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Fjell AM. Aging Brain from a Lifespan Perspective. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38797799 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Research during the last two decades has shown that the brain undergoes continuous changes throughout life, with substantial heterogeneity in age trajectories between regions. Especially, temporal and prefrontal cortices show large changes, and these correlate modestly with changes in the corresponding cognitive abilities such as episodic memory and executive function. Changes seen in normal aging overlap with changes seen in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease; differences between what reflects normal aging vs. a disease-related change are often blurry. This calls for a dimensional view on cognitive decline in aging, where clear-cut distinctions between normality and pathology cannot be always drawn. Although much progress has been made in describing typical patterns of age-related changes in the brain, identifying risk and protective factors, and mapping cognitive correlates, there are still limits to our knowledge that should be addressed by future research. We need more longitudinal studies following the same participants over longer time intervals with cognitive testing and brain imaging, and an increased focus on the representativeness vs. selection bias in neuroimaging research of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Martin Fjell
- Department of Psychology, Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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Flaherty R, Sui YV, Masurkar AV, Betensky RA, Rusinek H, Lazar M. Diffusion imaging markers of accelerated aging of the lower cingulum in subjective cognitive decline. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1360273. [PMID: 38784911 PMCID: PMC11111894 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1360273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Alzheimer's Disease (AD) typically starts in the medial temporal lobe, then develops into a neurodegenerative cascade which spreads to other brain regions. People with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are more likely to develop dementia, especially in the presence of amyloid pathology. Thus, we were interested in the white matter microstructure of the medial temporal lobe in SCD, specifically the lower cingulum bundle that leads into the hippocampus. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been shown to differentiate SCD participants who will progress to mild cognitive impairment from those who will not. However, the biology underlying these DTI metrics is unclear, and results in the medial temporal lobe have been inconsistent. Methods To better characterize the microstructure of this region, we applied DTI to cognitively normal participants in the Cam-CAN database over the age of 55 with cognitive testing and diffusion MRI available (N = 325, 127 SCD). Diffusion MRI was processed to generate regional and voxel-wise diffusion tensor values in bilateral lower cingulum white matter, while T1-weighted MRI was processed to generate regional volume and cortical thickness in the medial temporal lobe white matter, entorhinal cortex, temporal pole, and hippocampus. Results SCD participants had thinner cortex in bilateral entorhinal cortex and right temporal pole. No between-group differences were noted for any of the microstructural metrics of the lower cingulum. However, correlations with delayed story recall were significant for all diffusion microstructure metrics in the right lower cingulum in SCD, but not in controls, with a significant interaction effect. Additionally, the SCD group showed an accelerated aging effect in bilateral lower cingulum with MD, AxD, and RD. Discussion The diffusion profiles observed in both interaction effects are suggestive of a mixed neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative pathology. Left entorhinal cortical thinning correlated with decreased FA and increased RD, suggestive of demyelination. However, right entorhinal cortical thinning also correlated with increased AxD, suggestive of a mixed pathology. This may reflect combined pathologies implicated in early AD. DTI was more sensitive than cortical thickness to the associations between SCD, memory, and age. The combined effects of mixed pathology may increase the sensitivity of DTI metrics to variations with age and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryn Flaherty
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Yu Veronica Sui
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Arjun V. Masurkar
- Department of Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Rebecca A. Betensky
- Department of Biostatistics, New York University School of Global Public Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Henry Rusinek
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mariana Lazar
- Center for Advanced Imaging Innovation and Research, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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Feng Y, Chandio BQ, Villalon-Reina JE, Thomopoulos SI, Nir TM, Benavidez S, Laltoo E, Chattopadhyay T, Joshi H, Venkatasubramanian G, John JP, Jahanshad N, Reid RI, Jack CR, Weiner MW, Thompson PM. Microstructural Mapping of Neural Pathways in Alzheimer's Disease using Macrostructure-Informed Normative Tractometry. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.25.591183. [PMID: 38712293 PMCID: PMC11071453 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.25.591183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Diffusion MRI is sensitive to the microstructural properties of brain tissues, and shows great promise in detecting the effects of degenerative diseases. However, many approaches analyze single measures averaged over regions of interest, without considering the underlying fiber geometry. Methods Here, we propose a novel Macrostructure-Informed Normative Tractometry (MINT) framework, to investigate how white matter microstructure and macrostructure are jointly altered in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. We compare MINT-derived metrics with univariate metrics from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to examine how fiber geometry may impact interpretation of microstructure. Results In two multi-site cohorts from North America and India, we find consistent patterns of microstructural and macrostructural anomalies implicated in MCI and dementia; we also rank diffusion metrics' sensitivity to dementia. Discussion We show that MINT, by jointly modeling tract shape and microstructure, has potential to disentangle and better interpret the effects of degenerative disease on the brain's neural pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixue Feng
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, United States
| | - Bramsh Q. Chandio
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, United States
| | - Julio E. Villalon-Reina
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, United States
| | - Sophia I. Thomopoulos
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, United States
| | - Talia M. Nir
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, United States
| | - Sebastian Benavidez
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, United States
| | - Emily Laltoo
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, United States
| | - Tamoghna Chattopadhyay
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, United States
| | - Himanshu Joshi
- Multimodal Brain Image Analysis Laboratory National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Ganesan Venkatasubramanian
- Translational Psychiatry Laboratory, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - John P. John
- Multimodal Brain Image Analysis Laboratory National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, United States
| | - Robert I. Reid
- Department of Information Technology, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN, United States
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Clifford R. Jack
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Michael W. Weiner
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Paul M. Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, United States
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Gabusi I, Battocchio M, Bosticardo S, Schiavi S, Daducci A. Blurred streamlines: A novel representation to reduce redundancy in tractography. Med Image Anal 2024; 93:103101. [PMID: 38325156 DOI: 10.1016/j.media.2024.103101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Tractography is a powerful tool to study brain connectivity in vivo, but it is well known to suffer from an intrinsic trade-off between sensitivity and specificity. A critical - but usually underrated - parameter to choose that can heavily impact the quality of the estimates is the number of streamlines to be reconstructed for a given data set. In fact, sensitivity can be improved by generating more and more streamlines, as all real anatomical connections are likely reconstructed, but lots of false positives are inevitably introduced, too. Consequently, so-called tractography filtering techniques have become increasingly popular to get rid of these false positives and improve specificity. However, increasing number of streamlines introduces redundancy in tractography reconstructions, which may negatively impact the performance of filtering algorithms, especially those based on linear formulations. To address this problem, we introduce a novel streamlines representation, called "blurred streamlines", which drastically reduces the redundancy among streamlines by (i) clustering similar trajectories and (ii) spatially blurring the corresponding signal contributions. We tested the effectiveness of the blurred streamlines both on synthetic and in vivo data. Our results clearly show that this new representation is as accurate as state-of-the-art methods despite using only 5% of the input streamlines, thus significantly decreasing the computational complexity of filtering algorithms as well as storage requirements of the resulting reconstructions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Gabusi
- Diffusion Imaging and Connectivity Estimation (DICE) Lab, Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
| | - Matteo Battocchio
- Diffusion Imaging and Connectivity Estimation (DICE) Lab, Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Laboratory (SCIL), Department of Computer Science, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Sara Bosticardo
- Diffusion Imaging and Connectivity Estimation (DICE) Lab, Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; Translational Imaging in Neurology (ThINk), Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Hospital Basel and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Simona Schiavi
- Diffusion Imaging and Connectivity Estimation (DICE) Lab, Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; ASG Superconductors S.p.A., Genova, Italy
| | - Alessandro Daducci
- Diffusion Imaging and Connectivity Estimation (DICE) Lab, Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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da Silva SP, de Castro CCM, Rabelo LN, Engelberth RC, Fernández-Calvo B, Fiuza FP. Neuropathological and sociodemographic factors associated with the cortical amyloid load in aging and Alzheimer's disease. GeroScience 2024; 46:621-643. [PMID: 37870702 PMCID: PMC10828279 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00982-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia and is characterized by a progressive decline in cognitive abilities. A pathological hallmark of AD is a region-specific accumulation of the amyloid-beta protein (Aβ). Here, we explored the association between regional Aβ deposition, sociodemographic, and local biochemical factors. We quantified the Aβ burden in postmortem cortical samples from parietal (PCx) and temporal (TCx) regions of 27 cognitively unimpaired (CU) and 15 AD donors, aged 78-100 + years. Histological images of Aβ immunohistochemistry and local concentrations of pathological and inflammatory proteins were obtained at the "Aging, Dementia and TBI Study" open database. We used the area fraction fractionator stereological methodology to quantify the Aβ burden in the gray and white matter within each cortical region. We found higher Aβ burdens in the TCx of AD octogenarians compared to CU ones. We also found higher Aβ loads in the PCx of AD nonagenarians than in AD octogenarians. Moreover, AD women exhibited increased Aβ deposition compared to CU women. Interestingly, we observed a negative correlation between education years and Aβ burden in the white matter of both cortices in CU samples. In AD brains, the Aβ40, Aβ42, and pTau181 isoforms of Aβ and Tau proteins were positively correlated with the Aβ burden. Additionally, in the TCx of AD donors, the proinflammatory cytokine TNFα showed a positive correlation with the Aβ load. These novel findings contribute to understanding the interplay between sociodemographic characteristics, local inflammatory signaling, and the development of AD-related pathology in the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayonara P da Silva
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, RN, 59280-000, Brazil
| | - Carla C M de Castro
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, RN, 59280-000, Brazil
| | - Lívia N Rabelo
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, RN, 59280-000, Brazil
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Rovena C Engelberth
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Studies, Department of Physiology and Behavior, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Bernardino Fernández-Calvo
- Department of Psychology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Reina Sofia University Hospital, Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Felipe P Fiuza
- Graduate Program in Neuroengineering, Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience, Santos Dumont Institute, Macaíba, RN, 59280-000, Brazil.
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Gao C, Yang Q, Kim ME, Khairi NM, Cai LY, Newlin NR, Kanakaraj P, Remedios LW, Krishnan AR, Yu X, Yao T, Zhang P, Schilling KG, Moyer D, Archer DB, Resnick SM, Landman BA. Characterizing patterns of DTI variance in aging brains. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2023.08.22.23294381. [PMID: 37662348 PMCID: PMC10473788 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.22.23294381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Background As large analyses merge data across sites, a deeper understanding of variance in statistical assessment across the sources of data becomes critical for valid analyses. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) exhibits spatially varying and correlated noise, so care must be taken with distributional assumptions. Purpose We characterize the role of physiology, subject compliance, and the interaction of subject with the scanner in the understanding of DTI variability, as modeled in spatial variance of derived metrics in homogeneous regions. Methods We analyze DTI data from 1035 subjects in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), with ages ranging from 22.4 to 103 years old. For each subject, up to 12 longitudinal sessions were conducted. We assess variance of DTI scalars within regions of interest (ROIs) defined by four segmentation methods and investigate the relationships between the variance and covariates, including baseline age, time from the baseline (referred to as "interval"), motion, sex, and whether it is the first scan or the second scan in the session. Results Covariate effects are heterogeneous and bilaterally symmetric across ROIs. Inter-session interval is positively related (p ≪ 0.001) to FA variance in the cuneus and occipital gyrus, but negatively (p ≪ 0.001) in the caudate nucleus. Males show significantly (p ≪ 0.001) higher FA variance in the right putamen, thalamus, body of the corpus callosum, and cingulate gyrus. In 62 out of 176 ROIs defined by the Eve type-1 atlas, an increase in motion is associated (p < 0.05) with a decrease in FA variance. Head motion increases during the rescan of DTI (Δμ = 0.045 millimeters per volume). Conclusions The effects of each covariate on DTI variance, and their relationships across ROIs are complex. Ultimately, we encourage researchers to include estimates of variance when sharing data and consider models of heteroscedasticity in analysis. This work provides a foundation for study planning to account for regional variations in metric variance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyu Gao
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Nashville, United States
| | - Qi Yang
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | - Michael E Kim
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | - Nazirah Mohd Khairi
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Nashville, United States
| | - Leon Y Cai
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nashville, United States
| | - Nancy R Newlin
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | | | - Lucas W Remedios
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | - Aravind R Krishnan
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Nashville, United States
| | - Xin Yu
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | - Tianyuan Yao
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | - Panpan Zhang
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Biostatistics, Nashville, United States
| | - Kurt G Schilling
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Nashville, USA
- Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, USA
| | - Daniel Moyer
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
| | - Derek B Archer
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, USA
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Nashville, USA
| | - Susan M Resnick
- National Institute on Aging, Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Baltimore, United States
| | - Bennett A Landman
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Computer Science, Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Nashville, USA
- Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, USA
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Robinson TD, Chad JA, Sun YL, Chang PTH, Chen JJ. Developmental order, fibre caliber, and vascularization predict tract-wise declines: Testing retrogenesis and physiological predictions in white matter aging. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.20.576373. [PMID: 38328223 PMCID: PMC10849490 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.20.576373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
To understand the consistently observed spatial distribution of white-matter (WM) aging, developmentally driven theories of retrogenesis have gained traction, positing that the order WM development predicts declines. Regions that develop first are often expected to deteriorate the last, i.e. "last-in-first-out". Alternatively, regions which develop most rapidly may also decline most rapidly in aging, or the "gains-predict-loss" model. The validity of such theories remains uncertain, in part due to lack of clarity on the definition of developmental order. Our recent findings also suggest that WM degeneration may vary by physiological parameters such as perfusion. Furthermore, it is informative to link perfusion to fibre metabolic need, which varies with fibre size. Here we address the question of whether WM degeneration is determined by development trajectory or physiological state across both microstructural and perfusion measures using data drawn from the Human Connectome Project in Aging (HCP-A). Our results indicate that developmental order of tract myelination provides the strongest support for the retrogenesis hypothesis, with the last to complete myelination the first to decline. Moreover, higher mean axon diameter and lower macrovascular density are associated with lower degrees of WM degeneration across measures. Tract perfusion, in turn also tends to be higher and the arterial transit time longer for tracts that appear first. These findings suggest that WM degeneration in different tracts may be governed by their developmental trajectories and physiology, and ultimately influenced by each tract's metabolic demand.
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Singh K, Barsoum S, Schilling KG, An Y, Ferrucci L, Benjamini D. Neuronal microstructural changes in the human brain are associated with neurocognitive aging. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.11.575206. [PMID: 38260525 PMCID: PMC10802615 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.11.575206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Gray matter (GM) alterations play a role in aging-related disorders like Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, yet MRI studies mainly focus on macroscopic changes. Although reliable indicators of atrophy, morphological metrics like cortical thickness lack the sensitivity to detect early changes preceding visible atrophy. Our study aimed at exploring the potential of diffusion MRI in unveiling sensitive markers of cortical and subcortical age-related microstructural changes and assessing their associations with cognitive and behavioral deficits. We leveraged the Human Connectome Project-Aging cohort that included 707 unimpaired participants (394 female; median age = 58, range = 36-90 years) and applied the powerful mean apparent diffusion propagator model to measure microstructural parameters, along with comprehensive behavioral and cognitive test scores. Both macro- and microstructural GM characteristics were strongly associated with age, with widespread significant microstructural correlations reflective of cellular morphological changes, reduced cellular density, increased extracellular volume, and increased membrane permeability. Importantly, when correlating MRI and cognitive test scores, our findings revealed no link between macrostructural volumetric changes and neurobehavioral performance. However, we found that cellular and extracellular alterations in cortical and subcortical GM regions were associated with neurobehavioral performance. Based on these findings, it is hypothesized that increased microstructural heterogeneity and decreased neurite orientation dispersion precede macrostructural changes, and that they play an important role in subsequent cognitive decline. These alterations are suggested to be early markers of neurocognitive performance that may distinctly aid in identifying the mechanisms underlying phenotypic aging and subsequent age-related functional decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavita Singh
- Multiscale Imaging and Integrative Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Stephanie Barsoum
- Multiscale Imaging and Integrative Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kurt G Schilling
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yang An
- Brain Aging and Behavior Section, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Luigi Ferrucci
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dan Benjamini
- Multiscale Imaging and Integrative Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Caruana GF, Carruthers SP, Berk M, Rossell SL, Van Rheenen TE. To what extent does white matter map to cognition in bipolar disorder? A systematic review of the evidence. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 128:110868. [PMID: 37797735 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is a prominent feature of bipolar disorder (BD), however the neural substrates underpinning it remain unclear. Several studies have explored white matter as a correlate of cognitive functioning in BD cohorts, but mixed results and varied methodologies from one to another make inferences about this relationship difficult to draw. Here we sought to systematically synthesise the findings of these studies to more clearly explicate the nature and extent of relationships between white matter and cognition in BD and determine best practice methodologies and areas for future research in this area. Using PRISMA guidelines, we identified and systematically reviewed 37 relevant studies, all of which were cross-sectional by design. There was substantial methodological heterogeneity and variability in the clinical presentations of BD cohorts encapsulated within the studies we reviewed, which complicated our synthesis of the findings. Nonetheless, there was some evidence that cognition is related to both white matter macrostructure and microstructure in people with BD. In particular, multiple microstructural studies consistently reported that higher fractional anisotropy, both globally and in the corpus callosum, associated with better complex attention skills and executive functioning. However, several reports did not identify any associations at all, and in general, associations between WM and cognition tended to only be evident in studies utilising larger samples and post-hoc selection of WM regions of interest. Further research with increased statistical power and standardised methods are required moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia F Caruana
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria 3053, Australia
| | - Sean P Carruthers
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria 3122, Australia
| | - Michael Berk
- Deakin University, IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong 3220, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health and Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia; Barwon Health, University Hospital Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia; Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria 3122, Australia; St Vincent's Mental Health, St Vincent's Hospital, VIC, Australia
| | - Tamsyn E Van Rheenen
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria 3053, Australia; Centre for Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria 3122, Australia; Deakin University, IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Geelong 3220, Australia.
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Sullivan-Toole H, Jobson KR, Hoffman LJ, Stewart LC, Olson IR, Olino TM. Adolescents at risk for depression show increased white matter microstructure with age across diffuse areas of the brain. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 64:101307. [PMID: 37813039 PMCID: PMC10570597 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal history of depression is a strong predictor of depression in offspring and linked to structural and functional alterations in the developing brain. However, very little work has examined differences in white matter in adolescents at familial risk for depression. In a sample aged 9-14 (n = 117), we used tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) to examine differences in white matter microstructure between adolescents with (n = 42) and without (n = 75) maternal history of depression. Microstructure was indexed using fractional anisotropy (FA). Threshold-free cluster enhancement was applied and cluster maps were thresholded at whole-brain family-wise error < .05. There was no significant main effect of risk status on FA. However, there was a significant interaction between risk status and age, such that large and diffuse portions of the white matter skeleton showed relatively increased FA with age for youth with a maternal history of depression compared to those without. Most tracts identified by the interaction were robust to controlling for sex, youth internalizing, in-scanner motion, neighborhood SES, and intra-cranial volume, evidence that maternal depression is a unique predictor of white matter alterations in youth. Widespread increases in FA with age may correspond to a global pattern of accelerated brain maturation in youth at risk for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katie R Jobson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | - Linda J Hoffman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | | | - Ingrid R Olson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | - Thomas M Olino
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
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Nabulsi L, Chandio BQ, McPhilemy G, Martyn FM, Roberts G, Hallahan B, Dannlowski U, Kircher T, Haarman B, Mitchell P, McDonald C, Cannon DM, Andreassen OA, Ching CRK, Thompson PM. Multi-Site Statistical Mapping of Along-Tract Microstructural Abnormalities in Bipolar Disorder with Diffusion MRI Tractometry. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.17.553762. [PMID: 37662230 PMCID: PMC10473593 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.17.553762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Investigating alterations in brain circuitry associated with bipolar disorder (BD) may offer a valuable approach to discover brain biomarkers for genetic and interventional studies of the disorder and related mental illnesses. Some diffusion MRI studies report evidence of microstructural abnormalities in white matter regions of interest, but we lack a fine-scale spatial mapping of brain microstructural differences along tracts in BD. We also lack large-scale studies that integrate tractometry data from multiple sites, as larger datasets can greatly enhance power to detect subtle effects and assess whether effects replicate across larger international datasets. In this multisite diffusion MRI study, we used BUndle ANalytics (BUAN, Chandio 2020), a recently developed analytic approach for tractography, to extract, map, and visualize profiles of microstructural abnormalities on 3D models of fiber tracts in 148 participants with BD and 259 healthy controls from 6 independent scan sites. Modeling site differences as random effects, we investigated along-tract white matter (WM) microstructural differences between diagnostic groups. QQ plots showed that group differences were gradually enhanced as more sites were added. Using the BUAN pipeline, BD was associated with lower mean fractional anisotropy (FA) in fronto-limbic, interhemispheric, and posterior pathways; higher FA was also noted in posterior bundles, relative to controls. By integrating tractography and anatomical information, BUAN effectively captures unique effects along white matter (WM) tracts, providing valuable insights into anatomical variations that may assist in the classification of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Nabulsi
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA 90292, USA
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Bramsh Q Chandio
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA 90292, USA
| | - Genevieve McPhilemy
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Fiona M Martyn
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Gloria Roberts
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Brian Hallahan
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Benno Haarman
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Philip Mitchell
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Colm McDonald
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Dara M Cannon
- Centre for Neuroimaging & Cognitive Genomics (NICOG), Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Christopher R K Ching
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA 90292, USA
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA 90292, USA
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Weaver JM, DiPiero M, Rodrigues PG, Cordash H, Davidson RJ, Planalp EM, Dean DC. Automated motion artifact detection in early pediatric diffusion MRI using a convolutional neural network. IMAGING NEUROSCIENCE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 1:10.1162/imag_a_00023. [PMID: 38344118 PMCID: PMC10854394 DOI: 10.1162/imag_a_00023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Diffusion MRI (dMRI) is a widely used method to investigate the microstructure of the brain. Quality control (QC) of dMRI data is an important processing step that is performed prior to analysis using models such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) or neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI). When processing dMRI data from infants and young children, where intra-scan motion is common, the identification and removal of motion artifacts is of the utmost importance. Manual QC of dMRI data is (1) time-consuming due to the large number of diffusion directions, (2) expensive, and (3) prone to subjective errors and observer variability. Prior techniques for automated dMRI QC have mostly been limited to adults or school-age children. Here, we propose a deep learning-based motion artifact detection tool for dMRI data acquired from infants and toddlers. The proposed framework uses a simple three-dimensional convolutional neural network (3DCNN) trained and tested on an early pediatric dataset of 2,276 dMRI volumes from 121 exams acquired at 1 month and 24 months of age. An average classification accuracy of 95% was achieved following four-fold cross-validation. A second dataset with different acquisition parameters and ages ranging from 2-36 months (consisting of 2,349 dMRI volumes from 26 exams) was used to test network generalizability, achieving 98% classification accuracy. Finally, to demonstrate the importance of motion artifact volume removal in a dMRI processing pipeline, the dMRI data were fit to the DTI and NODDI models and the parameter maps were compared with and without motion artifact removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayse Merle Weaver
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Marissa DiPiero
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | | | - Hassan Cordash
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Richard J. Davidson
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison WI, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Elizabeth M. Planalp
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Douglas C. Dean
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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13
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Webb EK, Ely TD, Rowland GE, Lebois LAM, van Rooij SJH, Bruce SE, Jovanovic T, House SL, Beaudoin FL, An X, Neylan TC, Clifford GD, Linnstaedt SD, Germine LT, Bollen KA, Rauch SL, Haran JP, Storrow AB, Lewandowski C, Musey PI, Hendry PL, Sheikh S, Jones CW, Punches BE, Swor RA, Pascual JL, Seamon MJ, Datner EM, Pearson C, Peak DA, Merchant RC, Domeier RM, Rathlev NK, Sergot P, Sanchez LD, Kessler RC, Koenen KC, McLean SA, Stevens JS, Ressler KJ, Harnett NG. Neighborhood Disadvantage and Neural Correlates of Threat and Reward Processing in Survivors of Recent Trauma. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2334483. [PMID: 37721751 PMCID: PMC10507487 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.34483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Differences in neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics are important considerations in understanding differences in risk vs resilience in mental health. Neighborhood disadvantage is associated with alterations in the function and structure of threat neurocircuitry. Objective To investigate associations of neighborhood disadvantage with white and gray matter and neural reactivity to positive and negative stimuli in the context of trauma exposure. Design, Setting, and Participants In this cross-sectional study, survivors of trauma who completed sociodemographic and posttraumatic symptom assessments and neuroimaging were recruited as part of the Advancing Understanding of Recovery After Trauma (AURORA) study between September 2017 and June 2021. Data analysis was performed from October 25, 2022, to February 15, 2023. Exposure Neighborhood disadvantage was measured with the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) for each participant home address. Main Outcomes and Measures Participants completed separate threat and reward tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Diffusion-weighted and high-resolution structural images were also collected. Linear models assessed the association of ADI with reactivity, microstructure, and macrostructure of a priori regions of interest after adjusting for income, lifetime trauma, sex at birth, and age. A moderated-mediation model tested whether ADI was associated with neural activity via microstructural changes and if this was modulated by PTSD symptoms. Results A total of 280 participants (183 females [65.4%]; mean [SD] age, 35.39 [13.29] years) completed the threat task and 244 participants (156 females [63.9%]; mean [SD] age, 35.10 [13.26] years) completed the reward task. Higher ADI (per 1-unit increase) was associated with greater insula (t274 = 3.20; β = 0.20; corrected P = .008) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; t274 = 2.56; β = 0.16; corrected P = .04) threat-related activity after considering covariates, but ADI was not associated with reward reactivity. Greater disadvantage was also associated with altered microstructure of the cingulum bundle (t274 = 3.48; β = 0.21; corrected P = .001) and gray matter morphology of the ACC (cortical thickness: t273 = -2.29; β = -0.13; corrected P = .02; surface area: t273 = 2.53; β = 0.13; corrected P = .02). The moderated-mediation model revealed that ADI was associated with ACC threat reactivity via cingulum microstructural changes (index of moderated mediation = -0.02). However, this mediation was only present in individuals with greater PTSD symptom severity (at the mean: β = -0.17; standard error = 0.06, t= -2.28; P = .007; at 1 SD above the mean: β = -0.28; standard error = 0.08; t = -3.35; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance In this study, neighborhood disadvantage was associated with neurobiology that supports threat processing, revealing associations of neighborhood disadvantage with neural susceptibility for PTSD and suggesting how altered structure-function associations may complicate symptoms. Future work should investigate specific components of neighborhood disadvantage that may be associated with these outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Kate Webb
- Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Timothy D Ely
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Grace E Rowland
- Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Lauren A M Lebois
- Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sanne J H van Rooij
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Steven E Bruce
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-St Louis
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Stacey L House
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Francesca L Beaudoin
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Xinming An
- Institute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Thomas C Neylan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
- Department Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Gari D Clifford
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta
| | - Sarah D Linnstaedt
- Institute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Laura T Germine
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- The Many Brains Project, Belmont, Massachusetts
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kenneth A Bollen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Scott L Rauch
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - John P Haran
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Alan B Storrow
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | | | - Paul I Musey
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis
| | - Phyllis L Hendry
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville
| | - Sophia Sheikh
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville
| | - Christopher W Jones
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey
| | - Brittany E Punches
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus
- College of Nursing, Ohio State University, Columbus
| | - Robert A Swor
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, Michigan
| | - Jose L Pascual
- Department of Surgery, Division of Traumatology, Surgical Critical Care and Emergency Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Mark J Seamon
- Department of Surgery, Division of Traumatology, Surgical Critical Care and Emergency Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Elizabeth M Datner
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Einstein Healthcare Network, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Claire Pearson
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University, Ascension St John Hospital, Detroit, Michigan
| | - David A Peak
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Roland C Merchant
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Robert M Domeier
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Trinity Health-Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Michigan
| | - Niels K Rathlev
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate, Springfield
| | - Paulina Sergot
- Department of Emergency Medicine, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, Houston, Texas
| | - Leon D Sanchez
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ronald C Kessler
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Karestan C Koenen
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Samuel A McLean
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Institute for Trauma Recovery, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Jennifer S Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nathaniel G Harnett
- Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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14
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Nabulsi L, Chandio BQ, Dhinagar N, Laltoo E, McPhilemy G, Martyn FM, Hallahan B, McDonald C, Thompson PM, Cannon DM. Along-Tract Statistical Mapping of Microstructural Abnormalities in Bipolar Disorder: A Pilot Study. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2023; 2023:1-7. [PMID: 38083303 DOI: 10.1109/embc40787.2023.10339964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Investigating brain circuitry involved in bipolar disorder (BD) is key to discovering brain biomarkers for genetic and interventional studies of the disorder. Even so, prior research has not provided a fine-scale spatial mapping of brain microstructural differences in BD. In this pilot diffusion MRI dataset, we used BUndle ANalytics (BUAN)-a recently developed analytic approach for tractography-to extract, map, and visualize the profile of microstructural abnormalities on a 3D model of fiber tracts in people with BD (N=38) and healthy controls (N=49), and investigate along-tract white matter (WM) microstructural differences between these groups. Using the BUAN pipeline, BD was associated with lower mean fractional anisotropy (FA) in fronto-limbic and interhemispheric pathways and higher mean FA in posterior bundles relative to controls.Clinical Relevance- BUAN combines tractography and anatomical information to capture distinct along-tract effects on WM microstructure that may aid in classifying diseases based on anatomical differences.
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15
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Bouhrara M, Avram AV, Kiely M, Trivedi A, Benjamini D. Adult lifespan maturation and degeneration patterns in gray and white matter: A mean apparent propagator (MAP) MRI study. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 124:104-116. [PMID: 36641369 PMCID: PMC9985137 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between brain microstructure and aging has been the subject of intense study, with diffusion MRI perhaps the most effective modality for elucidating these associations. Here, we used the mean apparent propagator (MAP)-MRI framework, which is suitable to characterize complex microstructure, to investigate age-related cerebral differences in a cohort of cognitively unimpaired participants and compared the results to those derived using diffusion tensor imaging. We studied MAP-MRI metrics, among them the non-Gaussianity (NG) and propagator anisotropy (PA), and established an opposing pattern in white matter of higher NG alongside lower PA among older adults, likely indicative of axonal degradation. In gray matter, however, these two indices were consistent with one another, and exhibited regional pattern heterogeneity compared to other microstructural parameters, which could indicate fewer neuronal projections across cortical layers along with an increased glial concentration. In addition, we report regional variations in the magnitude of age-related microstructural differences consistent with the posterior-anterior shift in aging paradigm. These results encourage further investigations in cognitive impairments and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustapha Bouhrara
- Magnetic Resonance Physics of Aging and Dementia Unit, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Alexandru V. Avram
- Section on Quantitative Imaging and Tissue Sciences,Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA,Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Matthew Kiely
- Magnetic Resonance Physics of Aging and Dementia Unit, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Aparna Trivedi
- Multiscale Imaging and Integrative Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Dan Benjamini
- Multiscale Imaging and Integrative Biophysics Unit, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
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16
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Nabulsi L, Chandio BQ, Dhinagar N, Laltoo E, McPhilemy G, Martyn FM, Hallahan B, McDonald C, Thompson PM, Cannon DM. Along-Tract Statistical Mapping of Microstructural Abnormalities in Bipolar Disorder: A Pilot Study. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.07.531585. [PMID: 36945403 PMCID: PMC10028925 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.07.531585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Investigating brain circuitry involved in bipolar disorder (BD) is key to discovering brain biomarkers for genetic and interventional studies of the disorder. Even so, prior research has not provided a fine-scale spatial mapping of brain microstructural differences in BD. In this pilot diffusion MRI dataset, we used BUndle ANalytics (BUAN), a recently developed analytic approach for tractography, to extract, map, and visualize the profile of microstructural abnormalities on a 3D model of fiber tracts in people with BD (N=38) and healthy controls (N=49), and investigate along-tract white matter (WM) microstructural differences between these groups. Using the BUAN pipeline, BD was associated with lower mean Fractional Anisotropy (FA) in fronto-limbic and interhemispheric pathways and higher mean FA in posterior bundles relative to controls. BUAN combines tractography and anatomical information to capture distinct along-tract effects on WM microstructure that may aid in classifying diseases based on anatomical differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Nabulsi
- Imaging Genetics Center, Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging & Informatics, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, 90292 USA
| | - Bramsh Q Chandio
- Imaging Genetics Center, Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging & Informatics, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, 90292 USA
| | - Nikhil Dhinagar
- Imaging Genetics Center, Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging & Informatics, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, 90292 USA
| | - Emily Laltoo
- Imaging Genetics Center, Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging & Informatics, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, 90292 USA
| | - Genevieve McPhilemy
- Clinical Neuroimaging Lab, Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Fiona M Martyn
- Clinical Neuroimaging Lab, Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Brian Hallahan
- Clinical Neuroimaging Lab, Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Colm McDonald
- Clinical Neuroimaging Lab, Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging & Informatics, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, 90292 USA
| | - Dara M Cannon
- Clinical Neuroimaging Lab, Galway Neuroscience Centre, College of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
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17
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Chen Z, Wu B, Li G, Zhou L, Zhang L, Liu J. Age and sex differentially shape brain networks in Parkinson's disease. CNS Neurosci Ther 2023. [PMID: 36890620 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Age and sex are important individual factors modifying the clinical symptoms of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Our goal is to evaluate the effects of age and sex on brain networks and clinical manifestations of PD patients. METHODS Parkinson's disease participants (n = 198) receiving functional magnetic resonance imaging from Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative database were investigated. Participants were classified into lower quartile group (age rank: 0%~25%), interquartile group (age rank: 26%~75%), and upper quartile group (age rank: 76%~100%) according to their age quartiles to examine how age shapes brain network topology. The differences of brain network topological properties between male and female participants were also investigated. RESULTS Parkinson's disease patients in the upper quartile age group exhibited disrupted network topology of white matter networks and impaired integrity of white matter fibers compared to lower quartile age group. In contrast, sex preferentially shaped the small-world topology of gray matter covariance network. Differential network metrics mediated the effects of age and sex on cognitive function of PD patients. CONCLUSION Age and sex have diverse effects on brain structural networks and cognitive function of PD patients, highlighting their roles in the clinical management of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichun Chen
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Neurology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Bin Wu
- Department of Neurology, Xuchang Central Hospital affiliated with Henan University of Science and Technology, Henan, China
| | - Guanglu Li
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Liche Zhou
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lina Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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18
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Sharp FR, DeCarli CS, Jin LW, Zhan X. White matter injury, cholesterol dysmetabolism, and APP/Abeta dysmetabolism interact to produce Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology: A hypothesis and review. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1096206. [PMID: 36845656 PMCID: PMC9950279 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1096206] [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: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
We postulate that myelin injury contributes to cholesterol release from myelin and cholesterol dysmetabolism which contributes to Abeta dysmetabolism, and combined with genetic and AD risk factors, leads to increased Abeta and amyloid plaques. Increased Abeta damages myelin to form a vicious injury cycle. Thus, white matter injury, cholesterol dysmetabolism and Abeta dysmetabolism interact to produce or worsen AD neuropathology. The amyloid cascade is the leading hypothesis for the cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The failure of clinical trials based on this hypothesis has raised other possibilities. Even with a possible new success (Lecanemab), it is not clear whether this is a cause or a result of the disease. With the discovery in 1993 that the apolipoprotein E type 4 allele (APOE4) was the major risk factor for sporadic, late-onset AD (LOAD), there has been increasing interest in cholesterol in AD since APOE is a major cholesterol transporter. Recent studies show that cholesterol metabolism is intricately involved with Abeta (Aβ)/amyloid transport and metabolism, with cholesterol down-regulating the Aβ LRP1 transporter and upregulating the Aβ RAGE receptor, both of which would increase brain Aβ. Moreover, manipulating cholesterol transport and metabolism in rodent AD models can ameliorate pathology and cognitive deficits, or worsen them depending upon the manipulation. Though white matter (WM) injury has been noted in AD brain since Alzheimer's initial observations, recent studies have shown abnormal white matter in every AD brain. Moreover, there is age-related WM injury in normal individuals that occurs earlier and is worse with the APOE4 genotype. Moreover, WM injury precedes formation of plaques and tangles in human Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) and precedes plaque formation in rodent AD models. Restoring WM in rodent AD models improves cognition without affecting AD pathology. Thus, we postulate that the amyloid cascade, cholesterol dysmetabolism and white matter injury interact to produce and/or worsen AD pathology. We further postulate that the primary initiating event could be related to any of the three, with age a major factor for WM injury, diet and APOE4 and other genes a factor for cholesterol dysmetabolism, and FAD and other genes for Abeta dysmetabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Charles S. DeCarli
- Department of Neurology, The MIND Institute, University of California at Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Lee-Way Jin
- Department of Neurology, The MIND Institute, University of California at Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Xinhua Zhan
- Department of Neurology, The MIND Institute, University of California at Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, United States
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Chwa WJ, Raji CA, Toups K, Hathaway A, Gordon D, Chung H, Boyd A, Hill BD, Hausman-Cohen S, Attarha M, Jarrett M, Bredesen DE. Longitudinal White and Gray Matter Response to Precision Medicine-Guided Intervention for Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 96:1051-1058. [PMID: 38007669 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating condition that is widely known to adversely affect gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) tracts within the brain. Recently, precision medicine has shown promise in alleviating the clinical and gross morphological trajectories of patients with AD. However, regional morphological changes have not yet been adequately characterized. OBJECTIVE Investigate regional morphological responses to a precision medicine-guided intervention with regards to white and gray matter in AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS Clinical and neuroimaging data were compiled over a 9-month period from 25 individuals who were diagnosed with AD or MCI receiving individualized treatment plans. Structural T1-weighted MRI scans underwent segmentation and volumetric quantifications via Neuroreader. Longitudinal changes were calculated via annualized percent change of WM or GM ratios. RESULTS Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores (p < 0.001) and various domains of the Computerized Neurocognitive Screening Vital Signs significantly improved from baseline to 9-month follow-up. There was regional variability in WM and GM atrophy or hypertrophy, but none of these observed changes were statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won Jong Chwa
- Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Cyrus A Raji
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kat Toups
- Bay Area Wellness, Walnut Creek, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Alan Boyd
- CNS Vital Signs, Morrisville, NC, USA
| | - Benjamin D Hill
- Department of Psychology, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
| | | | | | | | - Dale E Bredesen
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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