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De Simone MS, Spalletta G, Vecchio D, Bassi A, Carlesimo GA, Piras F. The Role of the Anterior Thalamic Nuclei in the Genesis of Memory Disorders in Alzheimer's Disease: An Exploratory Study. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 97:507-519. [PMID: 38189755 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing evidence is demonstrating that degeneration of specific thalamic nuclei, in addition to the hippocampus, may occur in Alzheimer's disease (AD) from the prodromal stage (mild cognitive impairment - MCI) and contribute to memory impairment. OBJECTIVE Here, we evaluated the presence of macro and micro structural alterations at the level of the anterior thalamic nuclei (ATN) and medio-dorsal thalamic nuclei (MDTN) in AD and amnestic MCI (aMCI) and the possible relationship between such changes and the severity of memory impairment. METHODS For this purpose, a sample of 50 patients with aMCI, 50 with AD, and 50 age- and education-matched healthy controls (HC) were submitted to a 3-T MRI protocol with whole-brain T1-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging and a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. RESULTS At macro-structural level, both the ATN and MDTN were found significantly smaller in patients with aMCI and AD when compared to HC subjects. At micro-structural level, instead, diffusion alterations that significantly differentiated aMCI and AD patients from HC subjects were found only in the ATN, but not in the MDTN. Moreover, diffusion values of the ATN were significantly associated with poor episodic memory in the overall patients' group. CONCLUSIONS These findings represent the first in vivo evidence of a relevant involvement of ATN in the AD-related neurodegeneration and memory profile and strengthen the importance to look beyond the hippocampus when considering neurological conditions characterized by memory decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Stefania De Simone
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Laboratory of Neuropsychology of Memory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Niccolò Cusano University, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Spalletta
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Vecchio
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Bassi
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Augusto Carlesimo
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Laboratory of Neuropsychology of Memory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
- Senior Authors
| | - Fabrizio Piras
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Senior Authors
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De Simone MS, Lombardi MG, De Tollis M, Perri R, Fadda L, Caltagirone C, Carlesimo GA. Forgetting rate for the familiarity and recollection components of recognition in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: A longitudinal study. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2022:1-13. [PMID: 36264763 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2022.2135441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Here we aimed to investigate the rate of forgetting of the familiarity and recollection components of recognition in patients at the onset of medial temporal lobe (MTL) pathology and destined to convert to Alzheimer's disease (AD). For this purpose, we conducted a longitudinal study of 13 patients who were diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI) at the first assessment and followed-up for 3 years. During this time, five patients converted to AD and eight remained in a stable condition of cognitive impairment. A group of 15 healthy subjects were enrolled as the control group (HC). In order to separately quantify the contribution of recollection and familiarity to recognition memory performance, the experimental sample was submitted to a modified version of Huppert and Piercy's procedure that included a Remember/Know paradigm. Data demonstrated that both stable and converter a-MCI patients forgot memory traces relative to the familiarity components of recognition at the same rate as HC. Conversely, converter a-MCI patients showed accelerated long-term forgetting specifically for the recollection component of recognition compared to stable a-MCI and HC. This is the first empirical demonstration that familiarity and recollection components of declarative memory are subject to different rates of forgetting in a-MCI patients as a function of their longitudinal clinical outcome. Our finding of accelerated long-term forgetting of the recollection component of recognition disclosed by converter a-MCI patients suggests that atrophy in the MTL not only interferes with the storage aspects but also disrupts the consolidation of memory traces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Stefania De Simone
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology of Memory, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Giovanna Lombardi
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology of Memory, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo De Tollis
- Technology and Training Methods for Disability Care Laboratory, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Perri
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology of Memory, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Fadda
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology of Memory, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology of Memory, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Technology and Training Methods for Disability Care Laboratory, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Augusto Carlesimo
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology of Memory, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
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Cawley-Bennett ATJ, Frascino JC, Asp IE, Golshan S, Bondi MW, Luo Z, Smith CN. The Retrograde Memory for News Events Test (RM-NET) and the relationship between news event memory and performance on standard neuropsychological tests. Learn Mem 2022; 29:367-378. [PMID: 36180130 PMCID: PMC9536756 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053571.122] [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: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Novel tests of semantic memory (SM)-for example, memory for news events (NE; news facts) or famous personalities-are useful for estimating the severity of retrograde amnesia. Individuals with mild cognitive impairment exhibit relatively intact SM/language on traditional neuropsychological tests but exhibit consistent impairment on novel tests of SM, suggesting novel SM tests are dissimilar from traditional SM tests. To identify the relationship between NE memory and traditional cognitive measures, older adults (N = 51) completed a traditional neuropsychological battery and the Retrograde Memory News Events Test (RM-NET; a new test that robustly measures NE memory across the adult life span with high temporal resolution), and the relationship between performance on these tests was examined. Total RM-NET scores were more closely aligned with episodic memory scores than SM scores. The strength of the association between NE scores and episodic memory scores decreased as the age of NE memory increased. Tests of news events appear to reflect performance on traditional tests of episodic memory rather than SM, especially when recent news events are tested.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer C Frascino
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California 92093, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California 92161, USA
| | - Isabel E Asp
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California 92161, USA
| | - Shahrokh Golshan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California 92093, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California 92161, USA
| | - Mark W Bondi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California 92093, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California 92161, USA
| | - Zhishang Luo
- Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California 92093, USA
| | - Christine N Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California 92093, USA
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California 92161, USA
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, USA
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Li R, Zhang C, Rao Y, Yuan TF. Deep brain stimulation of fornix for memory improvement in Alzheimer's disease: A critical review. Ageing Res Rev 2022; 79:101668. [PMID: 35705176 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Memory reflects the brain function in encoding, storage and retrieval of the data or information, which is a fundamental ability for any live organism. The development of approaches to improve memory attracts much attention due to the underlying mechanistic insight and therapeutic potential to treat neurodegenerative diseases with memory loss, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Deep brain stimulation (DBS), a reversible, adjustable, and non-ablative therapy, has been shown to be safe and effective in many clinical trials for neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Among all potential regions with access to invasive electrodes, fornix is considered as it is the major afferent and efferent connection of the hippocampus known to be closely associated with learning and memory. Indeed, clinical trials have demonstrated that fornix DBS globally improved cognitive function in a subset of patients with AD, indicating fornix can serve as a potential target for neurosurgical intervention in treating memory impairment in AD. The present review aims to provide a better understanding of recent progresses in the application of fornix DBS for ameliorating memory impairments in AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruofan Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chencheng Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Functional Neurosurgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanxia Rao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Fudan University, China.
| | - Ti-Fei Yuan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Fabrizio C, Termine A, Caltagirone C, Sancesario G. Artificial Intelligence for Alzheimer's Disease: Promise or Challenge? Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:1473. [PMID: 34441407 PMCID: PMC8391160 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11081473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Decades of experimental and clinical research have contributed to unraveling many mechanisms in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the puzzle is still incomplete. Although we can suppose that there is no complete set of puzzle pieces, the recent growth of open data-sharing initiatives collecting lifestyle, clinical, and biological data from AD patients has provided a potentially unlimited amount of information about the disease, far exceeding the human ability to make sense of it. Moreover, integrating Big Data from multi-omics studies provides the potential to explore the pathophysiological mechanisms of the entire biological continuum of AD. In this context, Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers a wide variety of methods to analyze large and complex data in order to improve knowledge in the AD field. In this review, we focus on recent findings and future challenges for AI in AD research. In particular, we discuss the use of Computer-Aided Diagnosis tools for AD diagnosis and the use of AI to potentially support clinical practices for the prediction of individual risk of AD conversion as well as patient stratification in order to finally develop effective and personalized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Fabrizio
- Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioral Neurophysiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; (C.F.); (A.T.)
| | - Andrea Termine
- Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioral Neurophysiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy; (C.F.); (A.T.)
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy;
| | - Giulia Sancesario
- Biobank, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy
- European Center for Brain Research, Experimental Neuroscience, 00143 Rome, Italy
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Serra L, De Simone MS, Fadda L, Perri R, Caltagirone C, Bozzali M, Carlesimo GA. Memory for public events in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: The role of hippocampus and ventro-medial prefrontal cortex. J Neuropsychol 2021; 16:131-148. [PMID: 34170071 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current theories assume that retrograde memory deficits for semantic information in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) are temporally graded and partially sparing most remote memories. Moreover, these models assume a prevalent role of the hippocampus in early phases of memory consolidation and of the prefrontal mesial neocortical areas in permanent consolidation of traces. PURPOSE To explore the relationship between hippocampus and memory accuracy for the most recent public events and between the ventro-medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and memory accuracy irrespective of the memory age, we investigated in aMCI patients the retrograde memory for public events and its relationship with grey matter volume reductions in the hippocampus and vmPFC. METHODS 18 aMCI patients and 13 healthy subjects (HS) underwent a modified version of the Famous Events questionnaire (FEq) to assess their memory performance for public events. Patients underwent 3T-MRI scanning to assess correlations between FEq's scores and grey matter volumes. RESULTS aMCI showed significantly reduced performances on FEq compared to HS in the recollection of most recent events, while no significant difference was observed for more remote memories, thus demonstrating a temporal gradient. Moreover, hippocampal volumes predicted accuracy scores for most recent, but not older, public events. Finally, an area in the subcallosal portion of the vmPFC, corresponding to BA32, predicted accuracy scores on FEq irrespective of the period examined. CONCLUSIONS Pathological changes in a neural circuit linking hippocampal to medial prefrontal cortical regions are responsible for impaired recollection of retrograde memories in aMCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Serra
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Lucia Fadda
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Perri
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Bozzali
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", University of Torino, Turin, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Giovanni A Carlesimo
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
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