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Ozzoude M, Varriano B, Beaton D, Ramirez J, Holmes MF, Scott CJM, Gao F, Sunderland KM, McLaughlin P, Rabin J, Goubran M, Kwan D, Roberts A, Bartha R, Symons S, Tan B, Swartz RH, Abrahao A, Saposnik G, Masellis M, Lang AE, Marras C, Zinman L, Shoesmith C, Borrie M, Fischer CE, Frank A, Freedman M, Montero-Odasso M, Kumar S, Pasternak S, Strother SC, Pollock BG, Rajji TK, Seitz D, Tang-Wai DF, Turnbull J, Dowlatshahi D, Hassan A, Casaubon L, Mandzia J, Sahlas D, Breen DP, Grimes D, Jog M, Steeves TDL, Arnott SR, Black SE, Finger E, Tartaglia MC. Investigating the contribution of white matter hyperintensities and cortical thickness to empathy in neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases. GeroScience 2022; 44:1575-1598. [PMID: 35294697 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-022-00539-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Change in empathy is an increasingly recognised symptom of neurodegenerative diseases and contributes to caregiver burden and patient distress. Empathy impairment has been associated with brain atrophy but its relationship to white matter hyperintensities (WMH) is unknown. We aimed to investigate the relationships amongst WMH, brain atrophy, and empathy deficits in neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases. Five hundred thirteen participants with Alzheimer's disease/mild cognitive impairment, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Parkinson's disease, or cerebrovascular disease (CVD) were included. Empathy was assessed using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. WMH were measured using a semi-automatic segmentation and FreeSurfer was used to measure cortical thickness. A heterogeneous pattern of cortical thinning was found between groups, with FTD showing thinning in frontotemporal regions and CVD in left superior parietal, left insula, and left postcentral. Results from both univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that several variables were associated with empathy, particularly cortical thickness in the fronto-insulo-temporal and cingulate regions, sex (female), global cognition, and right parietal and occipital WMH. Our results suggest that cortical atrophy and WMH may be associated with empathy deficits in neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases. Future work should consider investigating the longitudinal effects of WMH and atrophy on empathy deficits in neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miracle Ozzoude
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, 60 Leonard Avenue, 6th floor 6KD-407, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada.,L.C. Campbell Cognitive Neurology Unit, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Brenda Varriano
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, 60 Leonard Avenue, 6th floor 6KD-407, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Derek Beaton
- Rotman Research Institute of Baycrest Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joel Ramirez
- L.C. Campbell Cognitive Neurology Unit, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Melissa F Holmes
- L.C. Campbell Cognitive Neurology Unit, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Christopher J M Scott
- L.C. Campbell Cognitive Neurology Unit, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fuqiang Gao
- L.C. Campbell Cognitive Neurology Unit, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Paula McLaughlin
- Nova Scotia Health and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Jennifer Rabin
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maged Goubran
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Donna Kwan
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.,Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Angela Roberts
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.,School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Robert Bartha
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Sean Symons
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Brian Tan
- Rotman Research Institute of Baycrest Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Richard H Swartz
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Heart & Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Agessandro Abrahao
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gustavo Saposnik
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mario Masellis
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anthony E Lang
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Edmond J Safra Program for Parkinson Disease, Movement Disorder Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Connie Marras
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Edmond J Safra Program for Parkinson Disease, Movement Disorder Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lorne Zinman
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Christen Shoesmith
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Borrie
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,St. Joseph's Healthcare Centre, London, ON, Canada
| | - Corinne E Fischer
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andrew Frank
- Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Morris Freedman
- Rotman Research Institute of Baycrest Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Manuel Montero-Odasso
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.,Gait and Brain Lab, Parkwood Institute, London, ON, Canada
| | - Sanjeev Kumar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Adult Neurodevelopment and Geriatric Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen Pasternak
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen C Strother
- Rotman Research Institute of Baycrest Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bruce G Pollock
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Adult Neurodevelopment and Geriatric Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tarek K Rajji
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Adult Neurodevelopment and Geriatric Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Toronto Dementia Research Alliance, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dallas Seitz
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - David F Tang-Wai
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Memory Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - John Turnbull
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Dar Dowlatshahi
- Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ayman Hassan
- Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
| | - Leanne Casaubon
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jennifer Mandzia
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Demetrios Sahlas
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - David P Breen
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David Grimes
- Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Mandar Jog
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada
| | - Thomas D L Steeves
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen R Arnott
- Rotman Research Institute of Baycrest Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sandra E Black
- L.C. Campbell Cognitive Neurology Unit, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Heart & Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Toronto Dementia Research Alliance, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Finger
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | | | - Maria Carmela Tartaglia
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower, 60 Leonard Avenue, 6th floor 6KD-407, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada. .,Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Memory Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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