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Mufford MS, van der Meer D, Kaufmann T, Frei O, Ramesar R, Thompson PM, Jahanshad N, Morey RA, Andreassen OA, Stein DJ, Dalvie S. The Genetic Architecture of Amygdala Nuclei. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:72-84. [PMID: 37391117 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.06.022] [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: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whereas genetic variants influencing total amygdala volume have been identified, the genetic architecture of its distinct nuclei has yet to be explored. We aimed to investigate whether increased phenotypic specificity through nuclei segmentation aids genetic discoverability and elucidates the extent of shared genetic architecture and biological pathways with related disorders. METHODS T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging scans (N = 36,352, 52% female) from the UK Biobank were segmented into 9 amygdala nuclei with FreeSurfer (version 6.1). Genome-wide association analyses were performed on the entire sample, a European-only subset (n = 31,690), and a generalization (transancestry) subset (n = 4662). We estimated single nucleotide polymorphism-based heritability; derived polygenicity, discoverability, and power estimates; and investigated genetic correlations and shared loci with psychiatric disorders. RESULTS The heritability of the nuclei ranged from 0.17 to 0.33. Across the whole amygdala and the nuclei volumes, we identified 28 novel genome-wide significant (padj < 5 × 10-9) loci in the European analysis, with significant en masse replication for the whole amygdala and central nucleus volumes in the generalization analysis, and we identified 10 additional candidate loci in the combined analysis. The central nucleus had the highest statistical power for discovery. The significantly associated genes and pathways showed unique and shared effects across the nuclei, including immune-related pathways. Shared variants were identified between specific nuclei and autism spectrum disorder, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS Through investigation of amygdala nuclei volumes, we have identified novel candidate loci in the neurobiology of amygdala volume. These nuclei volumes have unique associations with biological pathways and genetic overlap with psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary S Mufford
- South African Medical Research Council Genomic and Precision Medicine Research Unit, Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Global Initiative for Neuropsychiatric Genetics Education in Research program, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Boston, Massachusetts; South African Medical Research Council Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research Centre, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Tobias Kaufmann
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research Centre, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Oleksandr Frei
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research Centre, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Center for Bioinformatics, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Raj Ramesar
- South African Medical Research Council Genomic and Precision Medicine Research Unit, Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Rajendra A Morey
- Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research Centre, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Centre, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dan J Stein
- South African Medical Research Council Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Shareefa Dalvie
- South African Medical Research Council Genomic and Precision Medicine Research Unit, Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Li J, Wang Y, Yang R, Ma W, Yan J, Li Y, Chen G, Pan J. Pain in Huntington's disease and its potential mechanisms. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1190563. [PMID: 37484692 PMCID: PMC10357841 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1190563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain is common and frequent in many neurodegenerative diseases, although it has not received much attention. In Huntington's disease (HD), pain is often ignored and under-researched because attention is more focused on motor and cognitive decline than psychiatric symptoms. In HD progression, pain symptoms are complex and involved in multiple etiologies, particularly mental issues such as apathy, anxiety and irritability. Because of psychiatric issues, HD patients rarely complain of pain, although their bodies show severe pain symptoms, ultimately resulting in insufficient awareness and lack of research. In HD, few studies have focused on pain and pain-related features. A detailed and systemic pain history is crucial to assess and explore pain pathophysiology in HD. This review provides an overview concentrating on pain-related factors in HD, including neuropathology, frequency, features, affecting factors and mechanisms. More attention and studies are still needed in this interesting field in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajie Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Riyun Yang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Wenjun Ma
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - JunGuo Yan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Center for Basic Medical Research, Medical School of Nantong University, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jingying Pan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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3
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Legouhy A, Allen LA, Vos SB, Oliveira JFA, Kassinopoulos M, Winston GP, Duncan JS, Ogren JA, Scott C, Kumar R, Lhatoo SD, Thom M, Lemieux L, Harper RM, Zhang H, Diehl B. Volumetric and microstructural abnormalities of the amygdala in focal epilepsy with varied levels of SUDEP risk. Epilepsy Res 2023; 192:107139. [PMID: 37068421 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2023.107139] [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: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Although the mechanisms of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) are not yet well understood, generalised- or focal-to-bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (TCS) are a major risk factor. Previous studies highlighted alterations in structures linked to cardio-respiratory regulation; one structure, the amygdala, was enlarged in people at high risk of SUDEP and those who subsequently died. We investigated volume changes and the microstructure of the amygdala in people with epilepsy at varied risk for SUDEP since that structure can play a key role in triggering apnea and mediating blood pressure. The study included 53 healthy subjects and 143 patients with epilepsy, the latter separated into two groups according to whether TCS occur in years before scan. We used amygdala volumetry, derived from structural MRI, and tissue microstructure, derived from diffusion MRI, to identify differences between the groups. The diffusion metrics were obtained by fitting diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) models. The analyses were performed at the whole amygdala level and at the scale of amygdaloid nuclei. Patients with epilepsy showed larger amygdala volumes and lower neurite density indices (NDI) than healthy subjects; the left amygdala volumes were especially enhanced. Microstructural changes, reflected by NDI differences, were more prominent on the left side and localized in the lateral, basal, central, accessory basal and paralaminar amygdala nuclei; basolateral NDI lowering appeared bilaterally. No significant microstructural differences appeared between epilepsy patients with and without current TCS. The central amygdala nuclei, with prominent interactions from surrounding nuclei of that structure, project to cardiovascular regions and respiratory phase switching areas of the parabrachial pons, as well as to the periaqueductal gray. Consequently, they have the potential to modify blood pressure and heart rate, and induce sustained apnea or apneusis. The findings here suggest that lowered NDI, indicative of reduced dendritic density, could reflect an impaired structural organization influencing descending inputs that modulate vital respiratory timing and drive sites and areas critical for blood pressure control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Legouhy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Luke A Allen
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Epilepsy Society MRI Unit, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK; The Center for SUDEP Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sjoerd B Vos
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK; Neuroradiological Academic Unit, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK; Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation, and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | - Joana F A Oliveira
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Michalis Kassinopoulos
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Epilepsy Society MRI Unit, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK
| | - Gavin P Winston
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Epilepsy Society MRI Unit, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK; Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - John S Duncan
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Epilepsy Society MRI Unit, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK
| | - Jennifer A Ogren
- The Center for SUDEP Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA; Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Catherine Scott
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; The Center for SUDEP Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rajesh Kumar
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Samden D Lhatoo
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maria Thom
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Louis Lemieux
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Epilepsy Society MRI Unit, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK
| | - Ronald M Harper
- The Center for SUDEP Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA; Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hui Zhang
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Beate Diehl
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Epilepsy Society MRI Unit, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK; The Center for SUDEP Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Nigri A, Umberto M, Stanziano M, Ferraro S, Fedeli D, Medina Carrion JP, Palermo S, Lequio L, Denegri F, Agosta F, Filippi M, Valentini MC, Canosa A, Calvo A, Chiò A, Bruzzone MG, Moglia C. C9orf72 ALS mutation carriers show extensive cortical and subcortical damage compared to matched wild-type ALS patients. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 38:103400. [PMID: 37068310 PMCID: PMC10130353 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE C9orf72 mutation carriers with different neurological phenotypes show cortical and subcortical atrophy in multiple different brain regions, even in pre-symptomatic phases. Despite there is a substantial amount of knowledge, small sample sizes, clinical heterogeneity, as well as different choices of image analysis may hide anatomical abnormalities that are unique to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with this genotype or that are indicative of the C9orf72-specific trait overlain in fronto-temporal dementia patients. METHODS Brain structural and resting state functional magnetic imaging was obtained in 24 C9orf72 positive (ALSC9+) ALS patients paired for burden disease with 24 C9orf72 negative (ALSC9-) ALS patients. A comprehensive structural evaluation of cortical thickness and subcortical volumes between ALSC9+ and ALSC9- patients was performed while a region of interest (ROI)-ROI analysis of functional connectivity was implemented to assess functional alterations among abnormal cortical and subcortical regions. Results were corrected for multiple comparisons. RESULTS Compared to ALSC9- patients, ALSC9+ patients exhibited extensive disease-specific patterns of thalamo-cortico-striatal atrophy, supported by functional alterations of the identified abnormal regions. Cortical thinning was most pronounced in posterior areas and extended to frontal regions. Bilateral atrophy of the mediodorsal and pulvinar nuclei was observed, emphasizing a focal rather than global thalamus atrophy. Volume loss in a large portion of bilateral caudate and left putamen was reported. The marked reduction of functional connectivity observed between the left posterior thalamus and almost all the atrophic cortical regions support the central role of the thalamus in the pathogenic mechanism of C9orf72-mediated disease. CONCLUSIONS These findings constitute a coherent and robust picture of ALS patients with C9orf72-mediated disease, unveiling a specific structural and functional characterization of thalamo-cortico-striatal circuit alteration. Our study introduces new evidence in the characterization of the pathogenic mechanisms of C9orf72 mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Nigri
- Neuroradiology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Manera Umberto
- ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Mario Stanziano
- Neuroradiology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy; ALS Centre, "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Stefania Ferraro
- Neuroradiology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy; School of Life Science and Technology, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Davide Fedeli
- Neuroradiology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Sara Palermo
- Neuroradiology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Lequio
- Neuroradiology Unit, CTO Hospital, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy
| | - Federica Denegri
- Neuroradiology Unit, CTO Hospital, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy
| | - Federica Agosta
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Italy; Neurology Unit, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Filippi
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Italy; Neurology Unit, Italy; Neurorehabilitation Unit, Italy; Neurophysiology Service, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | | | - 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, SC Neurologia 1U, Turin, Italy; Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Council of Research, Rome, 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, SC Neurologia 1U, Turin, Italy
| | - 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, SC Neurologia 1U, Turin, Italy; Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Council of Research, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Bruzzone
- Neuroradiology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Neurological Institute Carlo Besta, Milan, 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, SC Neurologia 1U, Turin, Italy
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Legouhy A, Allen LA, Vos SB, Oliveira JFA, Kassinopoulos M, Winston GP, Duncan JS, Ogren JA, Scott C, Kumar R, Lhatoo SD, Thom M, Lemieux L, Harper RM, Zhang H, Diehl B. Volumetric and microstructural abnormalities of the amygdala in focal epilepsy with varied levels of SUDEP risk. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.03.13.23287045. [PMID: 36993394 PMCID: PMC10055456 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.13.23287045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Although the mechanisms of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) are not yet well understood, generalised- or focal-to-bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (TCS) are a major risk factor. Previous studies highlighted alterations in structures linked to cardio-respiratory regulation; one structure, the amygdala, was enlarged in people at high risk of SUDEP and those who subsequently died. We investigated volume changes and the microstructure of the amygdala in people with epilepsy at varied risk for SUDEP since that structure can play a key role in triggering apnea and mediating blood pressure. The study included 53 healthy subjects and 143 patients with epilepsy, the latter separated into two groups according to whether TCS occur in years before scan. We used amygdala volumetry, derived from structural MRI, and tissue microstructure, derived from diffusion MRI, to identify differences between the groups. The diffusion metrics were obtained by fitting diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) models. The analyses were performed at the whole amygdala level and at the scale of amygdaloid nuclei. Patients with epilepsy showed larger amygdala volumes and lower neurite density indices (NDI) than healthy subjects; the left amygdala volumes were especially enhanced. Microstructural changes, reflected by NDI differences, were more prominent on the left side and localized in the lateral, basal, central, accessory basal and paralaminar amygdala nuclei; basolateral NDI lowering appeared bilaterally. No significant microstructural differences appeared between epilepsy patients with and without current TCS. The central amygdala nuclei, with prominent interactions from surrounding nuclei of that structure, project to cardiovascular regions and respiratory phase switching areas of the parabrachial pons, as well as to the periaqueductal gray. Consequently, they have the potential to modify blood pressure and heart rate, and induce sustained apnea or apneusis. The findings here suggest that lowered NDI, indicative of reduced dendritic density, could reflect an impaired structural organization influencing descending inputs that modulate vital respiratory timing and drive sites and areas critical for blood pressure control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Legouhy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Luke A Allen
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Epilepsy Society MRI Unit, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK
- The Center for SUDEP Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sjoerd B Vos
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
- Neuroradiological Academic Unit, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation, and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | - Joana F A Oliveira
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Michalis Kassinopoulos
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Epilepsy Society MRI Unit, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK
| | - Gavin P Winston
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Epilepsy Society MRI Unit, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - John S Duncan
- Epilepsy Society MRI Unit, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK
| | - Jennifer A Ogren
- The Center for SUDEP Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Catherine Scott
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- The Center for SUDEP Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rajesh Kumar
- The Center for SUDEP Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Samden D Lhatoo
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Maria Thom
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Louis Lemieux
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Epilepsy Society MRI Unit, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK
| | - Ronald M Harper
- The Center for SUDEP Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hui Zhang
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Beate Diehl
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Epilepsy Society MRI Unit, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, UK
- The Center for SUDEP Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Stouffer KM, Chen C, Kulason S, Xu E, Witter MP, Ceritoglu C, Albert MS, Mori S, Troncoso J, Tward DJ, Miller MI. Early amygdala and ERC atrophy linked to 3D reconstruction of rostral neurofibrillary tau tangle pathology in Alzheimer's disease. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 38:103374. [PMID: 36934675 PMCID: PMC10034129 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has emphasized the unique impact of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) pathology on the medial temporal lobe (MTL), a reflection that tau pathology is particularly striking in the entorhinal and transentorhinal cortex (ERC, TEC) early in the course of disease. However, other brain regions are affected by AD pathology during its early phases. Here, we use longitudinal diffeomorphometry to measure the atrophy rate from MRI of the amygdala compared with that in the ERC and TEC in cognitively unimpaired (CU) controls, CU individuals who progressed to mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and individuals with MCI who progressed to dementia of the AD type (DAT), using a dataset from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Our results show significantly higher atrophy rates of the amygdala in both groups of 'converters' (CU→MCI, MCI→DAT) compared to controls, with rates of volume loss comparable to rates of thickness loss in the ERC and TEC. We localize atrophy within the amygdala within each of these groups using fixed effects modeling. Controlling for the familywise error rate highlights the medial regions of the amygdala as those with significantly higher atrophy in both groups of converters than in controls. Using our recently developed method, referred to as Projective LDDMM, we map measures of neurofibrillary tau tangles (NFTs) from digital pathology to MRI atlases and reconstruct dense 3D spatial distributions of NFT density within regions of the MTL. The distribution of NFTs is consistent with the spatial distribution of MR measured atrophy rates, revealing high densities (and atrophy) in the amygdala (particularly medial), ERC, and rostral third of the MTL. The similarity of the location of NFTs in AD and shape changes in a well-defined clinical population suggests that amygdalar atrophy rate, as measured through MRI may be a viable biomarker for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin M Stouffer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore 21218, MD, USA.
| | - Claire Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore 21218, MD, USA
| | - Sue Kulason
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore 21218, MD, USA
| | - Eileen Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore 21218, MD, USA
| | - Menno P Witter
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Can Ceritoglu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore 21218, MD, USA
| | - Marilyn S Albert
- Departments of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 733 N Broadway, Baltimore 21205, MD, USA
| | - Susumu Mori
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 733 N Broadway, Baltimore 21205, MD, USA
| | - Juan Troncoso
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 733 N Broadway, Baltimore 21205, MD, USA
| | - Daniel J Tward
- Departments of Computational Medicine and Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA Brain Mapping Center, 660 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles 90095, CA, USA
| | - Michael I Miller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore 21218, MD, USA
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7
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Schlüter C, Fraenz C, Friedrich P, Güntürkün O, Genç E. Neurite density imaging in amygdala nuclei reveals interindividual differences in neuroticism. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:2051-2063. [PMID: 35049113 PMCID: PMC8933246 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroticism is known to have significant health implications. While previous research revealed that interindividual differences in the amygdala function are associated with interindividual differences in neuroticism, the impact of the amygdala’s structure and especially microstructure on variations in neuroticism remains unclear. Here, we present the first study using NODDI to examine the association between the in vivo microstructural architecture of the amygdala and neuroticism at the level of neurites. We, therefore, acquired brain images from 221 healthy participants using advanced multi‐shell diffusion‐weighted imaging. Because the amygdala comprises several nuclei, we, moreover, used a high‐resolution T1 image to automatically segment the amygdala into eight different nuclei. Neuroticism and its facets have been assessed using the NEO‐PI‐R. Finally, we associated neuroticism and its facets with the volume and microstructure of the amygdala nuclei. Statistical analysis revealed that lower neurite density in the lateral amygdala nucleus (La) was significantly associated with higher scores in depression, one of the six neuroticism facets. The La is the sensory relay of the amygdala, filtering incoming information based on previous experiences. Reduced neurite density and related changes in the dendritic structure of the La could impair its filtering function. This again might cause harmless sensory information to be misevaluated as threatening and lead to the altered amygdala responsivity as reported in previous studies investigating the functional correlates of neuroticism and neuroticism‐related disorders like depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Schlüter
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Christoph Fraenz
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
| | - Patrick Friedrich
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Erhan Genç
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
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Glikmann-Johnston Y, Mercieca EC, Carmichael AM, Alexander B, Harding IH, Stout JC. Hippocampal and striatal volumes correlate with spatial memory impairment in Huntington's disease. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:2948-2963. [PMID: 34516012 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Spatial memory impairments are observed in people with Huntington's disease (HD), however, the domain of spatial memory has received little focus when characterizing the cognitive phenotype of HD. Spatial memory is traditionally thought to be a hippocampal-dependent function, while the neuropathology of HD centers on the striatum. Alongside spatial memory deficits in HD, recent neurocognitive theories suggest that a larger brain network is involved, including the striatum. We examined the relationship between hippocampal and striatal volumes and spatial memory in 36 HD gene expansion carriers, including premanifest (n = 24) and early manifest HD (n = 12), and 32 matched healthy controls. We assessed spatial memory with Paired Associates Learning, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, and the Virtual House task, which assesses three components of spatial memory: navigation, object location, and plan drawing. Caudate nucleus, putamen, and hippocampal volumes were manually segmented on T1-weighted MR images. As expected, caudate nucleus and putamen volumes were significantly smaller in the HD group compared to controls, with manifest HD having more severe atrophy than the premanifest HD group. Hippocampal volumes did not differ significantly between HD and control groups. Nonetheless, on average, the HD group performed significantly worse than controls across all spatial memory tasks. The spatial memory components of object location and recall of figural and topographical drawings were associated with striatal and hippocampal volumes in the HD cohort. We provide a case to include spatial memory impairments in the cognitive phenotype of HD, and extend the neurocognitive picture of HD beyond its primary pathology within the striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifat Glikmann-Johnston
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Emily-Clare Mercieca
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Anna M Carmichael
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Bonnie Alexander
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ian H Harding
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Julie C Stout
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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Alexander B, Georgiou‐Karistianis N, Beare R, Ahveninen LM, Lorenzetti V, Stout JC, Glikmann‐Johnston Y. Accuracy of automated amygdala MRI segmentation approaches in Huntington's disease in the IMAGE-HD cohort. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:1875-1888. [PMID: 32034838 PMCID: PMC7268083 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Smaller manually-segmented amygdala volumes have been associated with poorer motor and cognitive function in Huntington's disease (HD). Manual segmentation is the gold standard in terms of accuracy; however, automated methods may be necessary in large samples. Automated segmentation accuracy has not been determined for the amygdala in HD. We aimed to determine which of three automated approaches would most accurately segment amygdalae in HD: FreeSurfer, FIRST, and ANTS nonlinear registration followed by FIRST segmentation. T1-weighted images for the IMAGE-HD cohort including 35 presymptomatic HD (pre-HD), 36 symptomatic HD (symp-HD), and 34 healthy controls were segmented using FreeSurfer and FIRST. For the third approach, images were nonlinearly registered to an MNI template using ANTS, then segmented using FIRST. All automated methods overestimated amygdala volumes compared with manual segmentation. Dice overlap scores, indicating segmentation accuracy, were not significantly different between automated approaches. Manually segmented volumes were most statistically differentiable between groups, followed by those segmented by FreeSurfer, then ANTS/FIRST. FIRST-segmented volumes did not differ between groups. All automated methods produced a bias where volume overestimation was more severe for smaller amygdalae. This bias was subtle for FreeSurfer, but marked for FIRST, and moderate for ANTS/FIRST. Further, FreeSurfer introduced a hemispheric bias not evident with manual segmentation, producing larger right amygdalae by 8%. To assist choice of segmentation approach, we provide sample size estimation graphs based on sample size and other factors. If automated segmentation is employed in samples of the current size, FreeSurfer may effectively distinguish amygdala volume between controls and HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie Alexander
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Murdoch Children's Research InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Nellie Georgiou‐Karistianis
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Richard Beare
- Murdoch Children's Research InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Department of MedicineMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Lotta M. Ahveninen
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | | | - Julie C. Stout
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Yifat Glikmann‐Johnston
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological SciencesMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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