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Bitra VR, Challa SR, Adiukwu PC, Rapaka D. Tau trajectory in Alzheimer's disease: Evidence from the connectome-based computational models. Brain Res Bull 2023; 203:110777. [PMID: 37813312 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110777] [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] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with an impairment of cognition and memory. Current research on connectomics have now related changes in the network organization in AD to the patterns of accumulation and spread of amyloid and tau, providing insights into the neurobiological mechanisms of the disease. In addition, network analysis and modeling focus on particular use of graphs to provide intuition into key organizational principles of brain structure, that stipulate how neural activity propagates along structural connections. The utility of connectome-based computational models aids in early predicting, tracking the progression of biomarker-directed AD neuropathology. In this article, we present a short review of tau trajectory, the connectome changes in tau pathology, and the dependent recent connectome-based computational modelling approaches for tau spreading, reproducing pragmatic findings, and developing significant novel tau targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veera Raghavulu Bitra
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Botswana, P/Bag-0022, Gaborone, Botswana.
| | - Siva Reddy Challa
- Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL 61614, USA; KVSR Siddartha College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Paul C Adiukwu
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Botswana, P/Bag-0022, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Deepthi Rapaka
- Pharmacology Division, D.D.T. College of Medicine, Gaborone, Botswana.
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2
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Ricci M, Cimini A, Camedda R, Chiaravalloti A, Schillaci O. Tau Biomarkers in Dementia: Positron Emission Tomography Radiopharmaceuticals in Tauopathy Assessment and Future Perspective. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222313002. [PMID: 34884804 PMCID: PMC8657996 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222313002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal accumulation of Tau protein is closely associated with neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment and it is a biomarker of neurodegeneration in the dementia field, especially in Alzheimer’s disease (AD); therefore, it is crucial to be able to assess the Tau deposits in vivo. Beyond the fluid biomarkers of tauopathy described in this review in relationship with the brain glucose metabolic patterns, this review aims to focus on tauopathy assessment by using Tau PET imaging. In recent years, several first-generation Tau PET tracers have been developed and applied in the dementia field. Common limitations of first-generation tracers include off-target binding and subcortical white-matter uptake; therefore, several institutions are working on developing second-generation Tau tracers. The increasing knowledge about the distribution of first- and second-generation Tau PET tracers in the brain may support physicians with Tau PET data interpretation, both in the research and in the clinical field, but an updated description of differences in distribution patterns among different Tau tracers, and in different clinical conditions, has not been reported yet. We provide an overview of first- and second-generation tracers used in ongoing clinical trials, also describing the differences and the properties of novel tracers, with a special focus on the distribution patterns of different Tau tracers. We also describe the distribution patterns of Tau tracers in AD, in atypical AD, and further neurodegenerative diseases in the dementia field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Ricci
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (R.C.); (A.C.); (O.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Andrea Cimini
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (R.C.); (A.C.); (O.S.)
| | - Riccardo Camedda
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (R.C.); (A.C.); (O.S.)
| | - Agostino Chiaravalloti
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (R.C.); (A.C.); (O.S.)
- Nuclear Medicine Section, IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Orazio Schillaci
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (R.C.); (A.C.); (O.S.)
- Nuclear Medicine Section, IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
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3
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Vignon A, Salvador-Prince L, Lehmann S, Perrier V, Torrent J. Deconstructing Alzheimer's Disease: How to Bridge the Gap between Experimental Models and the Human Pathology? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8769. [PMID: 34445475 PMCID: PMC8395727 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Discovered more than a century ago, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is not only still present in our societies but has also become the most common dementia, with 50 million people worldwide affected by the disease. This number is expected to double in the next generation, and no cure is currently available to slow down or stop the disease progression. Recently, some advances were made due to the approval of the aducanumab treatment by the American Food and Drug Administration. The etiology of this human-specific disease remains poorly understood, and the mechanisms of its development have not been completely clarified. Several hypotheses concerning the molecular mechanisms of AD have been proposed, but the existing studies focus primarily on the two main markers of the disease: the amyloid β peptides, whose aggregation in the brain generates amyloid plaques, and the abnormally phosphorylated tau proteins, which are responsible for neurofibrillary tangles. These protein aggregates induce neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, which, in turn, lead to cognitive and behavioral deficits. The challenge is, therefore, to create models that best reproduce this pathology. This review aims at gathering the different existing AD models developed in vitro, in cellulo, and in vivo. Many models have already been set up, but it is necessary to identify the most relevant ones for our investigations. The purpose of the review is to help researchers to identify the most pertinent disease models, from the most often used to the most recently generated and from simple to complex, explaining their specificities and giving concrete examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Vignon
- INM, University of Montpellier, INSERM, 34095 Montpellier, France; (A.V.); (L.S.-P.)
| | - Lucie Salvador-Prince
- INM, University of Montpellier, INSERM, 34095 Montpellier, France; (A.V.); (L.S.-P.)
| | - Sylvain Lehmann
- INM, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CHU Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier, France;
| | - Véronique Perrier
- INM, University of Montpellier, INSERM, CNRS, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Joan Torrent
- INM, University of Montpellier, INSERM, 34095 Montpellier, France; (A.V.); (L.S.-P.)
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Yang F, Chowdhury SR, Jacobs HIL, Sepulcre J, Wedeen VJ, Johnson KA, Dutta J. Longitudinal predictive modeling of tau progression along the structural connectome. Neuroimage 2021; 237:118126. [PMID: 33957234 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau neurofibrillary tangles, a pathophysiological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), exhibit a stereotypical spatiotemporal trajectory that is strongly correlated with disease progression and cognitive decline. Personalized prediction of tau progression is, therefore, vital for the early diagnosis and prognosis of AD. Evidence from both animal and human studies is suggestive of tau transmission along the brains preexisting neural connectivity conduits. We present here an analytic graph diffusion framework for individualized predictive modeling of tau progression along the structural connectome. To account for physiological processes that lead to active generation and clearance of tau alongside passive diffusion, our model uses an inhomogenous graph diffusion equation with a source term and provides closed-form solutions to this equation for linear and exponential source functionals. Longitudinal imaging data from two cohorts, the Harvard Aging Brain Study (HABS) and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), were used to validate the model. The clinical data used for developing and validating the model include regional tau measures extracted from longitudinal positron emission tomography (PET) scans based on the 18F-Flortaucipir radiotracer and individual structural connectivity maps computed from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) by means of tractography and streamline counting. Two-timepoint tau PET scans were used to assess the goodness of model fit. Three-timepoint tau PET scans were used to assess predictive accuracy via comparison of predicted and observed tau measures at the third timepoint. Our results show high consistency between predicted and observed tau and differential tau from region-based analysis. While the prognostic value of this approach needs to be validated in a larger cohort, our preliminary results suggest that our longitudinal predictive model, which offers an in vivo macroscopic perspective on tau progression in the brain, is potentially promising as a personalizable predictive framework for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, United States
| | | | - Heidi I L Jacobs
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jorge Sepulcre
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Van J Wedeen
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Keith A Johnson
- Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Joyita Dutta
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, United States; Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
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5
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Huang C, Kritikos M, Clouston SAP, Deri Y, Serrano-Sosa M, Bangiyev L, Santiago-Michels S, Gandy S, Sano M, Bromet EJ, Luft BJ. White Matter Connectivity in Incident Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Diffusion Spectrum Imaging Study of World Trade Center Responders at Midlife. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 80:1209-1219. [PMID: 33646156 PMCID: PMC8150516 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Background: Individuals who participated in response efforts at the World Trade Center (WTC) following 9/11/2001 are experiencing elevated incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at midlife. Objective: We hypothesized that white matter connectivity measured using diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) would be restructured in WTC responders with MCI versus cognitively unimpaired responders. Methods: Twenty responders (mean age 56; 10 MCI/10 unimpaired) recruited from an epidemiological study were characterized using NIA-AA criteria alongside controls matched on demographics (age/sex/occupation/race/education). Axial DSI was acquired on a 3T Siemen’s Biograph mMR scanner (12-channel head coil) using a multi-band diffusion sequence. Connectometry examined whole-brain tract-level differences in white matter integrity. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and quantified anisotropy were extracted for region of interest (ROI) analyses using the Desikan-Killiany atlas. Results: Connectometry identified both increased and decreased connectivity within regions of the brains of responders with MCI identified in the corticothalamic pathway and cortico-striatal pathway that survived adjustment for multiple comparisons. MCI was also associated with higher FA values in five ROIs including in the rostral anterior cingulate; lower MD values in four ROIs including the left rostral anterior cingulate; and higher MD values in the right inferior circular insula. Analyses by cognitive domain revealed nominal associations in domains of response speed, verbal learning, verbal retention, and visuospatial learning. Conclusions: WTC responders with MCI at midlife showed early signs of neurodegeneration characterized by both increased and decreased white matter diffusivity in regions commonly affected by early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Department of Radiology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Minos Kritikos
- Program in Public Health, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Department of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Sean A P Clouston
- Program in Public Health, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Department of Family, Population, and Preventive Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Yael Deri
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,World Trade Center Health and Wellness Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Mario Serrano-Sosa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Lev Bangiyev
- Department of Radiology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Stephanie Santiago-Michels
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,World Trade Center Health and Wellness Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Sam Gandy
- Center for Cognitive Health and NFL Neurological Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mary Sano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,Center for Cognitive Health and NFL Neurological Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Evelyn J Bromet
- Department of Psychiatry, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin J Luft
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.,World Trade Center Health and Wellness Program, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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Song TA, Chowdhury SR, Yang F, Jacobs HIL, Sepulcre J, Wedeen VJ, Johnson KA, Dutta J. A physics-informed geometric learning model for pathological tau spread in Alzheimer's disease. MEDICAL IMAGE COMPUTING AND COMPUTER-ASSISTED INTERVENTION : MICCAI ... INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MEDICAL IMAGE COMPUTING AND COMPUTER-ASSISTED INTERVENTION 2020; 12267:418-427. [PMID: 33263115 PMCID: PMC7700821 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-59728-3_41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
Tau tangles are a pathophysiological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and exhibit a stereotypical pattern of spatiotemporal spread which has strong links to disease progression and cognitive decline. Preclinical evidence suggests that tau spread depends on neuronal connectivity rather than physical proximity between different brain regions. Here, we present a novel physics-informed geometric learning model for predicting tau buildup and spread that learns patterns directly from longitudinal tau imaging data while receiving guidance from governing physical principles. Implemented as a graph neural network with physics-based regularization in latent space, the model enables effective training with smaller data sizes. For training and validation of the model, we used longitudinal tau measures from positron emission tomography (PET) and structural connectivity graphs from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) from the Harvard Aging Brain Study. The model led to higher peak signal-to-noise ratio and lower mean squared error levels than both an unregularized graph neural network and a differential equation solver. The method was validated using both two-timepoint and three-timepoint tau PET measures. The effectiveness of the approach was further confirmed by a cross-validation study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-An Song
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Samadrita Roy Chowdhury
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Fan Yang
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Heidi I L Jacobs
- Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jorge Sepulcre
- Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Van J Wedeen
- Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Keith A Johnson
- Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joyita Dutta
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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