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Braverman ER, Dennen CA, Gold MS, Bowirrat A, Gupta A, Baron D, Roy AK, Smith DE, Cadet JL, Blum K. Proposing a “Brain Health Checkup (BHC)” as a Global Potential “Standard of Care” to Overcome Reward Dysregulation in Primary Care Medicine: Coupling Genetic Risk Testing and Induction of “Dopamine Homeostasis”. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095480. [PMID: 35564876 PMCID: PMC9099927 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In 2021, over 100,000 people died prematurely from opioid overdoses. Neuropsychiatric and cognitive impairments are underreported comorbidities of reward dysregulation due to genetic antecedents and epigenetic insults. Recent genome-wide association studies involving millions of subjects revealed frequent comorbidity with substance use disorder (SUD) in a sizeable meta-analysis of depression. It found significant associations with the expression of NEGR1 in the hypothalamus and DRD2 in the nucleus accumbens, among others. However, despite the rise in SUD and neuropsychiatric illness, there are currently no standard objective brain assessments being performed on a routine basis. The rationale for encouraging a standard objective Brain Health Check (BHC) is to have extensive data available to treat clinical syndromes in psychiatric patients. The BHC would consist of a group of reliable, accurate, cost-effective, objective assessments involving the following domains: Memory, Attention, Neuropsychiatry, and Neurological Imaging. Utilizing primarily PUBMED, over 36 years of virtually all the computerized and written-based assessments of Memory, Attention, Psychiatric, and Neurological imaging were reviewed, and the following assessments are recommended for use in the BHC: Central Nervous System Vital Signs (Memory), Test of Variables of Attention (Attention), Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (Neuropsychiatric), and Quantitative Electroencephalogram/P300/Evoked Potential (Neurological Imaging). Finally, we suggest continuing research into incorporating a new standard BHC coupled with qEEG/P300/Evoked Potentials and genetically guided precision induction of “dopamine homeostasis” to diagnose and treat reward dysregulation to prevent the consequences of dopamine dysregulation from being epigenetically passed on to generations of our children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R. Braverman
- The Kenneth Blum Institute on Behavior & Neurogenetics, Austin, TX 78701, USA; (E.R.B.); (C.A.D.)
| | - Catherine A. Dennen
- The Kenneth Blum Institute on Behavior & Neurogenetics, Austin, TX 78701, USA; (E.R.B.); (C.A.D.)
| | - Mark S. Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry, Tulane School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA;
| | - Abdalla Bowirrat
- Department of Molecular Biology, Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel;
| | - Ashim Gupta
- Future Biologics, Lawrenceville, GA 30043, USA;
| | - David Baron
- Division of Addiction Research & Education, Center for Psychiatry, Medicine & Primary Care (Office of Provost), Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA;
| | - A. Kenison Roy
- Department of Psychiatry, Tulane School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA;
| | - David E. Smith
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA;
| | - Jean Lud Cadet
- The Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA;
| | - Kenneth Blum
- The Kenneth Blum Institute on Behavior & Neurogenetics, Austin, TX 78701, USA; (E.R.B.); (C.A.D.)
- Division of Addiction Research & Education, Center for Psychiatry, Medicine & Primary Care (Office of Provost), Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA;
- Correspondence:
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2
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Beger AW, Dudzik B, Woltjer RL, Wood PL. Human Brain Lipidomics: Pilot Analysis of the Basal Ganglia Sphingolipidome in Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Disease. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12020187. [PMID: 35208260 PMCID: PMC8875811 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12020187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids constitute a complex class of bioactive lipids with diverse structural and functional roles in neural tissue. Lipidomic techniques continue to provide evidence for their association in neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Lewy body disease (LBD). However, prior studies have primarily focused on biological tissues outside of the basal ganglia, despite the known relevancy of this brain region in motor and cognitive dysfunction associated with PD and LBD. Therefore electrospray ionization high resolution mass spectrometry was used to analyze levels of sphingolipid species, including ceramides (Cer), dihydroceramides (DHC), hydoxyceramides (OH-Cer), phytoceramides (Phyto-Cer), phosphoethanolamine ceramides (PE-Cer), sphingomyelins (SM), and sulfatides (Sulf) in the caudate, putamen and globus pallidus of PD (n = 7) and LBD (n = 14) human subjects and were compared to healthy controls (n = 9). The most dramatic alterations were seen in the putamen, with depletion of Cer and elevation of Sulf observed in both groups, with additional depletion of OH-Cer and elevation of DHC identified in LBD subjects. Diverging levels of DHC in the caudate suggest differing roles of this lipid in PD and LBD pathogenesis. These sphingolipid alterations in PD and LBD provide evidence for biochemical involvement of the neuronal cell death that characterize these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron W. Beger
- Anatomy Department, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Cumberland Gap Pkwy, Harrogate, TN 37752, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Beatrix Dudzik
- Anatomy Department, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Cumberland Gap Pkwy, Harrogate, TN 37752, USA;
| | - Randall L. Woltjer
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
| | - Paul L. Wood
- Metabolomics Unit, College of Veterinary Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Cumberland Gap Pkwy, Harrogate, TN 37752, USA;
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Strafella C, Caputo V, Termine A, Fabrizio C, Calvino G, Megalizzi D, Ruffo P, Toppi E, Banaj N, Bassi A, Bossù P, Caltagirone C, Spalletta G, Giardina E, Cascella R. Identification of Genetic Networks Reveals Complex Associations and Risk Trajectory Linking Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer’s Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:821789. [PMID: 35250545 PMCID: PMC8892382 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.821789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are multifactorial conditions resulting from a complex crosstalk among multiple molecular and biological processes. The present study investigates the association of variants localized in genes and miRNAs with aMCI and AD, which may represent susceptibility, prognostic biomarkers or multi-target treatment options for such conditions. We included 371 patients (217 aMCI and 154 AD) and 503 healthy controls, which were genotyped for a panel of 120 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and, subsequently, analyzed by statistical, bioinformatics and machine-learning approaches. As a result, 21 SNPs were associated with aMCI and 13 SNPs with sporadic AD. Interestingly, a set of variants shared between aMCI and AD displayed slightly higher Odd Ratios in AD with respect to aMCI, highlighting a specific risk trajectory linking aMCI to AD. Some of the associated genes and miRNAs were shown to interact within the signaling pathways of APP (Amyloid Precursor Protein), ACE2 (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2), miR-155 and PPARG (Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor Gamma), which are known to contribute to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Overall, results of this study increase insights concerning the genetic factors contributing to the neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative mechanisms underlying aMCI and sporadic AD. They have to be exploited to develop personalized approaches based on the individual genetic make-up and multi-target treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Strafella
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Medical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Claudia Strafella,
| | - Valerio Caputo
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Medical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Termine
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Fabrizio
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Calvino
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Paola Ruffo
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Toppi
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Nerisa Banaj
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Bassi
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Bossù
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuropsychobiology, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Spalletta
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Medical Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
- Emiliano Giardina,
| | - Raffaella Cascella
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel, Tirana, Albania
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Kundu S, Huang H, Erickson KI, McAuley E, Kramer AF, Rohde GK. Investigating impact of cardiorespiratory fitness in reducing brain tissue loss caused by ageing. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab228. [PMID: 34917939 PMCID: PMC8669566 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitigating the loss of brain tissue due to age is a major problem for an ageing population. Improving cardiorespiratory fitness has been suggested as a possible strategy, but the influenceon brain morphology has not been fully characterized. To investigate the dependent shifts in brain tissue distribution as a function of cardiorespiratory fitness, we used a 3D transport-based morphometry approach. In this study of 172 inactive older adults aged 58-81 (66.5 ± 5.7) years, cardiorespiratory fitness was determined by VO 2 peak (ml/kg/min) during graded exercise and brain morphology was assessed through structural magnetic resonance imaging. After correcting for covariates including age (in the fitness model), gender and level of education, we compared dependent tissue shifts with age to those due to V O 2 peak . We found a significant association between cardiorespiratory fitness and brain tissue distribution (white matter, r = 0.30, P = 0.003; grey matter, r = 0.40, P < 0.001) facilitated by direct visualization of the brain tissue shifts due to cardiorespiratory fitness through inverse transformation-a key capability of 3D transport-based morphometry. A strong statistical correlation was found between brain tissue changes related to ageing and those associated with lower cardiorespiratory fitness (white matter, r = 0.62, P < 0.001; grey matter, r = 0.74, P < 0.001). In both cases, frontotemporal regions shifted the most while basal ganglia shifted the least. Our results highlight the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness in maintaining brain health later in life. Furthermore, this work demonstrates 3D transport-based morphometry as a novel neuroinformatic technology that may aid assessment of therapeutic approaches for brain ageing and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinjini Kundu
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Haiqing Huang
- Brain Aging & Cognitive Health Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Kirk I Erickson
- Brain Aging & Cognitive Health Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Edward McAuley
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Arthur F Kramer
- Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Gustavo K Rohde
- Biomedical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 29908, USA
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Basal ganglia-orbitofrontal circuits are associated with prospective memory deficits in Wilson's disease. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 16:141-150. [PMID: 34297310 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-021-00485-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Degenerative changes in the basal ganglia (BG) are thought to contribute to neurological symptoms in Wilson's disease (WD). However, very little is known about whether and how the BG have an influence on prospective memory (PM) by interacting with the cerebral cortex. Here, we employed structural magnetic resonance imaging to systematically examine the effect of volume atrophy of BG on cortical thickness and to evaluate the relationships between cortical thickness of regions associated with BG atrophy and PM performance in WD. Cortical thickness atrophy in the left temporal pole and medial frontal gyrus are not related to degenerative changes in BG. Cortical thickness in the left superior frontal gyrus and right orbitofrontal gyrus (ORB) have stronger correlations with volume atrophy of the left accumbens, pallidum, and putamen in WD when compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, the cortical thickness of the right ORB is not only significantly correlated with PM performance but can also distinguish the severity of PM impairment in WD. Additionally, the middle cingulate cortex was related to volume atrophy of the accumbens, and its cortical thickness has a significant positive correlation with event-based PM. Together, these findings highlight that BG-orbitofrontal circuits may serve as neural biomarkers of PM and provide implications for the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment in WD.
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