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Calvo A, Moglia C, Canosa A, Manera U, Vasta R, Grassano M, Daviddi M, De Mattei F, Matteoni E, Gallone S, Brunetti M, Sbaiz L, Cabras S, Peotta L, Palumbo F, Iazzolino B, Mora G, Chiò A. High Frequency of Cognitive and Behavioral Impairment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Patients with SOD1 Pathogenic Variants. Ann Neurol 2024; 96:150-158. [PMID: 38568044 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE While the cognitive-behavioral characteristics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients carrying C9orf72 pathological repeat expansion have been extensively studied, our understanding of those carrying SOD1 variants is mostly based on case reports. The aim of this paper is to extensively explore the cognitive-behavioral characteristics of a cohort of ALS patients carrying pathogenetic variants of SOD1 gene, comparing them to patients without pathogenetic variants of 46 ALS-related genes (wild-type [WT]-ALS) and healthy controls. METHODS All ALS patients seen at the Turin ALS expert center in the 2009-2021 period who underwent both cognitive/behavioral and extensive genetic testing were eligible to be included in the study. Only patients with SOD1 pathogenetic variants (n = 28) (SOD1-ALS) and WT-ALS (n = 829) were enrolled in the study. A series of 129 controls was also included. RESULTS Among the 28 SOD1-ALS patients, 16 (57.1%) had normal cognitive function, 5 (17.9%) isolated cognitive impairment (ALSci) (17.9%), 6 (21.4%) isolated behavioral impairment (ALSbi), 1 (3.6%) cognitive and behavioral impairment (ALScbi), and no one ALS-FTD. SOD1-ALS performed worse than controls in all explored domains, in particular Social Cognition and Language domains. SOD1-ALS patients had similar scores in all tests compared to WT-ALS, except the Story-based Empathy Task (SET), where they performed worse. INTERPRETATION Cognitive-behavioral impairment is much more common in SOD1 patients than previously assumed. SOD1-ALS are characterized by a more frequent impairment of Social Cognition and, less markedly, of Language domains. These findings have relevant implication both in the clinical and in the research setting, also considering recently approved treatment for SOD1-ALS. ANN NEUROL 2024;96:150-158.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Calvo
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- Neurology 1, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Moglia
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- Neurology 1, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Antonio Canosa
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- Neurology 1, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino, Turin, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Umberto Manera
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- Neurology 1, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Rosario Vasta
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Maurizio Grassano
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Margherita Daviddi
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Filippo De Mattei
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Enrico Matteoni
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Salvatore Gallone
- Neurology 1, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Maura Brunetti
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Luca Sbaiz
- Neurology 1, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Sara Cabras
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Laura Peotta
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Palumbo
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Barbara Iazzolino
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Gabriele Mora
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Adriano Chiò
- ALS Center, 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
- Neurology 1, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino, Turin, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
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Lee J, Kim A, Choi SJ, Cho E, Seo J, Oh SI, Jung J, Kim JS, Sung JJ, Abrahams S, Hong YH. Development and Validation of the Korean Version of the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Screen (ECAS-K). J Clin Neurol 2023; 19:454-459. [PMID: 37488957 PMCID: PMC10471544 DOI: 10.3988/jcn.2022.0403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cognitive and behavioral changes are common in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with about 15% of patients presenting with overt frontotemporal dementia and 30%-50% with varying degrees of impairments. We aimed to develop and validate the Korean version of the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS-K), a brief multidomain assessment tool developed for ALS patients with physical disability. METHODS We developed the ECAS-K according to the translation guidelines, and administered it to 38 patients with ALS and 26 age- and education-level-matched controls. We also administered the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) to investigate convergent validity, and the Center for Neurologic Study-Liability Scale to assess the association between pseudobulbar affect and cognitive/behavioral changes. RESULTS Internal consistency among the ECAS-K test items was found to be high, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.87. Significant differences were found between patients with ALS and the controls in language, fluency, and memory functions (p<0.05). Abnormal performance based on the ECAS total score was noted in 39.4% of patients, and 66.6% presented behavioral changes in at least one domain. Significant correlations were observed between the scores of the ECAS-K and those of other cognitive screening tools (MoCA and FAB, with correlation coefficients of 0.69 and 0.55, respectively; p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS We developed and validated the ECAS-K which could be used as an effective tool to screen the cognitive and behavioral impairments in Korean patients with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeeun Lee
- Department of Neurology, Myongji Hospital, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Goyang, Korea
| | - Ahwon Kim
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seok-Jin Choi
- Department of Neurology, Center for Hospital Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eric Cho
- Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Seong-Il Oh
- Department of Neurology, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
| | - Jinho Jung
- Department of Neurology, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
| | - Ji-Sun Kim
- Department of Neurology, Incheon Sejong Hospital, Incheon, Korea
| | - Jung-Joon Sung
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sharon Abrahams
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, Human Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Yoon-Ho Hong
- Department of Neurology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University Medical Research Council, Seoul Metropolitan Government Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
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Terrabuio E, Zenaro E, Constantin G. The role of the CD8+ T cell compartment in ageing and neurodegenerative disorders. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1233870. [PMID: 37575227 PMCID: PMC10416633 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1233870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
CD8+ lymphocytes are adaptive immunity cells with the particular function to directly kill the target cell following antigen recognition in the context of MHC class I. In addition, CD8+ T cells may release pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and a plethora of other cytokines and chemoattractants modulating immune and inflammatory responses. A role for CD8+ T cells has been suggested in aging and several diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, limbic encephalitis-induced temporal lobe epilepsy and Susac syndrome. Here we discuss the phenotypic and functional alterations of CD8+ T cell compartment during these conditions, highlighting similarities and differences between CNS disorders. Particularly, we describe the pathological changes in CD8+ T cell memory phenotypes emphasizing the role of senescence and exhaustion in promoting neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. We also discuss the relevance of trafficking molecules such as selectins, mucins and integrins controlling the extravasation of CD8+ T cells into the CNS and promoting disease development. Finally, we discuss how CD8+ T cells may induce CNS tissue damage leading to neurodegeneration and suggest that targeting detrimental CD8+ T cells functions may have therapeutic effect in CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Terrabuio
- Department of Medicine, Section of General Pathology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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Martinelli I, Zucchi E, Simonini C, Gianferrari G, Zamboni G, Pinti M, Mandrioli J. The landscape of cognitive impairment in superoxide dismutase 1-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neural Regen Res 2023; 18:1427-1433. [PMID: 36571338 PMCID: PMC10075107 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.361535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although mutations in the superoxide dismutase 1 gene account for only a minority of total amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases, the discovery of this gene has been crucial for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research. Since the identification of superoxide dismutase 1 in 1993, the field of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis genetics has considerably widened, improving our understanding of the diverse pathogenic basis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In this review, we focus on cognitive impairment in superoxide dismutase 1-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. Literature has mostly reported that cognition remains intact in superoxide dismutase 1-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients, but recent reports highlight frontal lobe function frailty in patients carrying different superoxide dismutase 1-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mutations. We thoroughly reviewed all the various mutations reported in the literature to contribute to a comprehensive database of superoxide dismutase 1-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis genotype-phenotype correlation. Such a resource could ultimately improve our mechanistic understanding of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, enabling a more robust assessment of how the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis phenotype responds to different variants across genes, which is important for the therapeutic strategy targeting genetic mutations. Cognition in superoxide dismutase 1-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis deserves further longitudinal research since this peculiar frailty in patients with similar mutations can be conditioned by external factors, including environment and other unidentified agents including modifier genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Martinelli
- Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia; Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Zucchi
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena; Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Cecilia Simonini
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Giulia Gianferrari
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Giovanna Zamboni
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena; Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Marcello Pinti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Jessica Mandrioli
- Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena; Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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Gagliardi D, Ripellino P, Meneri M, Del Bo R, Antognozzi S, Comi GP, Gobbi C, Ratti A, Ticozzi N, Silani V, Ronchi D, Corti S. Clinical and molecular features of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and SOD1 mutations: a monocentric study. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1169689. [PMID: 37265463 PMCID: PMC10230028 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1169689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction SOD1 was the first gene associated with both familial and sporadic forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and is the second most mutated gene in Caucasian ALS patients. Given their high clinical and molecular heterogeneity, a detailed characterization of SOD1-ALS patients could improve knowledge about the natural history of this disease. Here, the authors aimed to provide a clinical and molecular description of a monocentric cohort of SOD1-ALS patients. Methods Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients referring to the neurology unit of our center between 2008 and 2021 were clinically assessed and underwent molecular testing for SOD1. Segregation studies in available family members and in silico analysis were performed to sustain the pathogenicity of the identified SOD1 variants. Results Among the 576 patients in our cohort, we identified 19 individuals harboring a mutation in SOD1 (3.3%), including 15 (78.9%) with a familial and four (21.1%) with a sporadic form. The spinal onset of the disease was observed in all patients, and survival was extremely variable, ranging from 8 months to over 30 years. Twelve different SOD1 missense variants were identified in our cohort, including one novel mutation (p.Pro67Leu). Discussion In the present series, we provided the first description of an Italian monocentric cohort of SOD1-ALS patients, and we expanded the repertoire of SOD1 mutations. Our cohort presents several remarkable features, including variable expressivity in the same family, atypical presentation (ataxia, cognitive impairment, and other extra-motor symptoms), and different modes of inheritance of a given mutation in the same family. Given the recent authorization of SOD1-directed antisense oligonucleotide for use in SOD1-ALS patients, we recommend prompt screening for SOD1 mutations in novel ALS patients with familiar or sporadic presentations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delia Gagliardi
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), Dino Ferrari Centre, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Ripellino
- Department of Neurology, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland EOC, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Megi Meneri
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), Dino Ferrari Centre, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Del Bo
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), Dino Ferrari Centre, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Antognozzi
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), Dino Ferrari Centre, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Pietro Comi
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), Dino Ferrari Centre, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Gobbi
- Department of Neurology, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland EOC, Lugano, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Antonia Ratti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), Dino Ferrari Centre, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), Dino Ferrari Centre, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Dario Ronchi
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), Dino Ferrari Centre, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Corti
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), Dino Ferrari Centre, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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Kutlubaev MA, Caga J, Xu Y, Areprintseva DK, Pervushina EV, Kiernan MC. Apathy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: systematic review and meta-analysis of frequency, correlates, and outcomes. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2023; 24:14-23. [PMID: 35352575 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2022.2053721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Objectives: To determine the frequency and correlates of apathy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and its influence on the prognosis of the disease.Methods: Three databases were searched: MEDLINE, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Quantitative synthesis of the frequency of apathy in ALS was conducted using random effects in Stata (College Station, TX). Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were conducted to investigate the association between frequency of apathy in ALS and different covariates.Results: Fifty-two studies (51 cohorts) were included in the analysis. The pooled frequency of apathy in ALS was 25% (95% confidence interval (CI) 14-35%) according to the studies that used self-rated tools and 34% (95% CI 27-41%) according to studies that used informant-rated tools. The emergence of apathy was associated with cognitive decline and bulbar onset of the disease. There was no consistent relationship between apathy and disease stage or the severity of depression. Structural brain imaging studies established that ALS patients with apathy exhibited more prominent changes with structural and functional brain imaging particularly involving fronto-subcortical regions of the brain. Overall, apathy worsened the long-term prognosis of ALS.Discussion: Apathy affects up to a third of ALS patients аnd develops in the context of progressive neurodegeneration. Increased awareness and understanding of non-motor symptoms in ALS highlights the potential utility of apathy as an outcome measure in future clinical trial design.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jashelle Caga
- Brain & Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia and
| | - Ying Xu
- The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia
| | | | | | - Matthew C Kiernan
- Brain & Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia and
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Forsberg KM, Graffmo KS, Stenvall E, Tabikh N, Marklund SL, Brännström T, Andersen PM. Widespread CNS pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis homozygous for the D90A SOD1 mutation. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 145:13-28. [PMID: 36385230 PMCID: PMC9807479 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02519-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the gene encoding the ubiquitously expressed free radical scavenging enzyme superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) are found in 2-6% of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. The most frequent SOD1 mutation worldwide is D90A. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by this mutation has some unusual features: the heredity is usually recessive, the phenotype is stereotypic with slowly evolving motor symptoms beginning in the legs and may also include sensory, autonomic, and urinary bladder involvement. Furthermore, the mutant protein resembles the wild type, with normal content and enzymatic activity in the central nervous system. Here, we report neuropathological findings in nine patients homozygous for the D90A mutation. All nine had numerous small granular inclusions immunoreactive for misfolded SOD1 in motor neurons and glial nuclei in the spinal cord and brainstem. In addition to degeneration of the corticospinal tracts, all patients had degeneration of the dorsal columns. We also found intense gliosis in circumscribed cortical areas of the frontal and temporal lobes and in the insula. In these areas and in adjacent white matter, there were SOD1 staining neuropil threads. A few SOD1-immunopositive cytoplasmic neuronal inclusions were observed in cortical areas, as were glial nuclear inclusions. As suggested by the symptoms and signs and earlier neurophysiological and imaging investigations, the histopathology in patients homozygous for the D90A SOD1 extends beyond the motor system to include cognitive and sensory cortical areas. However, even in the patients that had a symptomatic disease duration of more than 2 or 3 decades and lived into their 70s or 80s, there were no SOD1-inclusion pathology and no typical dysfunction (apart from the musculature) in non-nervous organs. Thus, only specific parts of the CNS seem to be vulnerable to toxicity provoked by homozygously expressed mutant SOD1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin M Forsberg
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Neurosciences, Umeå University, 90185, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Karin S Graffmo
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Erica Stenvall
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Naima Tabikh
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Stefan L Marklund
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Clinical Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Thomas Brännström
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Pathology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Peter M Andersen
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Neurosciences, Umeå University, 90185, Umeå, Sweden.
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Opie-Martin S, Iacoangeli A, Topp SD, Abel O, Mayl K, Mehta PR, Shatunov A, Fogh I, Bowles H, Limbachiya N, Spargo TP, Al-Khleifat A, Williams KL, Jockel-Balsarotti J, Bali T, Self W, Henden L, Nicholson GA, Ticozzi N, McKenna-Yasek D, Tang L, Shaw PJ, Chio A, Ludolph A, Weishaupt JH, Landers JE, Glass JD, Mora JS, Robberecht W, Damme PV, McLaughlin R, Hardiman O, van den Berg L, Veldink JH, Corcia P, Stevic Z, Siddique N, Silani V, Blair IP, Fan DS, Esselin F, de la Cruz E, Camu W, Basak NA, Siddique T, Miller T, Brown RH, Al-Chalabi A, Shaw CE. The SOD1-mediated ALS phenotype shows a decoupling between age of symptom onset and disease duration. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6901. [PMID: 36371497 PMCID: PMC9653399 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34620-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene variants may cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, some of which are associated with a distinct phenotype. Most studies assess limited variants or sample sizes. In this international, retrospective observational study, we compare phenotypic and demographic characteristics between people with SOD1-ALS and people with ALS and no recorded SOD1 variant. We investigate which variants are associated with age at symptom onset and time from onset to death or censoring using Cox proportional-hazards regression. The SOD1-ALS dataset reports age of onset for 1122 and disease duration for 883 people; the comparator population includes 10,214 and 9010 people respectively. Eight variants are associated with younger age of onset and distinct survival trajectories; a further eight associated with younger onset only and one with distinct survival only. Here we show that onset and survival are decoupled in SOD1-ALS. Future research should characterise rarer variants and molecular mechanisms causing the observed variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Opie-Martin
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Alfredo Iacoangeli
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 8AF, London, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, London, UK
| | - Simon D Topp
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Olubunmi Abel
- Homerton University Hospital, Homerton Row, London, E9 6SR, UK
| | - Keith Mayl
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Puja R Mehta
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Aleksey Shatunov
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Liverpool, Blue Block 1.09, Sherrington Building, Crown St, Liverpool, L693BX, UK
- Institute of Medicine, North-Eastern Federal University, 58 Belinsky str, Yakutsk, 677000, Russia
| | - Isabella Fogh
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Harry Bowles
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Naomi Limbachiya
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Thomas P Spargo
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Ahmad Al-Khleifat
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Kelly L Williams
- Macquarie University Centre for MND Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Taha Bali
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Wade Self
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Lyndal Henden
- Macquarie University Centre for MND Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Garth A Nicholson
- Macquarie University Centre for MND Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Concord Clinical School, ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Repatriation Hospital, Sydney, NSW, 2139, Australia
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20095, Cusano Milanino, MiIan, Italy
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Center for Neurotechnology and Brain Therapeutics, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Diane McKenna-Yasek
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Lu Tang
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, PR China
| | - Pamela J Shaw
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Adriano Chio
- Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Neurology 1, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza of Torino, Turin, 10124, Torino, Italy
| | - Albert Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, DZNE, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jochen H Weishaupt
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurology, Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - John E Landers
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Jonathan D Glass
- Department Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Jesus S Mora
- ALS Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital San Rafael, 28016, Madrid, Spain
| | - Wim Robberecht
- Neurology Department, Univeristy Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philip Van Damme
- Neurology Department, Univeristy Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Neuroscience Department, KU Leuven and Center for Brain & Disease Research VIB Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Russell McLaughlin
- Complex Trait Genomics Laboratory, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Orla Hardiman
- Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, D02 PN40, Ireland
| | - Leonard van den Berg
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H Veldink
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Phillippe Corcia
- Centre de Référence pour la SLA et les Autres Maladies du Motoneurone (FILSLAN), 2 Avenue Martin Luther King, 87042, Limoges Cedex, France
- Centre de Compétences Neuropathies Amyloïdes Familiales et Autres Neuropathies Périphériques Rares (NNERF), Poitiers, France
| | - Zorica Stevic
- Neurology Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 1, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Nailah Siddique
- Neuromuscular Disorders Program, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20095, Cusano Milanino, MiIan, Italy
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Center for Neurotechnology and Brain Therapeutics, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Ian P Blair
- Macquarie University Centre for MND Research, Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dong-Sheng Fan
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, PR China
| | - Florence Esselin
- Reference Center for ALS and Other Rare Motoneuron Disorders, University Hospital Gui de Chauliac, 34295, Montpellier, France
| | - Elisa de la Cruz
- Reference Center for ALS and Other Rare Motoneuron Disorders, University Hospital Gui de Chauliac, 34295, Montpellier, France
| | - William Camu
- Reference Center for ALS and Other Rare Motoneuron Disorders, University Hospital Gui de Chauliac, 34295, Montpellier, France
| | - Nazli A Basak
- Koç University, School of Medicine Translational Medicine Research Center KUTTAM-NDAL, 34450, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Teepu Siddique
- Neuromuscular Disorders Program, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Timothy Miller
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Robert H Brown
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Christopher E Shaw
- UK Dementia Research Institute Centre at King's College London, School of Neuroscience, King's College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK.
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, 85 Park Road, Grafton, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
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Dalla Bella E, Bersano E, Bruzzone MG, Gellera C, Pensato V, Lauria G, Consonni M. Behavioral and Cognitive Phenotypes of Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Carrying SOD1 Variants. Neurology 2022; 99:e2052-e2062. [PMID: 35985819 PMCID: PMC9651465 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000201044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES SOD1 variants in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have been associated with peculiar clinical features and disease progression but rarely with cognitive and behavioral impairment. This study aims at describing the features of frontotemporal syndromes in patients with ALS carrying SOD1 variants. METHODS Italian patients with ALS were consecutively enrolled between 2012 and 2020 at our Motor Neuron Disease Center. All underwent clinical assessment, extensive neurophysiologic test battery for the evaluation of cognitive functions and behavior, and targeted next-generation sequencing of SOD1, FUS, TARDBP, VCP, PFN1, TUBA4A, OPTN, SQSTM1, UBQLN2, and C9orf72 genes. Neuropsychological profiles of SOD1+ patients (SOD1+) were compared with those with no gene variants (SOD1-). To this aim, the occurrence of cognitive and behavioral impairment defined according to the current guidelines, the number of pathologic test performances based on Italian normative values, and scores of the Frontal Behavioral Inventory were collected. RESULTS Among 288 patients consecutively examined, we identified 8 known pathogenic SOD1 variants and one variant of uncertain significance (p.Ser26Asn) not previously described in 14 patients with ALS belonging to 11 families. The clinical phenotypes were mainly characterized by predominant lower motor neuron involvement with onset at the lower limbs, and one patient had bulbar onset. SOD1+ patients (n = 14) were compared with SOD1- patients (N = 274). SOD1+ patients were younger than SOD1-, and both groups had similar functional motor disabilities and disease duration. Based on the overall neuropsychological findings, the percentage of SOD1+ and SOD1- patients with altered profiles were approximately 60%. However, behavioral impairment defined by the Strong criteria, and most commonly featuring with irritability and mental rigidity, was more frequent in SOD1+ than SOD1- patients and mainly associated with variants in exon 5. Conversely, cognitive impairment was mainly found in SOD1- patients. DISCUSSION Our findings from a large cohort of deeply phenotyped patients with ALS demonstrated that behavioral involvement is more common than previously thought among patients harboring SOD1 variants and that it is independent from patients' age and disease stage. These findings could be relevant for the assessment of clinical trial outcomes and disease management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Dalla Bella
- From the 3rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Diseases Centre (E.D.B., E.B., G.L., M.C.), Neuroradiology Unit (M.G.B.), Diagnostic and Technology Department, and Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics (C.G., V.P.), Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta"; Milan, and Department of Biomedical and Clinical and Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (E.B., G.L.), University of Milan, Italy
| | - Enrica Bersano
- From the 3rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Diseases Centre (E.D.B., E.B., G.L., M.C.), Neuroradiology Unit (M.G.B.), Diagnostic and Technology Department, and Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics (C.G., V.P.), Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta"; Milan, and Department of Biomedical and Clinical and Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (E.B., G.L.), University of Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Bruzzone
- From the 3rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Diseases Centre (E.D.B., E.B., G.L., M.C.), Neuroradiology Unit (M.G.B.), Diagnostic and Technology Department, and Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics (C.G., V.P.), Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta"; Milan, and Department of Biomedical and Clinical and Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (E.B., G.L.), University of Milan, Italy
| | - Cinzia Gellera
- From the 3rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Diseases Centre (E.D.B., E.B., G.L., M.C.), Neuroradiology Unit (M.G.B.), Diagnostic and Technology Department, and Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics (C.G., V.P.), Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta"; Milan, and Department of Biomedical and Clinical and Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (E.B., G.L.), University of Milan, Italy
| | - Viviana Pensato
- From the 3rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Diseases Centre (E.D.B., E.B., G.L., M.C.), Neuroradiology Unit (M.G.B.), Diagnostic and Technology Department, and Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics (C.G., V.P.), Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta"; Milan, and Department of Biomedical and Clinical and Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (E.B., G.L.), University of Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Lauria
- From the 3rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Diseases Centre (E.D.B., E.B., G.L., M.C.), Neuroradiology Unit (M.G.B.), Diagnostic and Technology Department, and Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics (C.G., V.P.), Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta"; Milan, and Department of Biomedical and Clinical and Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (E.B., G.L.), University of Milan, Italy.
| | - Monica Consonni
- From the 3rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Diseases Centre (E.D.B., E.B., G.L., M.C.), Neuroradiology Unit (M.G.B.), Diagnostic and Technology Department, and Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics (C.G., V.P.), Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico "Carlo Besta"; Milan, and Department of Biomedical and Clinical and Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (E.B., G.L.), University of Milan, Italy
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Todd TW, Petrucelli L. Modelling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in rodents. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:231-251. [PMID: 35260846 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00564-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The efficient study of human disease requires the proper tools, one of the most crucial of which is an accurate animal model that faithfully recapitulates the human condition. The study of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is no exception. Although the majority of ALS cases are considered sporadic, most animal models of this disease rely on genetic mutations identified in familial cases. Over the past decade, the number of genes associated with ALS has risen dramatically and, with each new genetic variant, there is a drive to develop associated animal models. Rodent models are of particular importance as they allow for the study of ALS in the context of a living mammal with a comparable CNS. Such models not only help to verify the pathogenicity of novel mutations but also provide critical insight into disease mechanisms and are crucial for the testing of new therapeutics. In this Review, we aim to summarize the full spectrum of ALS rodent models developed to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany W Todd
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Leonard Petrucelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
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11
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with SOD1 mutations shows distinct brain metabolic changes. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2022; 49:2242-2250. [PMID: 35076740 PMCID: PMC9165265 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-021-05668-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Neuropathological data suggest that ALS with SOD1 mutations (SOD1-ALS) is a distinct form of ALS. We evaluated brain metabolic changes characterizing SOD1-ALS as compared to sporadic ALS (sALS), employing 18fluorodeoxyglucose-positron-emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET). Methods We included 18 SOD1-ALS patients, 40 healthy controls (HC), and 46 sALS patients without mutations in SOD1, TARDBP, FUS, and C9ORF72, randomly selected from 665 subjects who underwent brain 18F-FDG-PET at diagnosis between 2008 and 2019 at the ALS Centre of Turin. We excluded patients with frontotemporal dementia. We used the full factorial design in SPM12 to evaluate whether differences among groups exist overall. In case the hypothesis was confirmed, group comparisons were performed through the two-sample t-test model of SPM12. In all the analyses, the height threshold was P < 0.001 (P < 0.05 FWE-corrected at cluster level). Results The full factorial design resulted in a significant main effect of groups. We identified a relative hypometabolism in sALS patients compared to SOD1-ALS cases in the right precentral and medial frontal gyrus, right paracentral lobule, and bilateral postcentral gyrus. SOD1 patients showed a relative hypermetabolism as compared to HC in the right precentral gyrus and paracentral lobule. As compared to HC, sALS patients showed relative hypometabolism in frontal, temporal, and occipital cortices. Conclusion SOD1-ALS was characterized by a relative hypermetabolism in the motor cortex as compared to sALS and HC. Since promising, targeted, therapeutic strategies are upcoming for SOD1-ALS, our data support the use of PET to study disease pathogenesis and to track its course in clinical trials, in both asymptomatic and symptomatic mutation carriers. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00259-021-05668-7.
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12
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Roggenbuck J, Rich KA, Vicini L, Palettas M, Schroeder J, Zaleski C, Lincoln T, Drury L, Glass JD. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Genetic Access Program: Paving the Way for Genetic Characterization of ALS in the Clinic. NEUROLOGY-GENETICS 2021; 7:e615. [PMID: 34386583 PMCID: PMC8356701 DOI: 10.1212/nxg.0000000000000615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Objective To report the frequency of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) genetic variants in a nationwide cohort of clinic-based patients with ALS with a family history of ALS (fALS), dementia (dALS), or both ALS and dementia (fALS/dALS). Methods A multicenter, prospective cohort of 573 patients with fALS, dALS, or fALS/dALS, underwent genetic testing in the ALS Genetic Access Program (ALS GAP), a clinical program for clinics of the Northeast ALS Consortium. Patients with dALS underwent C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) testing; those with fALS or fALS/dALS underwent C9orf72 HRE testing, followed by sequencing of SOD1, FUS, TARDBP, TBK1, and VCP. Results A pathogenic (P) or likely pathogenic (LP) variant was identified in 171/573 (30%) of program participants. About half of patients with fALS or fALS/dALS (138/301, 45.8%) had either a C9orf72 HRE or a P or LP variant identified in SOD1, FUS, TARDBP, TBK1, or VCP. The use of a targeted, 5-gene sequencing panel resulted in far fewer uncertain test outcomes in familial cases compared with larger panels used in other in clinic-based cohorts. Among dALS cases 11.8% (32/270) were found to have the C9orf72 HRE. Patients of non-Caucasian geoancestry were less likely to test positive for the C9orf72 HRE, but were more likely to test positive on panel testing, compared with those of Caucasian ancestry. Conclusions The ALS GAP program provided a genetic diagnosis to ∼1 in 3 participants and may serve as a model for clinical genetic testing in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Roggenbuck
- Department of Internal Medicine (J.R.) and Department of Neurology (J.R., K.A.R.), The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (L.V.), College of Medicine, Columbus; Department of Biomedical Informatics (M.P.), The Ohio State University, Center for Biostatistics, Columbus; PreventionGenetics, LLC (J.S., C.Z., T.L., L.D.), Marshfield, WI; The Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) (T.L.); and Emory ALS Center (J.D.G.), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Kelly A Rich
- Department of Internal Medicine (J.R.) and Department of Neurology (J.R., K.A.R.), The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (L.V.), College of Medicine, Columbus; Department of Biomedical Informatics (M.P.), The Ohio State University, Center for Biostatistics, Columbus; PreventionGenetics, LLC (J.S., C.Z., T.L., L.D.), Marshfield, WI; The Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) (T.L.); and Emory ALS Center (J.D.G.), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Leah Vicini
- Department of Internal Medicine (J.R.) and Department of Neurology (J.R., K.A.R.), The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (L.V.), College of Medicine, Columbus; Department of Biomedical Informatics (M.P.), The Ohio State University, Center for Biostatistics, Columbus; PreventionGenetics, LLC (J.S., C.Z., T.L., L.D.), Marshfield, WI; The Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) (T.L.); and Emory ALS Center (J.D.G.), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Marilly Palettas
- Department of Internal Medicine (J.R.) and Department of Neurology (J.R., K.A.R.), The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (L.V.), College of Medicine, Columbus; Department of Biomedical Informatics (M.P.), The Ohio State University, Center for Biostatistics, Columbus; PreventionGenetics, LLC (J.S., C.Z., T.L., L.D.), Marshfield, WI; The Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) (T.L.); and Emory ALS Center (J.D.G.), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Joceyln Schroeder
- Department of Internal Medicine (J.R.) and Department of Neurology (J.R., K.A.R.), The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (L.V.), College of Medicine, Columbus; Department of Biomedical Informatics (M.P.), The Ohio State University, Center for Biostatistics, Columbus; PreventionGenetics, LLC (J.S., C.Z., T.L., L.D.), Marshfield, WI; The Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) (T.L.); and Emory ALS Center (J.D.G.), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Christina Zaleski
- Department of Internal Medicine (J.R.) and Department of Neurology (J.R., K.A.R.), The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (L.V.), College of Medicine, Columbus; Department of Biomedical Informatics (M.P.), The Ohio State University, Center for Biostatistics, Columbus; PreventionGenetics, LLC (J.S., C.Z., T.L., L.D.), Marshfield, WI; The Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) (T.L.); and Emory ALS Center (J.D.G.), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Tara Lincoln
- Department of Internal Medicine (J.R.) and Department of Neurology (J.R., K.A.R.), The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (L.V.), College of Medicine, Columbus; Department of Biomedical Informatics (M.P.), The Ohio State University, Center for Biostatistics, Columbus; PreventionGenetics, LLC (J.S., C.Z., T.L., L.D.), Marshfield, WI; The Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) (T.L.); and Emory ALS Center (J.D.G.), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Luke Drury
- Department of Internal Medicine (J.R.) and Department of Neurology (J.R., K.A.R.), The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (L.V.), College of Medicine, Columbus; Department of Biomedical Informatics (M.P.), The Ohio State University, Center for Biostatistics, Columbus; PreventionGenetics, LLC (J.S., C.Z., T.L., L.D.), Marshfield, WI; The Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) (T.L.); and Emory ALS Center (J.D.G.), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Jonathan D Glass
- Department of Internal Medicine (J.R.) and Department of Neurology (J.R., K.A.R.), The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (L.V.), College of Medicine, Columbus; Department of Biomedical Informatics (M.P.), The Ohio State University, Center for Biostatistics, Columbus; PreventionGenetics, LLC (J.S., C.Z., T.L., L.D.), Marshfield, WI; The Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) (T.L.); and Emory ALS Center (J.D.G.), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
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13
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Nash Y, Sitty M. Non-Motor Symptoms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Multi-Faceted Disorder. J Neuromuscul Dis 2021; 8:699-713. [PMID: 34024773 DOI: 10.3233/jnd-210632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive degeneration of motor pathways. A growing body of evidence from recent years suggests that ALS results in a wide range of non-motor symptoms as well, which can have a significant impact on patients' quality of life. These symptoms could also, in turn, provide useful information as biomarkers for disease progression, and can shed insight on ALS mechanisms. Here we aim to review a wide range of non-motor symptoms of ALS, with emphasis on their importance to research and clinical treatment of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Nash
- Tel Aviv Youth University, The Jaime and Joan Constantiner School of Education, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michal Sitty
- Clalit Health Services, Kiryat Ono, Israel.,Department of Family Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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14
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Molecular Pathology of ALS: What We Currently Know and What Important Information Is Still Missing. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11081365. [PMID: 34441299 PMCID: PMC8391180 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11081365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite an early understanding of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as a disease affecting the motor system, including motoneurons in the motor cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord, today, many cases involving dementia and behavioral disorders are reported. Therefore, we currently divide ALS not only based on genetic predisposition into the most common sporadic variant (90% of cases) and the familial variant (10%), but also based on cognitive and/or behavioral symptoms, with five specific subgroups of clinical manifestation—ALS with cognitive impairment, ALS with behavioral impairment, ALS with combined cognitive and behavioral impairment, the fully developed behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia in combination with ALS, and comorbid ALS and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Generally, these cases are referred to as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal spectrum disorder (ALS-FTSD). Clinical behaviors and the presence of the same pathognomonic deposits suggest that FTLD and ALS could be a continuum of one entity. This review was designed primarily to compare neuropathological findings in different types of ALS relative to their characteristic locations as well as the immunoreactivity of the inclusions, and thus, foster a better understanding of the immunoreactivity, distribution, and morphology of the pathological deposits in relation to genetic mutations, which can be useful in specifying the final diagnosis.
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15
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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Lobar Degenerations: Similarities in Genetic Background. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11030509. [PMID: 33805659 PMCID: PMC7998502 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11030509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating, uniformly lethal progressive degenerative disorder of motor neurons that overlaps with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) clinically, morphologically, and genetically. Although many distinct mutations in various genes are known to cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, it remains poorly understood how they selectively impact motor neuron biology and whether they converge on common pathways to cause neuronal degeneration. Many of the gene mutations are in proteins that share similar functions. They can be grouped into those associated with cell axon dynamics and those associated with cellular phagocytic machinery, namely protein aggregation and metabolism, apoptosis, and intracellular nucleic acid transport. Analysis of pathways implicated by mutant ALS genes has provided new insights into the pathogenesis of both familial forms of ALS (fALS) and sporadic forms (sALS), although, regrettably, this has not yet yielded definitive treatments. Many genes play an important role, with TARDBP, SQSTM1, VCP, FUS, TBK1, CHCHD10, and most importantly, C9orf72 being critical genetic players in these neurological disorders. In this mini-review, we will focus on the molecular mechanisms of these two diseases.
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16
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Shatunov A, Al-Chalabi A. The genetic architecture of ALS. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 147:105156. [PMID: 33130222 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksey Shatunov
- Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9RX, UK
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9RX, UK; Department of Neurology, King's College Hospital, London SE5 9RS, UK.
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17
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Ceslis A, Argall R, Henderson RD, McCombe PA, Robinson GA. The spectrum of language impairments in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Cortex 2020; 132:349-360. [PMID: 33031977 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Language disorders are increasingly recognised in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), supporting the view of ALS as a multi-system disorder, impacting cognitive and motor function. However, the language impairments are heterogeneous and recent focus has been on determining the language profile across the ALS spectrum with little focus on spontaneous speech. The current study systematically investigated a wide range of language abilities in an unselected ALS sample (N = 22), including spontaneous speech. We analysed the ALS patients' performance as a group, compared to age-, education- and IQ-matched healthy controls (N = 21), and as a case series to identify dementia and specific language profiles. The ALS group was impaired on measures of spontaneous speech, word fluency and action naming. By contrast, object naming, semantic memory (object and actions), sentence comprehension and repetition (word and sentences) were comparable to healthy controls. In line with recent suggestions, our ALS patients' action naming (but not action semantic) deficit does not support the notion that action processing may be selectively impaired in ALS. The case series demonstrated that 14% of patients had probable dementia, 31% showed significant cognitive and/or language impairment and 55% were unimpaired, consistent with the spectrum of cognitive and language impairments reported in the literature. In addition, 36% of ALS patients produced significantly fewer words per minute on a spontaneous speech task than the control group, with this difference remaining when the ALS patients with frontotemporal dementia were excluded from the analysis. This pattern was observed across the ALS spectrum and in both limb and bulbar onset patients. The pattern of performance observed in the present study suggests that spontaneous speech is reduced across the ALS spectrum even in those with intact core language abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia Ceslis
- Neuropsychology Research Unit, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Rosemary Argall
- Neuropsychology Research Unit, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Heston, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Robert D Henderson
- Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Heston, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, Brisbane, Australia; Wesley Medical Research, The Wesley Hospital, Auchenflower, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Pamela A McCombe
- Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Heston, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Centre for Clinical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, Brisbane, Australia; Wesley Medical Research, The Wesley Hospital, Auchenflower, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Gail A Robinson
- Neuropsychology Research Unit, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Heston, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia.
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18
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Martinelli I, Zucchi E, Gessani A, Fini N, Chiò A, Pecoraro V, Trenti T, Mandrioli J. A novel p.N66T mutation in exon 3 of the SOD1 gene: report of two families of ALS patients with early cognitive impairment. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2020; 21:296-300. [PMID: 32248719 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2020.1746344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: To date more than 180 different mutations in the SOD1 gene have been described in ALS; some of these mutations are associated to peculiar clinical features and have contributed to the understanding of disease heterogeneity. Only 5% of SOD1 mutations involve exon 3. Here we report a novel mutation c.197A > C in the exon 3 of the SOD1 gene in two apparently unrelated ALS families with early respiratory and cognitive impairment.Case report: In the first family two brothers developed ALS in their seventies, with arm weakness followed by bulbar involvement and behavioral breakdown. An unrelated 57-year-old man presented with progressive leg weakness and mild compromised executive functions without known family history for ALS/FTD and underwent invasive ventilation in a few months. A novel missense mutation A to C at codon 197 in exon 3 causing aminoacid substitution of arginine by threonine (N66T) was found for all of them. Harmful consequences of c.197A > C mutation on SOD1 function were suggested by in silico prediction and homology with other known mutations at the same position.Discussion and conclusion: Here, we report two apparently unrelated ALS families carrying a novel SOD1 mutation (N66T), supporting its pathogenic role by primary analysis, and characterized by early bulbar, respiratory, and cognitive involvement. Early cognitive impairment has been rarely described in ALS caused by SOD1 mutations, and mainly in the later phases of the disease. This report provides additional data on the SOD1 mutation spectrum and clinical presentation of ALS, widening phenotypical characterization of SOD1 ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Martinelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Ospedale Civile S. Agostino Estense, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Zucchi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Annalisa Gessani
- Department of Neuroscience, Ospedale Civile S. Agostino Estense, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Nicola Fini
- Department of Neuroscience, Ospedale Civile S. Agostino Estense, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Adriano Chiò
- ALS Center "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Torino, Italy; Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza, Torino, Italy; The Neuroscience Institute of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Valentina Pecoraro
- Laboratory of Toxycology and Advanced Diagnostics, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Ospedale Civile S. Agostino Estense, Modena, Italy
| | - Tommaso Trenti
- Laboratory of Toxycology and Advanced Diagnostics, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Ospedale Civile S. Agostino Estense, Modena, Italy
| | - Jessica Mandrioli
- Department of Neuroscience, Ospedale Civile S. Agostino Estense, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
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19
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Gosselt IK, Nijboer TCW, Van Es MA. An overview of screening instruments for cognition and behavior in patients with ALS: selecting the appropriate tool for clinical practice. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2020; 21:324-336. [PMID: 32157912 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2020.1732424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Objective: Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) not only show motor deficits, but may also have cognitive and/or behavioral impairments. Recognizing these impairments is crucial as they are associated with lower quality of life, shorter survival, and increased caregiver burden. Therefore, ALS-specific neuropsychological screening instruments have been developed that can account for motor and speech difficulties. This study provides an overview and comparison of these screeners. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using Medline and Embase. Articles describing cognitive/behavioral screening instruments assessed in ALS patients were included. Screening instruments were compared on multiple factors, such as domains, adaptability, required time, and validation. Results: We included 99 articles, reporting on nine cognitive screeners (i.e. ACE-R, ALS-BCA, ALS-CBS, ECAS, FAB, MMSE, MoCA, PSSFTS, and UCSF-SB), of which five ALS-specific. Furthermore, eight behavioral screeners (i.e. ALS-FTD-Q, AES, BBI, DAS, FBI, FrSBe, MiND-B, and NPI) were reported on, of which three ALS-specific. Conclusion: Considering the broad range of cognitive domains, adaptability, and satisfying validity, the ALS-CBS and ECAS appear to be the most suitable screeners to detect cognitive and behavioral changes in ALS. The BBI appears to be the best option to screen for behavioral changes in ALS, since all relevant domains are assessed, motor-related problems are considered, and has a satisfactory validity. The MiND-B and ALS-FTD-Q are promising as well. In general, all screening instruments would benefit from additional validation research to gain greater insights into test characteristics and to aid clinicians in selecting screening tools for use in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel K Gosselt
- Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, and De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Tanja C W Nijboer
- Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, and De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Michael A Van Es
- Department of Neurology, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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20
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Gregory JM, McDade K, Bak TH, Pal S, Chandran S, Smith C, Abrahams S. Executive, language and fluency dysfunction are markers of localised TDP-43 cerebral pathology in non-demented ALS. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2020; 91:149-157. [PMID: 31515300 PMCID: PMC6996101 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2019-320807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Approximately 35% of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) exhibit mild cognitive deficits in executive functions, language and fluency, without dementia. The precise pathology of these extramotor symptoms has remained unknown. This study aimed to determine the pathological correlate of cognitive impairment in patients with non-demented ALS. METHODS In-depth neuropathological analysis of 27 patients with non-demented ALS who had undergone cognitive testing (Edinburgh Cognitive and Behaviour ALS Screen (ECAS)) during life. Analysis involved assessing 43 kDa Tar-DNA binding protein (TDP-43) accumulation in brain regions specifically involved in executive functions, language functions and verbal fluency to ascertain whether functional deficits would relate to a specific regional distribution of pathology. RESULTS All patients with cognitive impairment had TDP-43 pathology in extramotor brain regions (positive predictive value of 100%). The ECAS also predicted TDP-43 pathology with 100% specificity in brain regions associated with executive, language and fluency domains. We also detected a subgroup with no cognitive dysfunction, despite having substantial TDP-43 pathology, so called mismatch cases. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive impairment as detected by the ECAS is a valid predictor of TDP-43 pathology in non-demented ALS. The profile of mild cognitive deficits specifically predicts regional cerebral involvement. These findings highlight the utility of the ECAS in accurately assessing the pathological burden of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna M Gregory
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Karina McDade
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Thomas H Bak
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Suvankar Pal
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Colin Smith
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sharon Abrahams
- Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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21
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Pérez M, Amayra I, Martínez O, Lázaro E, López-Paz JF, García M, Berrocoso S, Al-Rashaida M, Rodríguez Bermejo AA, Luna PM, Varona Franco L. Signal-detection analysis of the WMS faces subtest: Results in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY-ADULT 2019; 28:607-613. [PMID: 31612730 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2019.1676243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
About 30% of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) suffer from cognitive impairment and 10-15% suffer from frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Due to the patients' reduced motor function, a neuropsychological assessment with a low motor demand can be an advantage when evaluating patients, aiding its application. The present work has studied the usefulness of the Faces subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale in 42 patients with ALS and 42 healthy volunteers applying Holdnack's Two-High Threshold model. The ALS group performed significantly worse in immediate and delayed discriminability. With respect to the presence of cognitive impairment, it seemed to be independent of the indexes proposed by Holdnack and Delis. On the other hand, motor problems were associated with delayed recognition while behavior alterations were linked to problems with delayed discriminability. ALS patients do not express differences in the bias index, in line with other types of previously studied pathologies.
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22
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Christidi F, Karavasilis E, Rentzos M, Kelekis N, Evdokimidis I, Bede P. Clinical and Radiological Markers of Extra-Motor Deficits in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Neurol 2018; 9:1005. [PMID: 30524366 PMCID: PMC6262087 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.01005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is now universally recognized as a complex multisystem disorder with considerable extra-motor involvement. The neuropsychological manifestations of frontotemporal, parietal, and basal ganglia involvement in ALS have important implications for compliance with assistive devices, survival, participation in clinical trials, caregiver burden, and the management of individual care needs. Recent advances in neuroimaging have been instrumental in characterizing the biological substrate of heterogeneous cognitive and behavioral deficits in ALS. In this review we discuss the clinical and radiological aspects of cognitive and behavioral impairment in ALS focusing on the recognition, assessment, and monitoring of these symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Foteini Christidi
- First Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Efstratios Karavasilis
- Second Department of Radiology, University General Hospital Attikon, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Michail Rentzos
- First Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Kelekis
- Second Department of Radiology, University General Hospital Attikon, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis Evdokimidis
- First Department of Neurology, Aeginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Peter Bede
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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23
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Linse K, Aust E, Joos M, Hermann A. Communication Matters-Pitfalls and Promise of Hightech Communication Devices in Palliative Care of Severely Physically Disabled Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Neurol 2018; 9:603. [PMID: 30100896 PMCID: PMC6072854 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neuron disease, leading to progressive paralysis, dysarthria, dysphagia, and respiratory disabilities. Therapy is mostly focused on palliative interventions. During the course of the disease, verbal as well as nonverbal communicative abilities become more and more impaired. In this light, communication has been argued to be “the essence of human life” and crucial for patients' quality of life. High-tech augmentative and alternative communication (HT-AAC) technologies such as eyetracking based computer devices and brain-computer-interfaces provide the possibility to maintain caregiver-independent communication and environmental control even in the advanced disease state of ALS. Thus, they enable patients to preserve social participation and to independently communicate end-of-life-decisions. In accordance with these functions of HT-AAC, their use is reported to strengthen self-determination, increase patients' quality of life and reduce caregiver burden. Therefore, HT-AAC should be considered as standard of (palliative) care for people with ALS. On the other hand, the supply with individually tailored HT-AAC technologies is limited by external and patient-inherent variables. This review aims to provide an overview of the possibilities and limitations of HT-AAC technologies and discuss their role in the palliative care for patients with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Linse
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Elisa Aust
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Markus Joos
- Interactive Minds Dresden GmbH, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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24
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D'Ambrosi N, Cozzolino M, Carrì MT. Neuroinflammation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Role of Redox (dys)Regulation. Antioxid Redox Signal 2018; 29:15-36. [PMID: 28895473 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2017.7271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is due to degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord and in the motor cortex. Mechanisms leading to motor neuron death are complex and currently the disease is untreatable. Recent Advances: Work in genetic models of ALS indicates that an imbalance in the cross talk that physiologically exists between motor neurons and the surrounding cells is eventually detrimental to motor neurons. In particular, the cascade of events collectively known as neuroinflammation and mainly characterized by a reactive phenotype of astrocytes and microglia, moderate infiltration of peripheral immune cells, and elevated levels of inflammatory mediators has been consistently observed in motor regions of the central nervous system (CNS) in sporadic and familial ALS, constituting a hallmark of the disease. Resident glial cells and infiltrated immune cells are considered among the major producers of reactive species of oxygen and nitrogen in pathological conditions of the CNS, including motor neuron diseases. CRITICAL ISSUES The timing and exact role of oxidative stress-mediated neuroinflammation and damage to motor neurons in ALS are still not fully elucidated. FUTURE DIRECTIONS It is clear that a major challenge in the next future will be to envisage effective strategies to modulate the neuroinflammatory response in the symptomatic stage of disease, to prevent progression of neurodegeneration through the propagation of oxidative damage. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 29, 15-36.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia D'Ambrosi
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata , Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Cozzolino
- 2 Institute of Translational Pharmacology , CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Carrì
- 1 Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata , Rome, Italy .,3 Fondazione Santa Lucia , IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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25
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Driven to decay: Excitability and synaptic abnormalities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain Res Bull 2018; 140:318-333. [PMID: 29870780 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2018.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 05/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neuron (MN) disease and is clinically characterised by the death of corticospinal motor neurons (CSMNs), spinal and brainstem MNs and the degeneration of the corticospinal tract. Degeneration of CSMNs and MNs leads inexorably to muscle wastage and weakness, progressing to eventual death within 3-5 years of diagnosis. The CSMNs, located within layer V of the primary motor cortex, project axons constituting the corticospinal tract, forming synaptic connections with brainstem and spinal cord interneurons and MNs. Clinical ALS may be divided into familial (∼10% of cases) or sporadic (∼90% of cases), based on apparent random incidence. The emergence of transgenic murine models, expressing different ALS-associated mutations has accelerated our understanding of ALS pathogenesis, although precise mechanisms remain elusive. Multiple avenues of investigation suggest that cortical electrical abnormalities have pre-eminence in the pathophysiology of ALS. In addition, glutamate-mediated functional and structural alterations in both CSMNs and MNs are present in both sporadic and familial forms of ALS. This review aims to promulgate debate in the field with regard to the common aetiology of sporadic and familial ALS. A specific focus on a nexus point in ALS pathogenesis, namely, the synaptic and intrinsic hyperexcitability of CSMNs and MNs and alterations to their structure are comprehensively detailed. The association of extramotor dysfunction with neuronal structural/functional alterations will be discussed. Finally, the implications of the latest research on the dying-forward and dying-back controversy are considered.
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26
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Schneider R, Weichert A, Rogaeva E, Robertson J, Keith J, Zinman L. Clinical Reasoning: A 42-year-old man with unilateral leg weakness. Neurology 2018; 90:e1085-e1090. [PMID: 29555890 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000005179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Schneider
- From the Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology (R.S., L.Z.), and Department of Anatomical Pathology (J.K.), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (R.S., A.W., E.R., J.R.), University of Toronto, Canada.
| | - Anna Weichert
- From the Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology (R.S., L.Z.), and Department of Anatomical Pathology (J.K.), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (R.S., A.W., E.R., J.R.), University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Ekaterina Rogaeva
- From the Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology (R.S., L.Z.), and Department of Anatomical Pathology (J.K.), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (R.S., A.W., E.R., J.R.), University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Janice Robertson
- From the Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology (R.S., L.Z.), and Department of Anatomical Pathology (J.K.), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (R.S., A.W., E.R., J.R.), University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Julia Keith
- From the Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology (R.S., L.Z.), and Department of Anatomical Pathology (J.K.), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (R.S., A.W., E.R., J.R.), University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Lorne Zinman
- From the Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology (R.S., L.Z.), and Department of Anatomical Pathology (J.K.), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (R.S., A.W., E.R., J.R.), University of Toronto, Canada
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27
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Chen H, Kankel MW, Su SC, Han SWS, Ofengeim D. Exploring the genetics and non-cell autonomous mechanisms underlying ALS/FTLD. Cell Death Differ 2018; 25:648-662. [PMID: 29459769 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-018-0060-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Although amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, was first described in 1874, a flurry of genetic discoveries in the last 10 years has markedly increased our understanding of this disease. These findings have not only enhanced our knowledge of mechanisms leading to ALS, but also have revealed that ALS shares many genetic causes with another neurodegenerative disease, frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD). In this review, we survey how recent genetic studies have bridged our mechanistic understanding of these two related diseases and how the genetics behind ALS and FTLD point to complex disorders, implicating non-neuronal cell types in disease pathophysiology. The involvement of non-neuronal cell types is consistent with a non-cell autonomous component in these diseases. This is further supported by studies that identified a critical role of immune-associated genes within ALS/FTLD and other neurodegenerative disorders. The molecular functions of these genes support an emerging concept that various non-autonomous functions are involved in neurodegeneration. Further insights into such a mechanism(s) will ultimately lead to a better understanding of potential routes of therapeutic intervention. Facts ALS and FTLD are severe neurodegenerative disorders on the same disease spectrum. Multiple cellular processes including dysregulation of RNA homeostasis, imbalance of proteostasis, contribute to ALS/FTLD pathogenesis. Aberrant function in non-neuronal cell types, including microglia, contributes to ALS/FTLD. Strong neuroimmune and neuroinflammatory components are associated with ALS/FTLD patients. Open Questions Why can patients with similar mutations have different disease manifestations, i.e., why do C9ORF72 mutations lead to motor neuron loss in some patients while others exhibit loss of neurons in the frontotemporal lobe? Do ALS causal mutations result in microglial dysfunction and contribute to ALS/FTLD pathology? How do microglia normally act to mitigate neurodegeneration in ALS/FTLD? To what extent do cellular signaling pathways mediate non-cell autonomous communications between distinct central nervous system (CNS) cell types during disease? Is it possible to therapeutically target specific cell types in the CNS?
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbo Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.,Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Mark W Kankel
- Biogen Inc., 225 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Susan C Su
- Biogen Inc., 225 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Steve W S Han
- Biogen Inc., 225 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.,Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,GSK, Upper Providence, PA, 19426, USA
| | - Dimitry Ofengeim
- Biogen Inc., 225 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA. .,Sanofi Neuroscience, Framingham, MA, USA.
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28
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Fogarty MJ, Mu EWH, Lavidis NA, Noakes PG, Bellingham MC. Motor Areas Show Altered Dendritic Structure in an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Mouse Model. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:609. [PMID: 29163013 PMCID: PMC5672020 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Motor neurons (MNs) die in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a clinically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disease of unknown etiology. In human or rodent studies, MN loss is preceded by increased excitability. As increased neuronal excitability correlates with structural changes in dendritic arbors and spines, we have examined longitudinal changes in dendritic structure in vulnerable neuron populations in a mouse model of familial ALS. Methods: We used a modified Golgi-Cox staining method to determine the progressive changes in dendritic structure of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, striatal medium spiny neurons, and resistant (trochlear, IV) or susceptible (hypoglossal, XII; lumbar) MNs from brainstem and spinal cord of mice over-expressing the human SOD1G93A (SOD1) mutation, in comparison to wild-type (WT) mice, at four postnatal (P) ages of 8–15, 28–35, 65–75, and 120 days. Results: In SOD1 mice, dendritic changes occur at pre-symptomatic ages in both XII and spinal cord lumbar MNs. Spine loss without dendritic changes was present in striatal neurons from disease onset. Spine density increases were present at all ages studied in SOD1 XII MNs. Spine density increased in neonatal lumbar MNs, before decreasing to control levels by P28-35 and was decreased by P120. SOD1 XII MNs and lumbar MNs, but not trochlear MNs showed vacuolization from the same time-points. Trochlear MN dendrites were unchanged. Interpretation: Dendritic structure and spine alterations correlate with the neuro-motor phenotype in ALS and with cognitive and extra-motor symptoms seen in patients. Prominent early changes in dendritic arbors and spines occur in susceptible cranial and spinal cord MNs, but are absent in MNs resistant to loss in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Fogarty
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Erica W H Mu
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Nickolas A Lavidis
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Peter G Noakes
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Mark C Bellingham
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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Polymenidou M, Cleveland DW. Biological Spectrum of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Prions. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2017; 7:cshperspect.a024133. [PMID: 28062558 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a024133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD) are two neurodegenerative diseases with distinct clinical features but common genetic causes and neuropathological signatures. Ten years after the RNA-binding protein TDP-43 was discovered as the main protein in the cytoplasmic inclusions that characterize ALS and FTLD, their pathogenic mechanisms have never seemed more complex. Indeed, discoveries of the past decade have revolutionized our understanding of these diseases, highlighting their genetic heterogeneity and the involvement of protein-RNA assemblies in their pathogenesis. Importantly, these assemblies serve as the foci of protein misfolding and mature into insoluble structures, which further recruit native proteins, turning them into misfolded forms. This self-perpetuating mechanism is a twisted version of classical prion replication that leads to amplification of pathological protein complexes that spread throughout the neuraxis, offering a pathogenic principle that underlies the rapid disease progression that characterizes ALS and FTLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalini Polymenidou
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Don W Cleveland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0670
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Strong MJ, Abrahams S, Goldstein LH, Woolley S, Mclaughlin P, Snowden J, Mioshi E, Roberts-South A, Benatar M, HortobáGyi T, Rosenfeld J, Silani V, Ince PG, Turner MR. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - frontotemporal spectrum disorder (ALS-FTSD): Revised diagnostic criteria. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2017; 18:153-174. [PMID: 28054827 PMCID: PMC7409990 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2016.1267768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 563] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2016] [Revised: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This article presents the revised consensus criteria for the diagnosis of frontotemporal dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) based on an international research workshop on frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and ALS held in London, Canada in June 2015. Since the publication of the Strong criteria, there have been considerable advances in the understanding of the neuropsychological profile of patients with ALS. Not only is the breadth and depth of neuropsychological findings broader than previously recognised - - including deficits in social cognition and language - but mixed deficits may also occur. Evidence now shows that the neuropsychological deficits in ALS are extremely heterogeneous, affecting over 50% of persons with ALS. When present, these deficits significantly and adversely impact patient survival. It is the recognition of this clinical heterogeneity in association with neuroimaging, genetic and neuropathological advances that has led to the current re-conceptualisation that neuropsychological deficits in ALS fall along a spectrum. These revised consensus criteria expand upon those of 2009 and embrace the concept of the frontotemporal spectrum disorder of ALS (ALS-FTSD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Strong
- a Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry , London , Ontario , Canada
| | - Sharon Abrahams
- b Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences , Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
| | - Laura H Goldstein
- c King's College London, Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , London , UK
| | - Susan Woolley
- d Forbes Norris MDA/ALS Research Centre, California Pacific Medical Centre , San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Paula Mclaughlin
- e Western University , Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry , London , ON , Canada
| | - Julie Snowden
- f Greater Manchester Neuroscience Centre , Salford Royal NHS Trust and University of Manchester , Manchester , UK
| | - Eneida Mioshi
- g Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , University of East Anglia , Norwich , UK
| | - Angie Roberts-South
- h Northwestern University , Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders , Evanston , IL , USA
| | - Michael Benatar
- i Department of Neurology , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine , Miami , FL , USA
| | - Tibor HortobáGyi
- j Department of Neuropathology , Institute of Pathology, University of Debrecen , Debrecen , Hungary
| | - Jeffrey Rosenfeld
- k Department of Neurology , Loma Linda University School of Medicine , Loma Linda , CA , USA
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- l Department of Neurology and Laboratory Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , 'Dino Ferrari' Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano , Milan , Italy
| | - Paul G Ince
- m Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience , The University of Sheffield , Sheffield , UK , and
| | - Martin R Turner
- n Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences , University of Oxford , Oxford , UK
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31
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Comparison of the clinical and cognitive features of genetically positive ALS patients from the largest tertiary center in Serbia. J Neurol 2017; 264:1091-1098. [DOI: 10.1007/s00415-017-8495-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Skillbäck T, Mattsson N, Blennow K, Zetterberg H. Cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light concentration in motor neuron disease and frontotemporal dementia predicts survival. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2017.1281962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Skillbäck
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden,
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden,
| | - Niklas Mattsson
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden,
- Department of Neurology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden, and
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden,
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden,
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden,
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden,
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
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Hayashi K, Mochizuki Y, Takeuchi R, Shimizu T, Nagao M, Watabe K, Arai N, Oyanagi K, Onodera O, Hayashi M, Takahashi H, Kakita A, Isozaki E. Clinicopathological characteristics of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis resulting in a totally locked-in state (communication Stage V). Acta Neuropathol Commun 2016; 4:107. [PMID: 27716404 PMCID: PMC5045653 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-016-0379-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we performed a comprehensive analysis to clarify the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that had progressed to result in a totally locked-in state (communication Stage V), in which all voluntary movements are lost and communication is impossible. In 11 patients, six had phosphorylated TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (pTDP-43)-immunoreactive (ir) neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions (NCI), two had fused in sarcoma (FUS)-ir NCI, and three had copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1)-ir NCI. The time from ALS onset to the need for tracheostomy invasive ventilation was less than 24 months in ten patients. Regardless of accumulated protein, all the patients showed common lesions in the pallido–nigro–luysian system, brainstem reticular formation, and cerebellar efferent system, in addition to motor neurons. In patients with pTDP-43-ir NCI, patients with NCI in the hippocampal dentate granule neurons (DG) showed a neuronal loss in the cerebral cortex, and patients without NCI in DG showed a preserved cerebral cortex. By contrast, in patients with FUS-ir NCI, patients with NCI in DG showed a preserved cerebral cortex and patients without NCI in DG showed marked cerebral degeneration. The cerebral cortex of patients with SOD1-ir NCI was preserved. Together, these findings suggest that lesions of the cerebrum are probably not necessary for progression to Stage V. In conclusion, patients with ALS that had progressed to result in communication Stage V showed rapidly-progressed symptoms, and their common lesions could cause the manifestations of communication Stage V.
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Radzicki D, Liu E, Deng HX, Siddique T, Martina M. Early Impairment of Synaptic and Intrinsic Excitability in Mice Expressing ALS/Dementia-Linked Mutant UBQLN2. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:216. [PMID: 27703430 PMCID: PMC5028382 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are believed to represent the different outcomes of a common pathogenic mechanism. However, while researchers have intensely studied the involvement of motor neurons in the ALS/FTD syndrome, very little is known about the function of hippocampal neurons, although this area is critical for memory and other cognitive functions. We investigated the electrophysiological properties of CA1 pyramidal cells in slices from 1 month-old UBQLN2P497H mice, a recently generated model of ALS/FTD that shows heavy depositions of ubiquilin2-positive aggregates in this brain region. We found that, compared to wild-type mice, cells from UBQLN2P497H mice were hypo-excitable. The amplitude of the glutamatergic currents elicited by afferent fiber stimulation was reduced by ~50%, but no change was detected in paired-pulse plasticity. The maximum firing frequency in response to depolarizing current injection was reduced by ~30%; the fast afterhyperpolarization in response to a range of depolarizations was reduced by almost 10 mV; the maximum slow afterhyperpolarization (sAHP) was also significantly decreased, likely in consequence of the decreased number of spikes. Finally, the action potential (AP) upstroke was blunted and the threshold depolarized compared to controls. Thus, synaptic and intrinsic excitability are both impaired in CA1 pyramidal cells of UBQLN2P497H mice, likely constituting a cellular mechanism for the cognitive impairments. Because these alterations are detectable before the establishment of overt pathology, we hypothesize that they may affect the further course of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Radzicki
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Erdong Liu
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Han-Xiang Deng
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Teepu Siddique
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Marco Martina
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, IL, USA
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Andrews SC, Pavlis A, Staios M, Fisher F. Which behaviours? Identifying the most common and burdensome behaviour changes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. PSYCHOL HEALTH MED 2016; 22:483-492. [DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2016.1164871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Spalloni A, Longone P. Cognitive impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, clues from the SOD1 mouse. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 60:12-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Tsermentseli S, Leigh PN, Taylor LJ, Radunovic A, Catani M, Goldstein LH. Syntactic processing as a marker for cognitive impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2015; 17:69-76. [PMID: 26312952 PMCID: PMC4732449 DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2015.1071397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Despite recent interest in cognitive changes in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), investigations of language function looking at the level of word, sentence and discourse processing are relatively scarce. Data were obtained from 26 patients with sporadic ALS and 26 healthy controls matched for age, education, gender, anxiety, depression and executive function performance. Standardized language tasks included confrontation naming, semantic access, and syntactic comprehension. Quantitative production analysis (QPA) was used to analyse connected speech samples of the Cookie Theft picture description task. Results showed that the ALS patients were impaired on standardized measures of grammatical comprehension and action/verb semantics. At the level of discourse, ALS patients were impaired on measures of syntactic complexity and fluency; however, the latter could be better explained by disease related factors. Discriminant analysis revealed that syntactic measures differentiated ALS patients from controls. In conclusion, patients with ALS exhibit deficits in receptive and expressive language on tasks of comprehension and connected speech production, respectively. Our findings suggest that syntactic processing deficits seem to be the predominant feature of language impairment in ALS and that these deficits can be detected by relatively simple language tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Tsermentseli
- Faculty of Education and Health, Department of Psychology, Social Work and Counselling, University of Greenwich, London, UK
| | - P. Nigel Leigh
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Trafford Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
| | - Lorna J. Taylor
- The Michael Rutter Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Marco Catani
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Natbrainlab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, London, UK
| | - Laura H. Goldstein
- King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, London, UK
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Nakamura M, Bieniek KF, Lin WL, Graff-Radford NR, Murray ME, Castanedes-Casey M, Desaro P, Baker MC, Rutherford NJ, Robertson J, Rademakers R, Dickson DW, Boylan KB. A truncating SOD1 mutation, p.Gly141X, is associated with clinical and pathologic heterogeneity, including frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Acta Neuropathol 2015; 130:145-57. [PMID: 25917047 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-015-1431-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Revised: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative disorder affecting upper and lower motor neurons, but it is increasingly recognized to affect other systems, with cognitive impairment resembling frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in some patients. We report clinical and pathologic findings of a family with ALS due to a truncating mutation, p.Gly141X, in copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1). The proband presented clinically with FTD and later showed progressive motor neuron disease, while all other family members had early-onset and rapidly progressive ALS without significant cognitive deficits. Pathologic examination of both the proband and her daughter revealed degeneration of corticospinal tracts and motor neurons in brain and spinal cord compatible with ALS. On the other hand, the proband also had neocortical and limbic system degeneration with pleomorphic neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions. Extramotor pathology in her daughter was relatively restricted to the hypothalamus and extrapyramidal system, but not the neocortex. The inclusions in the proband and her daughter were immunoreactive for SOD1, but negative for TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43). In the proband, a number of the neocortical inclusions were immunopositive for α-internexin, initially suggesting a diagnosis of atypical FTLD, but there was no evidence of fused in sarcoma (FUS) immunoreactivity, which is often detected in atypical FTLD. Analogous to atypical FTLD, neuronal inclusions had variable co-localization of SOD1 and α-internexin. The current classification of FTLD is based on the major constituent protein: FTLD-tau, FTLD-TDP-43, and FTLD-FUS. The proband in this family indicates that SOD1, while rare, can also be the substrate of FTLD, in addition to the more common presentation of ALS. The explanation for clinical and pathologic heterogeneity of SOD1 mutations, including the p.Gly141X mutation, remains unresolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masataka Nakamura
- Neuropathology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
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Paez-Colasante X, Figueroa-Romero C, Sakowski SA, Goutman SA, Feldman EL. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: mechanisms and therapeutics in the epigenomic era. Nat Rev Neurol 2015; 11:266-79. [PMID: 25896087 DOI: 10.1038/nrneurol.2015.57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the motor neurons, which results in weakness and atrophy of voluntary skeletal muscles. Treatments do not modify the disease trajectory effectively, and only modestly improve survival. A complex interaction between genes, environmental exposure and impaired molecular pathways contributes to pathology in patients with ALS. Epigenetic mechanisms control the hereditary and reversible regulation of gene expression without altering the basic genetic code. Aberrant epigenetic patterns-including abnormal microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis and function, DNA modifications, histone remodeling, and RNA editing-are acquired throughout life and are influenced by environmental factors. Thus, understanding the molecular processes that lead to epigenetic dysregulation in patients with ALS might facilitate the discovery of novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers that could reduce diagnostic delay. These achievements could prove crucial for successful disease modification in patients with ALS. We review the latest findings regarding the role of miRNA modifications and other epigenetic mechanisms in ALS, and discuss their potential as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximena Paez-Colasante
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Centre Drive, 1914 Taubman Centre SPC 5316, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Claudia Figueroa-Romero
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Centre Drive, 1914 Taubman Centre SPC 5316, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Stacey A Sakowski
- The A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, University of Michigan, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, 5017 A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Science Research Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Stephen A Goutman
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Centre Drive, 1914 Taubman Centre SPC 5316, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Eva L Feldman
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, 1500 East Medical Centre Drive, 1914 Taubman Centre SPC 5316, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Canosa A, Calvo A, Moglia C, Iazzolino B, Brunetti M, Restagno G, Cistaro A, Fania P, Carrara G, Valentini MC, Tanel R, Chiò A. A familial ALS case carrying a novel p.G147C SOD1 heterozygous missense mutation with non-executive cognitive impairment. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2014; 85:1437-9. [PMID: 24769475 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2013-307552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Canosa
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy Department of Neurosciences, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Rehabilitation and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Calvo
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Cristina Moglia
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Barbara Iazzolino
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Maura Brunetti
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Gabriella Restagno
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Angelina Cistaro
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Positron Emission Tomography Centre, IRMET S.p.A., Turin, Italy
| | - Piercarlo Fania
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Positron Emission Tomography Centre, IRMET S.p.A., Turin, Italy
| | - Giovanna Carrara
- Department of Neuroradiology, A.O.U. Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Raffaella Tanel
- Unità Operativa di Neurologia, Presidio Ospedaliero Santa Chiara, APSS di Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Adriano Chiò
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, ALS Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy Neuroscience Institute of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Ash S, Menaged A, Olm C, McMillan CT, Boller A, Irwin DJ, McCluskey L, Elman L, Grossman M. Narrative discourse deficits in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurology 2014; 83:520-8. [PMID: 24991038 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000000670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examined narrative discourse in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to assess the role of executive functioning in support of language and the neuroanatomical basis for such support. METHODS We analyzed a semistructured speech sample in 26 patients with ALS and 19 healthy seniors for narrative discourse features of coherence. Regression analyses related a measure of discourse coherence ("local connectedness") to gray matter atrophy and reduced white matter fractional anisotropy. RESULTS Patients with ALS were impaired relative to controls on measures of discourse adequacy, including local connectedness and maintenance of the theme. These discourse measures were related to measures of executive functioning but not to motor functioning. Regressions related local connectedness to gray matter atrophy in ventral and dorsal prefrontal regions and to reduced fractional anisotropy in white matter tracts mediating projections between prefrontal regions. CONCLUSION Patients with ALS exhibit deficits in their ability to organize narrative discourse. These deficits appear to be related in part to executive limitations. Consistent with the hypothesis that ALS is a multisystem disorder, this deficit is related to disease in prefrontal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Ash
- From the Department of Neurology and the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (S.A., A.M., C.O., C.T.M., A.B., D.J.I., L.M., L.E., M.G.), and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (D.J.I.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
| | - Anna Menaged
- From the Department of Neurology and the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (S.A., A.M., C.O., C.T.M., A.B., D.J.I., L.M., L.E., M.G.), and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (D.J.I.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Christopher Olm
- From the Department of Neurology and the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (S.A., A.M., C.O., C.T.M., A.B., D.J.I., L.M., L.E., M.G.), and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (D.J.I.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Corey T McMillan
- From the Department of Neurology and the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (S.A., A.M., C.O., C.T.M., A.B., D.J.I., L.M., L.E., M.G.), and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (D.J.I.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Ashley Boller
- From the Department of Neurology and the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (S.A., A.M., C.O., C.T.M., A.B., D.J.I., L.M., L.E., M.G.), and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (D.J.I.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - David J Irwin
- From the Department of Neurology and the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (S.A., A.M., C.O., C.T.M., A.B., D.J.I., L.M., L.E., M.G.), and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (D.J.I.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Leo McCluskey
- From the Department of Neurology and the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (S.A., A.M., C.O., C.T.M., A.B., D.J.I., L.M., L.E., M.G.), and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (D.J.I.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Lauren Elman
- From the Department of Neurology and the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (S.A., A.M., C.O., C.T.M., A.B., D.J.I., L.M., L.E., M.G.), and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (D.J.I.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Murray Grossman
- From the Department of Neurology and the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center (S.A., A.M., C.O., C.T.M., A.B., D.J.I., L.M., L.E., M.G.), and Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (D.J.I.), Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
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Di Majo D, La Guardia M, Leto G, Crescimanno M, Flandina C, Giammanco M. Flavonols and flavan-3-ols as modulators of xanthine oxidase and manganese superoxide dismutase activity. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2014; 65:886-92. [PMID: 24975489 DOI: 10.3109/09637486.2014.931362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Experiments were performed to assess the dose-dependent effects of quercetin, kaempferol, (+) catechin, and (-) epicatechin on superoxide radical production through the modulation of manganese superoxide dismutase and xanthine oxidase activities. The experiments were carried out at flavanoid concentrations ranging from 1 µM to 100 µM. This investigation highlighted that flavonols induced opposite effects on superoxide radical production at different doses, i.e. pro-oxidant at the highest concentration (100 µM) and anti-oxidant at the lowest concentration (1 µM). Similar behaviors were observed for xanthine oxidase with flavan-3ols. The diastereoisomer (the catechin) acted as a stronger radical scavenger than the epicatechin. However, flavan-3ols were less pro-oxidant than flavonols: in fact, the addition of the superoxide dismutase enzyme was able to cancel the flavan-3ols' pro-oxidant effect. This study also shows that the absence of the 4-carbonyl group conjugated with the 2-3 double bonds in the heterocyclic ring cancelled the pro-oxidant effect of flavan-3ols. The opposite dose-dependent effects of flavonols suggest that they may be used as either a pro-oxidant or antioxidant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danila Di Majo
- Unit of Physiology and Pharmacology, Department DIGISPO, University of Palermo , Italy and
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Abstract
Our understanding of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease, is expanding rapidly as its genetic causes are uncovered. The pace of new gene discovery over the last 5 years has accelerated, providing new insights into the pathogenesis of disease and highlighting biological pathways as targets for therapeutic development. This article reviews our current understanding of the heritability of ALS and provides an overview of each of the major ALS genes, highlighting their phenotypic characteristics and frequencies as a guide for clinicians evaluating patients with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Harms
- Neuromuscular Division, Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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44
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Talbot K. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: cell vulnerability or system vulnerability? J Anat 2013; 224:45-51. [PMID: 24010870 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex neurodegenerative disease with clinical, pathological and genetic overlap with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). No longer viewed as one disease with a single unified cause, ALS is now considered to be a clinicopathological syndrome resulting from a complex convergence of genetic susceptibility, age-related loss of cellular homeostasis, and possible environmental influences. The rapid increase in recent years of the number of genes in which mutations have been associated with ALS has led to in vitro and in vivo models that have generated a wealth of data indicating disruption of specific biochemical pathways and sub-cellular compartments. Data implicating pathways including protein misfolding, mRNA splicing, oxidative stress, proteosome and mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of ALS reinforce a disease model based on selective age-dependent vulnerability of a specific population of cells. To the clinical neurologist, however, ALS presents as a disease of focal onset and contiguous spread. Characteristic regional patterns of involvement and progression suggest that the disease does not proceed randomly but via a restricted number of anatomical pathways. These clinical observations combined with electrophysiological and brain-imaging studies underpin the concept of ALS at the macroscopic level as a 'system degeneration'. This dichotomy between cellular and systems neurobiology raises the fundamental questions of what initiates the disease process in a specific anatomical site and how the disease is propagated. Is the essence of ALS a cell-to-cell transmission of pathology with, for example, a 'prion-like' mechanism, or does the cellular pathology follow degeneration of specific synaptic networks? Elucidating the interaction between cellular degeneration and system level degeneration will aid modeling of the disease in the earliest phases, improve the development of sensitive markers of disease progression and response to therapy, and expand our understanding of the biological basis of clinical and pathological heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Talbot
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Vengoechea J, David MP, Yaghi SR, Carpenter L, Rudnicki SA. Clinical variability and female penetrance in X-linked familial FTD/ALS caused by a P506S mutation in UBQLN2. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2013; 14:615-9. [DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2013.824001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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46
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Goldstein LH, Abrahams S. Changes in cognition and behaviour in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: nature of impairment and implications for assessment. Lancet Neurol 2013; 12:368-80. [DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(13)70026-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 258] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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47
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Van Langenhove T, van der Zee J, Van Broeckhoven C. The molecular basis of the frontotemporal lobar degeneration-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis spectrum. Ann Med 2012; 44:817-28. [PMID: 22420316 PMCID: PMC3529157 DOI: 10.3109/07853890.2012.665471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2011] [Accepted: 02/07/2012] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) represent a continuum of neurodegenerative diseases. FTLD is complicated by ALS in a significant proportion of patients, and neuropsychological studies have demonstrated frontotemporal dysfunction in up to 50% of ALS patients. More recently, advances in neuropathology and molecular genetics have started to disclose the biological basis for the observed clinical concurrence. TDP-43 and FUS have been discovered as key pathological proteins in both FTLD and ALS. The most recent discovery of a pathological hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the gene C9orf72 as a frequent cause of both FTLD and ALS has eventually confirmed the association of these two at first sight distinct neurodegenerative diseases. Mutations in the TARDBP, FUS, and VCP genes had previously been associated with different phenotypes of the FTLD-ALS spectrum, although in these cases one end of the spectrum predominates. Whilst on the one hand providing evidence for overlap, these discoveries have also highlighted that FTLD and ALS are etiologically diverse. In this review, we review the recent advances that support the existence of an FTLD-ALS spectrum, with particular emphasis on the molecular genetic aspect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Van Langenhove
- Neurodegenerative Brain Diseases Group, Department of Molecular Genetics, VIB, Antwerpen, Belgium
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48
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Chiò A, Calvo A, Mazzini L, Cantello R, Mora G, Moglia C, Corrado L, D'Alfonso S, Majounie E, Renton A, Pisano F, Ossola I, Brunetti M, Traynor BJ, Restagno G. Extensive genetics of ALS: a population-based study in Italy. Neurology 2012; 79:1983-9. [PMID: 23100398 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0b013e3182735d36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the frequency and clinical characteristics of patients with mutations of major amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) genes in a prospectively ascertained, population-based epidemiologic series of cases. METHODS The study population includes all ALS cases diagnosed in Piemonte, Italy, from January 2007 to June 2011. Mutations of SOD1, TARDBP, ANG, FUS, OPTN, and C9ORF72 have been assessed. RESULTS Out of the 475 patients included in the study, 51 (10.7%) carried a mutation of an ALS-related gene (C9ORF72, 32; SOD1, 10; TARDBP, 7; FUS, 1; OPTN, 1; ANG, none). A positive family history for ALS or frontotemporal dementia (FTD) was found in 46 (9.7%) patients. Thirty-one (67.4%) of the 46 familial cases and 20 (4.7%) of the 429 sporadic cases had a genetic mutation. According to logistic regression modeling, besides a positive family history for ALS or FTD, the chance to carry a genetic mutation was related to the presence of comorbid FTD (odds ratio 3.5; p = 0.001), and age at onset ≤54 years (odds ratio 1.79; p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS We have found that ∼11% of patients with ALS carry a genetic mutation, with C9ORF72 being the commonest genetic alteration. Comorbid FTD or a young age at onset are strong indicators of a possible genetic origin of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Chiò
- ALS Center, Department of Neurosciences, University of Torino and AOU San Giovanni Battista of Torino, Torino, Italy.
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49
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The genetics and neuropathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 2012; 124:339-52. [PMID: 22903397 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-012-1022-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 277] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2012] [Revised: 07/16/2012] [Accepted: 07/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease of motor neurons leading to death from respiratory failure within about 3 years of symptom onset. A family history of ALS is obtained in about 5 % but the distinction between familial and apparently sporadic ALS is artificial and genetic factors play a role in all types. For several years, only one gene was known to have a role in ALS pathogenesis, SOD1. In the last few years there has been a rapid advance in our genetic knowledge of the causes of ALS, and the relationship of the genetic subtypes with pathological subtypes and clinical phenotype. Mutations in the gene for TDP-43 protein, TARDBP, highlight this, with pathology mimicking closely that found in other types of ALS, and a phenotypic spectrum that includes frontotemporal dementia. Mutations in the FUS gene, closely related to TDP-43, lead to a similar clinical phenotype but distinct pathology, so that the three pathological groups represented by SOD1, TARDBP, and FUS are distinct. In this review, we explore the genetic architecture of ALS, highlight some of the genes implicated in pathogenesis, and describe their phenotypic range and overlap with other diseases.
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50
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Achi EY, Rudnicki SA. ALS and Frontotemporal Dysfunction: A Review. Neurol Res Int 2012; 2012:806306. [PMID: 22919484 PMCID: PMC3423946 DOI: 10.1155/2012/806306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2012] [Accepted: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Though once believed to be a disease that was limited to the motor system, it is now apparent that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be associated with cognitive changes in some patients. Changes are consistent with frontotemporal dysfunction, and may range from mild abnormalities only recognized with formal neuropsychological testing, to profound frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Executive function, behavior, and language are the most likely areas to be involved. Screening helpful in detecting abnormalities includes verbal or categorical fluency, behavioral inventories filled out by the caregiver, and evaluation for the presence of depression and pseudobulbar affect. Patients with cognitive dysfunction have shortened survival and may be less compliant with recommendations regarding use of feeding tubes and noninvasive ventilation. Evolving knowledge of genetic and pathological links between ALS and FTD has allowed us to better understand the overlapping spectrum of ALS and FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stacy A. Rudnicki
- Department of Neurology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
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