | - Moyra Mortby
- UNSW Ageing Futures Institute, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Didier Meulien
- Clinical Research and Development, H. Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark
| | - Stephane Pollentier
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, CNS Diseases Research, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Mary Sano
- Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Krista L Lanctôt
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology/Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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16
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Mariano LI, Caramelli P, Guimarães HC, Gambogi LB, Moura MVB, Yassuda MS, Teixeira AL, de Souza LC. Can Social Cognition Measurements Differentiate Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia from Alzheimer's Disease Regardless of Apathy? J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 74:817-827. [PMID: 32116247 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) share cognitive and behavioral symptoms, such as apathy. Social cognition measurements are useful in distinguishing bvFTD from AD, but their accuracies may be affected by apathy. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether social cognition measurements can distinguish bvFTD from either apathetic or non-apathetic AD patients. METHODS Three groups of participants were enrolled in the present study: bvFTD (n = 22), AD (n = 20), and healthy controls (HC, n = 23). The AD group was divided into apathetic (n = 10) and non-apathetic (n = 10). All subjects underwent comprehensive neuropsychological examination, including the short version of the Social and Emotional Assessment (Mini-SEA), which comprises the facial emotion recognition test and the faux-pas recognition test (Faux-Pas Test). Apathy was assessed according to the Starkstein's Apathy (SA) Scale. RESULTS The bvFTD and AD groups did not differ on global cognitive efficiency and on executive functions. In comparison to the whole AD group, bvFTD displayed lower Faux-Pas Test and Mini-SEA scores. Both AD subgroups, apathetic or non-apathetic, exhibited similar performance on all social cognition measurements. In comparison to either apathetic AD or non-apathetic AD, bvFTD patients underperformed on the Faux-Pas Test and on the Mini-SEA. The area under the curve values for the Mini-SEA total score were 0.87 (bvFTD versus AD), 0.90 (bvFTD versus apathetic AD), and 0.83 (bvFTD versus non-apathetic AD). CONCLUSION Social cognition tests provide accurate distinction between bvFTD against either apathetic AD or non-apathetic AD. Social cognition measurements did not correlate with apathy severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciano Inácio Mariano
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil.,Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Paulo Caramelli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil.,Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Henrique Cerqueira Guimarães
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil
| | - Leandro Boson Gambogi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil
| | | | - Mônica Sanches Yassuda
- Grupo de Neurologia Cognitiva e do Comportamento (GNCC), Departamento de Neurologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Gerontologia, Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Antônio Lúcio Teixeira
- Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.,Santa Casa BH Ensino e Pesquisa, Santa Efigênia, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Cruz de Souza
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil.,Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Investigação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.,Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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17
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Beyond language impairment: Profiles of apathy in primary progressive aphasia. Cortex 2021; 139:73-85. [PMID: 33836304 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is characterised by predominant language and communication impairment. However, behavioural changes, such as apathy, are increasingly recognised. Apathy is defined as a reduction in motivation and goal-directed behaviour. Recent theoretical models have suggested that apathy can be delineated into multiple dimensions: executive apathy (i.e., deficits in maintaining goals and organisation), emotional apathy (i.e., emotional blunting and indifference) and initiation apathy (i.e., reduced self-initiation). Whether the nature of apathy differs between clinical variants of PPA, and across early and late disease stages, remains to be established. Here, carers/informants of 20 semantic variant PPA (svPPA), 15 non-fluent variant PPA (nfvPPA), 16 logopenic variant PPA (lvPPA) and 25 healthy older controls completed the Dimensional Apathy Scale to quantify executive, emotional and initiation apathy. Voxel-based morphometry was used to identify associations between dimensions of apathy and regions of grey matter intensity decrease. Our behavioural results showed greater executive and initiation apathy in late svPPA than in late nfvPPA patients, while late svPPA had greater emotional apathy than both late nfvPPA and late lvPPA groups. Executive and initiation apathy were significantly higher than premorbid levels in all PPA subtypes, while elevated emotional apathy was only seen in early and late svPPA. Distinct neural correlates were identified across apathy dimensions. Executive apathy correlated with grey matter intensity of the left dorsolateral prefrontal and inferior parietal cortices; emotional apathy with the left medial prefrontal, insular and cerebellar regions; and initiation apathy with right parietal areas. Our findings are the first to reveal evidence of the dimensional nature of apathy in PPA, with different clinical signatures observed for each subtype. From a clinical standpoint, these results will inform the development of targeted interventions for specific aspects of apathy which emerge in PPA.
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18
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a rare dementia, that accounts for about 15% of all dementia cases. Despite consensus diagnostic criteria, FTD remains difficult to diagnose in life because of its complex and variable clinical phenomenology and heterogeneous disorders. This review provides an update on the current knowledge of the main FTD syndromes -- the behavioural variant, semantic variant, and nonfluent/agrammatic variant-- their brain abnormalities and genetic profiles. RECENT FINDINGS The complexity of the clinical features in FTD has become increasingly apparent, particularly in the domain of behaviour. Such behaviour changes are now also being recognized in the language variants of FTD. Initial interest on emotion processing and social cognition is now complemented by studies on other behavioural disturbance, that spans gambling, antisocial behaviours, repetitive behaviours, and apathy. At a biological level, novel pathological subcategories continue to be identified. From a genetic viewpoint, abnormalities in three genes explain nearly three quarters of familial cases of FTD. SUMMARY In the absence of effective drug treatments, novel approaches are needed to target some of the most disabling features of FTD, such as language loss or behaviour disturbance. Recent interventions appear promising but will require confirmation.
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19
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Canosa A, Vacchiano V, D'Ovidio F, Calvo A, Moglia C, Manera U, Vasta R, Liguori R, Arena V, Grassano M, Palumbo F, Peotta L, Iazzolino B, Pagani M, Chiò A. Brain metabolic correlates of apathy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: An 18F-FDG-positron emission tomography stud. Eur J Neurol 2020; 28:745-753. [PMID: 33175462 DOI: 10.1111/ene.14637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate brain metabolic correlates of apathy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). METHODS A total of 165 ALS patients underwent 18 F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (18 F-FDG-PET) and Frontal Systems Behaviour Scale (FrSBe) evaluation. FrSBe provides "before" and "after" apathy subscores, referring to premorbid and morbid conditions. "After" apathy subscore and "before-after" gap, i.e. the difference between "before" and "after" subscores, were regressed against whole-brain metabolism. Among patients with a pathological "after" apathy subscore (i.e., ≥65), we compared patients with "before" apathy subscores ≥65 and <65, and patients with "before-after" gaps of <22 and ≥22. RESULTS In the whole sample, the "after" apathy subscore negatively correlated with metabolism in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC), ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), premotor cortex (PMC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and insula bilaterally. A positive correlation was found in the cerebellum and pons. The "before-after" gap negatively correlated with metabolism in bilateral DLPFC, DMPFC and PMC, and left VLPFC and ACC, and positively correlated with cerebellar and pontine clusters. Among patients with an "after" apathy subscore ≥65, we found no difference between those with "before" apathy subscores ≥65 and <65. Patients with a "before-after" gap ≥22, compared to patients with a gap <22, showed relative hypometabolism in bilateral DLPFC and DMPFC, and left ACC and PMC, and relative cerebellar and pontine hypermetabolism. CONCLUSION No studies on brain 18 F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography correlates of apathy have been performed in ALS. We found that FrSBe "after" apathy subscore correlated with metabolic changes in brain regions known as neuroanatomical correlates of apathy. Furthermore, our findings support the relevance of the gap between premorbid and morbid conditions to detect behavioural changes due to the neurodegenerative process underlying ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Canosa
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.,Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Veria Vacchiano
- Bellaria Hospital, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabrizio D'Ovidio
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Andrea Calvo
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.,Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Moglia
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.,Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Umberto Manera
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Rosario Vasta
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Rocco Liguori
- Bellaria Hospital, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Arena
- Positron Emission Tomography Centre AFFIDEA-IRMET S.p.A, Turin, Italy
| | - Maurizio Grassano
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Palumbo
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Laura Peotta
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Barbara Iazzolino
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Marco Pagani
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, C.N.R, Rome, Italy.,Department of Medical Radiation Physics and Nuclear Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Adriano Chiò
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.,Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), Turin, Italy.,Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, C.N.R, Rome, Italy
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20
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Keng A, Brown EE, Rostas A, Rajji TK, Pollock BG, Mulsant BH, Kumar S. Effectively Caring for Individuals With Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:573367. [PMID: 33132936 PMCID: PMC7574608 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.573367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the elderly and particularly individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD). Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are heterogeneous and common in individuals with ADRD and are associated with more severe illness. However, unlike the cognitive symptoms of ADRD that are usually progressive, BPSD may be treatable. Individuals with BPSD are facing unique challenges during the pandemic due to the inherent nature of the illness and the biological and psychosocial impacts of COVID-19. These challenges include a higher risk of severe COVID-19 infection in individuals with BPSD due to their frailty and medical vulnerability, difficulty participating in screening or testing, and adhering to infection control measures such as physical distancing. Further, biological effects of COVID-19 on the brain and its psychosocial impact such as isolation and disruption in mental health care are likely to worsen BPSD. In this paper, we discuss these challenges and strategies to manage the impact of COVID-19 and to effectively care for individuals with BPSD in community, long-term care, or hospital settings during the pandemic. Despite the ongoing uncertainty associated with this pandemic, we can reduce its impact on individuals with BPSD with a proactive approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin Keng
- Adult Neurodevelopmental and Geriatric Psychiatry Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Eric E. Brown
- Adult Neurodevelopmental and Geriatric Psychiatry Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aviva Rostas
- Adult Neurodevelopmental and Geriatric Psychiatry Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tarek K. Rajji
- Adult Neurodevelopmental and Geriatric Psychiatry Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bruce G. Pollock
- Adult Neurodevelopmental and Geriatric Psychiatry Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Benoit H. Mulsant
- Adult Neurodevelopmental and Geriatric Psychiatry Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sanjeev Kumar
- Adult Neurodevelopmental and Geriatric Psychiatry Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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21
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Magierski R, Sobow T, Schwertner E, Religa D. Pharmacotherapy of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: State of the Art and Future Progress. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:1168. [PMID: 32848775 PMCID: PMC7413102 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The core symptoms of different dementia subtypes are the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and its neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). BPSD symptoms may occur at any stage in the case of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD), whereas they tend to occur early on in the case of its behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies and are essential for diagnosis. BPSD treatment consists of non-pharmacological as well as pharmacological interventions, with non-pharmacological interactions being suggested as first-line treatment. Agitation, psychotic features, apathy, depression, and anxiety may not respond to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or memantine in AD cases; therefore, antipsychotics, antidepressants, sedative drugs or anxiolytics, and antiepileptic drugs are typically prescribed. However, such management of BPSD can be complicated by hypersensitivity to antipsychotic drugs, as observed in DLB, and a lack of effective pro-cognitive treatment in the case of frontotemporal dementia. The present paper reviews current knowledge of the management of BPSD and its limitations and discusses on-going clinical trials and future therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radoslaw Magierski
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Tomasz Sobow
- Dialog Therapy Centre, Warsaw & Institute of Psychology, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Emilia Schwertner
- Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Dorota Religa
- Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.,Tema Aging, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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22
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Maier F, Spottke A, Bach JP, Bartels C, Buerger K, Dodel R, Fellgiebel A, Fliessbach K, Frölich L, Hausner L, Hellmich M, Klöppel S, Klostermann A, Kornhuber J, Laske C, Peters O, Priller J, Richter-Schmidinger T, Schneider A, Shah-Hosseini K, Teipel S, von Arnim CAF, Wiltfang J, Jessen F. Bupropion for the Treatment of Apathy in Alzheimer Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3:e206027. [PMID: 32463470 PMCID: PMC7256670 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.6027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Apathy is a frequent neuropsychiatric symptom in dementia of Alzheimer type and negatively affects the disease course and patients' and caregivers' quality of life. Effective treatment options are needed. OBJECTIVE To examine the efficacy and safety of the dopamine and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor bupropion in the treatment of apathy in patients with dementia of Alzheimer type. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This 12-week, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial was conducted in a psychiatric and neurological outpatient setting between July 2010 and July 2014 in Germany. Patients with mild-to-moderate dementia of Alzheimer type and clinically relevant apathy were included. Patients with additional clinically relevant depressed mood were excluded. Data analyses were performed between August 2018 and August 2019. INTERVENTIONS Patients received either bupropion or placebo (150 mg for 4 weeks plus 300 mg for 8 weeks). In case of intolerability of 300 mg, patients continued to receive 150 mg throughout the study. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Change on the Apathy Evaluation Scale-Clinician Version (AES-C) (score range, 18-72 points) between baseline and week 12 was the primary outcome parameter. Secondary outcome parameters included measures of neuropsychiatric symptoms, cognition, activities of daily living, and quality of life. Outcome measures were assessed at baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. RESULTS A total of 108 patients (mean [SD] age, 74.8 [5.9] years; 67 men [62%]) were included in the intention-to-treat analysis, with 54 randomized to receive bupropion and 54 randomized to receive placebo. The baseline AES-C score was comparable between the bupropion group and the placebo group (mean [SD], 52.2 [8.7] vs 50.4 [8.2]). After controlling for the baseline AES-C score, site, and comedication with donepezil or galantamine, the mean change in the AES-C score between the bupropion and placebo groups was not statistically significant (mean change, 2.22; 95% CI, -0.47 to 4.91; P = .11). Results on secondary outcomes showed statistically significant differences between bupropion and placebo in terms of total neuropsychiatric symptoms (mean change, 5.52; 95% CI, 2.00 to 9.04; P = .003) and health-related quality of life (uncorrected for multiple comparisons; mean change, -1.66; 95% CI, -3.01 to -0.31; P = .02) with greater improvement in the placebo group. No statistically significant changes between groups were found for activities of daily living (mean change, -2.92; 95% CI, -5.89 to 0.06; P = .05) and cognition (mean change, -0.27; 95% CI, -3.26 to 2.73; P = .86). The numbers of adverse events (bupropion group, 39 patients [72.2%]; placebo group, 33 patients [61.1%]) and serious adverse events (bupropion group, 5 patients [9.3%]; placebo group, 2 patients [3.7%]) were comparable between groups. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Although it is safe, bupropion was not superior to placebo for the treatment of apathy in patients with dementia of Alzheimer type in the absence of clinically relevant depressed mood. TRIAL REGISTRATION EU Clinical Trials Register Identifier: 2007-005352-17.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Maier
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany
| | - Annika Spottke
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jan-Philipp Bach
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Bartels
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Goettingen, Georg-August-University, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Katharina Buerger
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Munich, Germany
| | - Richard Dodel
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | | | - Lutz Frölich
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Lucrezia Hausner
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Martin Hellmich
- Institute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Stefan Klöppel
- University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Arne Klostermann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christoph Laske
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Tübingen, Germany
- Section for Dementia Research, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Peters
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Josef Priller
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Berlin Institute of Health, Charité Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tanja Richter-Schmidinger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anja Schneider
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
- Klinik für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen und Gerontopsychiatrie, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kija Shah-Hosseini
- Institute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Stefan Teipel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Rostock, Germany
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | | | - Jens Wiltfang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Goettingen, Georg-August-University, Goettingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Frank Jessen
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
- Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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23
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Gonçalves SDAB, Caramelli P, Mariano LI, Guimarães HC, Gambogi LB, Resende EDPF, Teixeira AL, de Souza LC. Apathy in frontotemporal dementia is related to medial prefrontal atrophy and is independent of executive dysfunction. Brain Res 2020; 1737:146799. [PMID: 32198120 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Apathy is the most common neuropsychiatric syndrome in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), and encompasses cognitive, behavioral and affective symptoms. The neural basis of apathy in bvFTD is not completely understood. Previous neuroimaging studies have poorly considered executive impairment and dementia severity as possible confounding factors. Herein we investigated the neural basis of apathy in bvFTD through structural neuroimaging taking into account these factors. METHODS We included patients with probable bvFTD (n = 21) and cognitively healthy controls (HC, n = 22). Participants were matched for age, sex and schooling. All subjects underwent a thorough neuropsychological examination, including tests for executive functions and social cognition. Apathy was assessed with the Starkstein Apathy Scale (SAS). All subjects underwent 3T brain MRI. We investigated correlations between SAS scores and gray matter atrophy within the bvFTD group. Executive function (Frontal Assessment Battery) and disease severity were considered as covariates in neuroimaging analyses. RESULTS Compared to HC, bvFTD patients had lower scores on global cognitive efficiency, executive functions and social cognition. All bvFTD had clinically relevant apathy (scores greater than 14 in the SAS). Performance in executive function tests did not correlate with apathy scores. The severity of apathy was negatively correlated with gray matter volumes in midline prefrontal regions, namely orbitofrontal cortex and both anterior and dorsal regions of cingulate cortex. CONCLUSIONS Apathy in bvFTD is related to a specific network of prefrontal cortical areas critically involved in effort-based behavior for rewards and appears to be independent of executive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paulo Caramelli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Luciano Inácio Mariano
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Henrique Cerqueira Guimarães
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Leandro Boson Gambogi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Antônio Lúcio Teixeira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA; Santa Casa BH Ensino e Pesquisa, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Cruz de Souza
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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24
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Schwab S, Afyouni S, Chen Y, Han Z, Guo Q, Dierks T, Wahlund LO, Grieder M. Functional Connectivity Alterations of the Temporal Lobe and Hippocampus in Semantic Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 76:1461-1475. [PMID: 32651312 PMCID: PMC7504988 DOI: 10.3233/jad-191113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Semantic memory impairments in semantic dementia are attributed to atrophy and functional disruption of the anterior temporal lobes. In contrast, the posterior medial temporal neurodegeneration found in Alzheimer's disease is associated with episodic memory disturbance. The two dementia subtypes share hippocampal deterioration, despite a relatively spared episodic memory in semantic dementia. OBJECTIVE To unravel mutual and divergent functional alterations in Alzheimer's disease and semantic dementia, we assessed functional connectivity between temporal lobe regions in Alzheimer's disease (n = 16), semantic dementia (n = 23), and healthy controls (n = 17). METHODS In an exploratory study, we used a functional parcellation of the temporal cortex to extract time series from 66 regions for correlation analysis. RESULTS Apart from differing connections between Alzheimer's disease and semantic dementia that yielded reduced functional connectivity, we identified a common pathway between the right anterior temporal lobe and the right orbitofrontal cortex in both dementia subtypes. This disconnectivity might be related to social knowledge deficits as part of semantic memory decline. However, such interpretations are preferably made in a holistic context of disease-specific semantic impairments and functional connectivity changes. CONCLUSION Despite a major limitation owed to unbalanced databases between study groups, this study provides a preliminary picture of the brain's functional disconnectivity in Alzheimer's disease and semantic dementia. Future studies are needed to replicate findings of a common pathway with consistent diagnostic criteria and neuropsychological evaluation, balanced designs, and matched data MRI acquisition procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Schwab
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Soroosh Afyouni
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zaizhu Han
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qihao Guo
- Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Thomas Dierks
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Lars-Olof Wahlund
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Matthias Grieder
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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25
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Inhibition impairment in frontotemporal dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease: clinical assessment and metabolic correlates. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 13:651-659. [PMID: 29748771 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9891-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The ability to reject an automatic tendency, i.e. inhibition, has been linked to the prefrontal cortex, but its neural underpinnings are still controversial. Neurodegenerative diseases represent an interesting model to explore this issue, given its frequent impairment in these disorders. We investigated the inhibitory impairment and its neural basis using four different tests, which evaluate the presence of inhibitory dysfunction (Stroop test, Hayling test, and two graphical perseveration tests), and assessed their correlation with brain metabolism using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in a group of 76 participants with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and healthy controls (HC). Inhibition impairment was more frequent in bvFTD and AD, than ALS and HC. AD and bvFTD only differed in the strategy used in Hayling test, and the frequency of impairment in graphical perseveration tests. Correlation between inhibition tests was moderate. The Stroop test correlated with several regions of the frontal and parietal lobes, mainly on the left side. Hayling test correlated with almost all regions of the frontal lobe and, especially, with the orbitofrontal cortex. Some differences in the impaired regions in each disease were found. Inhibition ability was mainly impaired in bvFTD and AD, and it correlated with the bilateral frontal lobe metabolism. There were certain particularities according to the specific task and patients evaluated. These dissimilarities may support the concept of inhibition as a multidimensional construct, with the involvement of common and divergent neural mechanisms.
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26
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Kaboodvand N, van den Heuvel MP, Fransson P. Adaptive frequency-based modeling of whole-brain oscillations: Predicting regional vulnerability and hazardousness rates. Netw Neurosci 2019; 3:1094-1120. [PMID: 31637340 PMCID: PMC6779267 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole-brain computational modeling based on structural connectivity has shown great promise in successfully simulating fMRI BOLD signals with temporal coactivation patterns that are highly similar to empirical functional connectivity patterns during resting state. Importantly, previous studies have shown that spontaneous fluctuations in coactivation patterns of distributed brain regions have an inherent dynamic nature with regard to the frequency spectrum of intrinsic brain oscillations. In this modeling study, we introduced frequency dynamics into a system of coupled oscillators, where each oscillator represents the local mean-field model of a brain region. We first showed that the collective behavior of interacting oscillators reproduces previously shown features of brain dynamics. Second, we examined the effect of simulated lesions in gray matter by applying an in silico perturbation protocol to the brain model. We present a new approach to map the effects of vulnerability in brain networks and introduce a measure of regional hazardousness based on mapping of the degree of divergence in a feature space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Kaboodvand
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martijn P. van den Heuvel
- Dutch Connectome Lab, Department of Complex Traits Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Genetics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Fransson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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27
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Radakovic R, McGrory S, Chandran S, Swingler R, Pal S, Stephenson L, Colville S, Newton J, Starr JM, Abrahams S. The brief Dimensional Apathy Scale: A short clinical assessment of apathy. Clin Neuropsychol 2019; 34:423-435. [PMID: 31154933 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2019.1621382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective: Apathy is a prominent syndrome across neurodegenerative diseases. The Dimensional Apathy Scale (DAS) assesses three apathy subtypes-executive, emotional, and initiation-and is sensitive and valid in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Parkinson's disease. This study describes the development of the brief DAS (b-DAS), which will enable apathy to be swiftly detected in the clinic.Method: 102 ALS and 102 AD patients' previously collected data were used. Mokken analyses were performed on item-level data of each informant/carer-rated DAS subscale (executive, emotional, and initiation) for the initial scale reduction. Item-total correlational analyses against standard apathy (convergent validity criteria) and depression (divergent validity criteria) measures and qualitative examination of items aided final item selection. Receiver operating curve analysis determined optimal cutoffs for the reduced subscales.Results: Mokken analyses suggested unidimensionality of each DAS subscale. Three items were removed that failed to satisfy monotone homogeneity model requirements, three items were removed due to validity criteria not being met, and six items were removed due to a combination of lower item scalability and item-total correlations. Item-theme examination further reduced the b-DAS to nine items, three per subscale, with a supplemental awareness deficit assessment being added. Sensitivity- and specificity-based optimal cutoffs were calculated for each b-DAS subscale.Conclusions: This study presents the b-DAS, an informant/carer-based robust yet short multidimensional apathy instrument with good convergent and divergent validity, with recommended clinical cutoffs. The b-DAS is appropriate for use in the clinic and for research to quickly and comprehensively screen for apathy subtype impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratko Radakovic
- Human Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Sarah McGrory
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert Swingler
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Suvankar Pal
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Laura Stephenson
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Shuna Colville
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Judy Newton
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John M Starr
- Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sharon Abrahams
- Human Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Lateral parietal cortex in the generation of behavior: Implications for apathy. Prog Neurobiol 2019; 175:20-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Neural correlates of apathy in patients with neurodegenerative disorders: an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 13:1815-1834. [DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9959-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Abstract
Apathy is the most common neuropsychiatric symptom in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The presence of apathy has been related to greater caregiver distress, decreased quality of life, and increased morbidity. Here we review the most recent studies on this neuropsychiatric syndrome, focusing on prevalence, impact on quality of life, behavioural and neuroimaging studies, and treatment options. The results of some investigations on the behavioural and neuroanatomical profile of apathy in AD point to a role of frontostriatal circuits, specifically involving the anterior cingulate cortex. However, small and heterogeneous samples, lack of control for disease severity, and non-specific apathy scales complicate interpretation of results. Future studies might benefit from studying multiple dimensions of apathy within conceptual frameworks which allow for a deconstruction of underlying mechanisms.
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Apathy in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia: Distinct clinical profiles and neural correlates. Cortex 2018; 103:350-359. [PMID: 29704671 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Apathy is the most prevalent and disabling non-cognitive symptom of dementia and affects 90% of patients across the disease course. Despite its pervasiveness, how apathy manifests across dementia syndromes and the neurobiological mechanisms driving these symptoms are poorly understood. Here, we applied the multidimensional ABC model of apathy, which recognizes Affective, Behavioural and Cognitive apathy, in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). METHODS One hundred and twenty-two patients (53 AD; 69 bvFTD) were included. Informants completed the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Cambridge Behavioral Inventory and Disability and Dementia scale to quantify Affective, Behavioural and Cognitive apathy. All patients underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was employed to identify brain regions correlated with increased Affective, Behavioural and Cognitive apathy. RESULTS On the NPI, 60% of AD and 84% of bvFTD patients had some degree of apathy, but bvFTD had more severe and more frequent symptoms than AD. Importantly, bvFTD patients had higher affective and cognitive apathy whereas AD had higher cognitive apathy only. Neuroimaging analyses revealed that affective apathy was associated with the ventral prefrontal cortex; behavioural apathy with the basal ganglia; and cognitive apathy with the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Finally, affective and behavioural apathy significantly predicted carer burden. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the notion that apathy is multidimensional and manifests differently across dementia syndromes. Thus, novel interventions which target these divergent mechanisms will be necessary to improve motivation and goal-directed behaviour in people with dementia.
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Tu MC, Huang WH, Hsu YH, Lo CP, Deng JF, Huang CF. Comparison of neuropsychiatric symptoms and diffusion tensor imaging correlates among patients with subcortical ischemic vascular disease and Alzheimer's disease. BMC Neurol 2017; 17:144. [PMID: 28754095 PMCID: PMC5534111 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-017-0911-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The causes of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) vary according to the dementia subtype and associated neuropathology. The present study aimed to (i) compare BPSD between patients with subcortical ischemic vascular disease (SIVD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) across stages, and (ii) explore the associations with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in the corpus callosum (CC) and other major fibers. METHODS Twenty-four patients with SIVD and 32 with AD were recruited. Four domains of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) (hyperactivity, psychosis, affective, and apathy) and two DTI parameters [fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD)] within the genu, body (BCC), and splenium (SCC) of the CC and other major fibers were assessed. RESULTS Overall, the patients with clinical dementia rating (CDR) 1 ~ 2 had higher scores in apathy domain than those with CDR0.5. Among those with CDR1 ~ 2, SIVD had higher scores in apathy domain than AD. MD values in the BCC/SCC were positively correlated with total NPI score and psychosis, hyperactivity, and apathy domains. FA values in the SCC were inversely correlated with total NPI score and psychosis domain. The correlations were modified by age, the CASI, and CDR scores. Stepwise linear regression models suggested that FA value within the left superior longitudinal fasciculus predicted the hyperactivity domain. MD value within the SCC/left uncinate fasciculus and FA value within the GCC/left forceps major predicted the psychosis domain. MD value within the right superior longitudinal fasciculus and CDR predicted the apathy domain. Further analysis suggested distinct patterns of regression models between SIVD and AD patients. CONCLUSION White matter integrity within the BCC/SCC had associations with multi-domains of BPSD. Our study also identified important roles of regions other than the CC to individual domain of BPSD, including the left superior longitudinal fasciculus to the hyperactivity domain, the left uncinate fasciculus/forceps major to the psychosis domain, and the right superior longitudinal fasciculus to the apathy domain. The neuronal substrates in predicting BPSD were different between SIVD and AD patients. Of note, apathy, which was more profound in SIVD, was associated with corresponding fiber disconnection in line with dementia severity and global cognition decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Chien Tu
- Department of Neurology, Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, No. 88, Sec. 1, Fengxing Rd., Tanzi Dist., 427 Taichung City, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Hui Huang
- Department of Neurology, Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, No. 88, Sec. 1, Fengxing Rd., Tanzi Dist., 427 Taichung City, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Hsuan Hsu
- Department of Psychology, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Ping Lo
- School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
- Department of Radiology, Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jie Fu Deng
- Department of Neurology, Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, No. 88, Sec. 1, Fengxing Rd., Tanzi Dist., 427 Taichung City, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Feng Huang
- Department of Neurology, Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, No. 88, Sec. 1, Fengxing Rd., Tanzi Dist., 427 Taichung City, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
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