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Ludwig M, Yi YJ, Lüsebrink F, Callaghan MF, Betts MJ, Yakupov R, Weiskopf N, Dolan RJ, Düzel E, Hämmerer D. Functional locus coeruleus imaging to investigate an ageing noradrenergic system. Commun Biol 2024; 7:777. [PMID: 38937535 PMCID: PMC11211439 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06446-5] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC), our main source of norepinephrine (NE) in the brain, declines with age and is a potential epicentre of protein pathologies in neurodegenerative diseases (ND). In vivo measurements of LC integrity and function are potentially important biomarkers for healthy ageing and early ND onset. In the present study, high-resolution functional MRI (fMRI), a reversal reinforcement learning task, and dedicated post-processing approaches were used to visualise age differences in LC function (N = 50). Increased LC responses were observed during emotionally and task-related salient events, with subsequent accelerations and decelerations in reaction times, respectively, indicating context-specific adaptive engagement of the LC. Moreover, older adults exhibited increased LC activation compared to younger adults, indicating possible compensatory overactivation of a structurally declining LC in ageing. Our study shows that assessment of LC function is a promising biomarker of cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike Ludwig
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
- CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Yeo-Jin Yi
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Falk Lüsebrink
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- NMR Methods Development Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martina F Callaghan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew J Betts
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Renat Yakupov
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, London, UK
| | - Emrah Düzel
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Dorothea Hämmerer
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Aganj I, Mora J, Fischl B, Augustinack JC. Automatic geometry-based estimation of the locus coeruleus region on T 1-weighted magnetic resonance images. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1375530. [PMID: 38774790 PMCID: PMC11106368 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1375530] [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: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a key brain structure implicated in cognitive function and neurodegenerative disease. Automatic segmentation of the LC is a crucial step in quantitative non-invasive analysis of the LC in large MRI cohorts. Most publicly available imaging databases for training automatic LC segmentation models take advantage of specialized contrast-enhancing (e.g., neuromelanin-sensitive) MRI. Segmentation models developed with such image contrasts, however, are not readily applicable to existing datasets with conventional MRI sequences. In this work, we evaluate the feasibility of using non-contrast neuroanatomical information to geometrically approximate the LC region from standard 3-Tesla T1-weighted images of 20 subjects from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). We employ this dataset to train and internally/externally evaluate two automatic localization methods, the Expected Label Value and the U-Net. For out-of-sample segmentation, we compare the results with atlas-based segmentation, as well as test the hypothesis that using the phase image as input can improve the robustness. We then apply our trained models to a larger subset of HCP, while exploratorily correlating LC imaging variables and structural connectivity with demographic and clinical data. This report provides an evaluation of computational methods estimating neural structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iman Aganj
- Radiology Department, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Radiology Department, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jocelyn Mora
- Radiology Department, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Bruce Fischl
- Radiology Department, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Radiology Department, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jean C. Augustinack
- Radiology Department, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Radiology Department, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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Laurencin C, Lancelot S, Brosse S, Mérida I, Redouté J, Greusard E, Lamberet L, Liotier V, Le Bars D, Costes N, Thobois S, Boulinguez P, Ballanger B. Noradrenergic alterations in Parkinson's disease: a combined 11C-yohimbine PET/neuromelanin MRI study. Brain 2024; 147:1377-1388. [PMID: 37787503 PMCID: PMC10994534 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Degeneration of the noradrenergic system is now considered a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease, but little is known about its consequences in terms of parkinsonian manifestations. Here, we evaluated two aspects of the noradrenergic system using multimodal in vivo imaging in patients with Parkinson's disease and healthy controls: the pigmented cell bodies of the locus coeruleus with neuromelanin sensitive MRI; and the density of α2-adrenergic receptors (ARs) with PET using 11C-yohimbine. Thirty patients with Parkinson's disease and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were included. The characteristics of the patients' symptoms were assessed using the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). Patients showed reduced neuromelanin signal intensity in the locus coeruleus compared with controls and diminished 11C-yohimbine binding in widespread cortical regions, including the motor cortex, as well as in the insula, thalamus and putamen. Clinically, locus coeruleus neuronal loss was correlated with motor (bradykinesia, motor fluctuations, tremor) and non-motor (fatigue, apathy, constipation) symptoms. A reduction of α2-AR availability in the thalamus was associated with tremor, while a reduction in the putamen, the insula and the superior temporal gyrus was associated with anxiety. These results highlight a multifaceted alteration of the noradrenergic system in Parkinson's disease since locus coeruleus and α2-AR degeneration were found to be partly uncoupled. These findings raise important issues about noradrenergic dysfunction that may encourage the search for new drugs targeting this system, including α2-ARs, for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Laurencin
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, University Lyon 1, F-69000 Lyon, France
- Department of Neurology C, Expert Parkinson Centre, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Pierre Wertheimer Neurological Hospital, NS-Park/F-CRIN, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Sophie Lancelot
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, University Lyon 1, F-69000 Lyon, France
- CERMEP-Imagerie du Vivant, PET-MRI Department, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Sarah Brosse
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, University Lyon 1, F-69000 Lyon, France
| | - Inés Mérida
- CERMEP-Imagerie du Vivant, PET-MRI Department, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Jérôme Redouté
- CERMEP-Imagerie du Vivant, PET-MRI Department, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Elise Greusard
- CERMEP-Imagerie du Vivant, PET-MRI Department, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Ludovic Lamberet
- CERMEP-Imagerie du Vivant, PET-MRI Department, 69500 Bron, France
| | | | - Didier Le Bars
- CERMEP-Imagerie du Vivant, PET-MRI Department, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Nicolas Costes
- CERMEP-Imagerie du Vivant, PET-MRI Department, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Stéphane Thobois
- Department of Neurology C, Expert Parkinson Centre, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Pierre Wertheimer Neurological Hospital, NS-Park/F-CRIN, 69500 Bron, France
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, UMR 5229, CNRS, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Philippe Boulinguez
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, University Lyon 1, F-69000 Lyon, France
| | - Bénédicte Ballanger
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, University Lyon 1, F-69000 Lyon, France
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Levi S, Ripamonti M, Moro AS, Cozzi A. Iron imbalance in neurodegeneration. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1139-1152. [PMID: 38212377 PMCID: PMC11176077 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02399-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Iron is an essential element for the development and functionality of the brain, and anomalies in its distribution and concentration in brain tissue have been found to be associated with the most frequent neurodegenerative diseases. When magnetic resonance techniques allowed iron quantification in vivo, it was confirmed that the alteration of brain iron homeostasis is a common feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. However, whether iron is the main actor in the neurodegenerative process, or its alteration is a consequence of the degenerative process is still an open question. Because the different iron-related pathogenic mechanisms are specific for distinctive diseases, identifying the molecular mechanisms common to the various pathologies could represent a way to clarify this complex topic. Indeed, both iron overload and iron deficiency have profound consequences on cellular functioning, and both contribute to neuronal death processes in different manners, such as promoting oxidative damage, a loss of membrane integrity, a loss of proteostasis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. In this review, with the attempt to elucidate the consequences of iron dyshomeostasis for brain health, we summarize the main pathological molecular mechanisms that couple iron and neuronal death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Levi
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano, Italy.
- IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy.
| | | | - Andrea Stefano Moro
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milano, Italy
- Department of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Cozzi
- IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
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Wimalasena K, Adetuyi O, Eldani M. Metabolic energy decline coupled dysregulation of catecholamine metabolism in physiologically highly active neurons: implications for selective neuronal death in Parkinson's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1339295. [PMID: 38450382 PMCID: PMC10914975 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1339295] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related irreversible neurodegenerative disease which is characterized as a progressively worsening involuntary movement disorder caused by the loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Two main pathophysiological features of PD are the accumulation of inclusion bodies in the affected neurons and the predominant loss of neuromelanin-containing DA neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and noradrenergic (NE) neurons in locus coeruleus (LC). The inclusion bodies contain misfolded and aggregated α-synuclein (α-Syn) fibrils known as Lewy bodies. The etiology and pathogenic mechanisms of PD are complex, multi-dimensional and associated with a combination of environmental, genetic, and other age-related factors. Although individual factors associated with the pathogenic mechanisms of PD have been widely investigated, an integration of the findings to a unified causative mechanism has not been envisioned. Here we propose an integrated mechanism for the degeneration of DA neurons in SNpc and NE neurons in LC in PD, based on their unique high metabolic activity coupled elevated energy demand, using currently available experimental data. The proposed hypothetical mechanism is primarily based on the unique high metabolic activity coupled elevated energy demand of these neurons. We reason that the high vulnerability of a selective group of DA neurons in SNpc and NE neurons in LC in PD could be due to the cellular energy modulations. Such cellular energy modulations could induce dysregulation of DA and NE metabolism and perturbation of the redox active metal homeostasis (especially copper and iron) in these neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kandatege Wimalasena
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, United States
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Aganj I, Mora J, Fischl B, Augustinack JC. Automatic Geometry-based Estimation of the Locus Coeruleus Region on T 1-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Images. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.23.576958. [PMID: 38328208 PMCID: PMC10849695 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.23.576958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a key brain structure implicated in cognitive function and neurodegenerative disease. Automatic segmentation of the LC is a crucial step in quantitative non-invasive analysis of the LC in large MRI cohorts. Most publicly available imaging databases for training automatic LC segmentation models take advantage of specialized contrast-enhancing (e.g., neuromelanin-sensitive) MRI. Segmentation models developed with such image contrasts, however, are not readily applicable to existing datasets with conventional MRI sequences. In this work, we evaluate the feasibility of using non-contrast neuroanatomical information to geometrically approximate the LC region from standard 3-Tesla T1-weighted images of 20 subjects from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). We employ this dataset to train and internally/externally evaluate two automatic localization methods, the Expected Label Value and the U-Net. We also test the hypothesis that using the phase image as input can improve the robustness of out-of-sample segmentation. We then apply our trained models to a larger subset of HCP, while exploratorily correlating LC imaging variables and structural connectivity with demographic and clinical data. This report contributes and provides an evaluation of two computational methods estimating neural structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iman Aganj
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Radiology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
- Radiology Department, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jocelyn Mora
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Radiology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Bruce Fischl
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Radiology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
- Radiology Department, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jean C. Augustinack
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Radiology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
- Radiology Department, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Galgani A, Giorgi FS. Exploring the Role of Locus Coeruleus in Alzheimer's Disease: a Comprehensive Update on MRI Studies and Implications. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2023; 23:925-936. [PMID: 38064152 PMCID: PMC10724305 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-023-01324-9] [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] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Performing a thorough review of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies assessing locus coeruleus (LC) integrity in ageing and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and contextualizing them with current preclinical and neuropathological literature. RECENT FINDINGS MRI successfully detected LC alterations in ageing and AD, identifying degenerative phenomena involving this nucleus even in the prodromal stages of the disorder. The degree of LC disruption was also associated with the severity of AD cortical pathology, cognitive and behavioral impairment, and the risk of clinical progression. Locus coeruleus-MRI has proved to be a useful tool to assess the integrity of the central noradrenergic system in vivo in humans. It allowed to test in patients preclinical and experimental hypothesis, thus confirming the specific and marked involvement of the LC in AD and its key pathogenetic role. Locus coeruleus-MRI-related data might represent the theoretical basis on which to start developing noradrenergic drugs to target AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Galgani
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies School of Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Sean Giorgi
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies School of Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
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Oshima S, Fushimi Y, Miyake KK, Nakajima S, Sakata A, Okuchi S, Hinoda T, Otani S, Numamoto H, Fujimoto K, Shima A, Nambu M, Sawamoto N, Takahashi R, Ueno K, Saga T, Nakamoto Y. Denoising approach with deep learning-based reconstruction for neuromelanin-sensitive MRI: image quality and diagnostic performance. Jpn J Radiol 2023; 41:1216-1225. [PMID: 37256470 PMCID: PMC10613599 DOI: 10.1007/s11604-023-01452-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Neuromelanin-sensitive MRI (NM-MRI) has proven useful for diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD) by showing reduced signals in the substantia nigra (SN) and locus coeruleus (LC), but requires a long scan time. The aim of this study was to assess the image quality and diagnostic performance of NM-MRI with a shortened scan time using a denoising approach with deep learning-based reconstruction (dDLR). MATERIALS AND METHODS We enrolled 22 healthy volunteers, 22 non-PD patients and 22 patients with PD who underwent NM-MRI, and performed manual ROI-based analysis. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in ten healthy volunteers were compared among images with a number of excitations (NEX) of 1 (NEX1), NEX1 images with dDLR (NEX1 + dDLR) and 5-NEX images (NEX5). Acquisition times for NEX1 and NEX5 were 3 min 12 s and 15 min 58 s, respectively. Diagnostic performances using the contrast ratio (CR) of the SN (CR_SN) and LC (CR_LC) and those by visual assessment for differentiating PD from non-PD were also compared between NEX1 and NEX1 + dDLR. RESULTS Image quality analyses revealed that SNRs and CNRs of the SN and LC in NEX1 + dDLR were significantly higher than in NEX1, and comparable to those in NEX5. In diagnostic performance analysis, areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) using CR_SN and CR_LC of NEX1 + dDLR were 0.87 and 0.75, respectively, which had no significant difference with those of NEX1. Visual assessment showed improvement of diagnostic performance by applying dDLR. CONCLUSION Image quality for NEX1 + dDLR was comparable to that of NEX5. dDLR has the potential to reduce scan time of NM-MRI without degrading image quality. Both 1-NEX NM-MRI with and without dDLR showed high AUCs for diagnosing PD by CR. The results of visual assessment suggest advantages of dDLR. Further tuning of dDLR would be expected to provide clinical merits in diagnosing PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonoko Oshima
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Fushimi
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan.
| | - Kanae Kawai Miyake
- Department of Advanced Medical Imaging Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nakajima
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Akihiko Sakata
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Sachi Okuchi
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Takuya Hinoda
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Sayo Otani
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Hitomi Numamoto
- Department of Advanced Medical Imaging Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Koji Fujimoto
- Department of Real World Data Research and Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Atsushi Shima
- Department of Regenerative Systems Neuroscience, Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Masahito Nambu
- MRI Systems Division, Canon Medical Systems Corporation, 1385 Shimoishigami, Otawara-Shi, Tochigi, 324-0036, Japan
| | - Nobukatsu Sawamoto
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Takahashi
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kentaro Ueno
- Department of Biomedical Statistics and Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Tsuneo Saga
- Department of Advanced Medical Imaging Research, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yuji Nakamoto
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin Kawahara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
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Riley E, Cicero N, Swallow K, De Rosa E, Anderson A. Locus coeruleus neuromelanin accumulation and dissipation across the lifespan. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.17.562814. [PMID: 37905002 PMCID: PMC10614878 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.17.562814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
The pigment neuromelanin, produced in the locus coeruleus (LC) as a byproduct of catecholamine synthesis, gives the "blue spot" its name, and both identifies LC neurons and is thought to play an important yet complex role in normal and pathological aging. Using neuromelanin-sensitive T1-weighted turbo spin echo MRI scans we characterized volume and neuromelanin signal intensity in the LC of 96 participants between the ages of 19 and 86. Although LC volume did not change significantly throughout the lifespan, LC neuromelanin signal intensity increased from early adulthood, peaked around age 60 and precipitously declined thereafter. Neuromelanin intensity was greater in the caudal relative to rostral extent and in women relative to men. With regard to function, rostral LC neuromelanin intensity was associated with fluid cognition in older adults (60+) only in those above the 50th percentile of cognitive ability for age. The gradual accumulation of LC neuromelanin across the lifespan, its sudden dissipation in later life, and relation to preserved cognitive function, is consistent with its complex role in normal and pathological aging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Eve De Rosa
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University
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10
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Hussain S, Menchaca I, Shalchy MA, Yaghoubi K, Langley J, Seitz AR, Hu XP, Peters MAK. Locus coeruleus integrity predicts ease of attaining and maintaining neural states of high attentiveness. Brain Res Bull 2023; 202:110733. [PMID: 37586427 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110733] [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: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC), a small subcortical structure in the brainstem, is the brain's principal source of norepinephrine. It plays a primary role in regulating stress, the sleep-wake cycle, and attention, and its degradation is associated with aging and neurodegenerative diseases associated with cognitive deficits (e.g., Parkinson's, Alzheimer's). Yet precisely how norepinephrine drives brain networks to support healthy cognitive function remains poorly understood - partly because LC's small size makes it difficult to study noninvasively in humans. Here, we characterized LC's influence on brain dynamics using a hidden Markov model fitted to functional neuroimaging data from healthy young adults across four attention-related brain networks and LC. We modulated LC activity using a behavioral paradigm and measured individual differences in LC magnetization transfer contrast. The model revealed five hidden states, including a stable state dominated by salience-network activity that occurred when subjects actively engaged with the task. LC magnetization transfer contrast correlated with this state's stability across experimental manipulations and with subjects' propensity to enter into and remain in this state. These results provide new insight into LC's role in driving spatiotemporal neural patterns associated with attention, and demonstrate that variation in LC integrity can explain individual differences in these patterns even in healthy young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Hussain
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Isaac Menchaca
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | | | - Kimia Yaghoubi
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Jason Langley
- Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Aaron R Seitz
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiaoping P Hu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA; Center for Advanced Neuroimaging, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
| | - Megan A K Peters
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA; Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Program in Brain, Mind, & Consciousness, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Krohn F, Lancini E, Ludwig M, Leiman M, Guruprasath G, Haag L, Panczyszyn J, Düzel E, Hämmerer D, Betts M. Noradrenergic neuromodulation in ageing and disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105311. [PMID: 37437752 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105311] [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: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small brainstem structure located in the lower pons and is the main source of noradrenaline (NA) in the brain. Via its phasic and tonic firing, it modulates cognition and autonomic functions and is involved in the brain's immune response. The extent of degeneration to the LC in healthy ageing remains unclear, however, noradrenergic dysfunction may contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite their differences in progression at later disease stages, the early involvement of the LC may lead to comparable behavioural symptoms such as preclinical sleep problems and neuropsychiatric symptoms as a result of AD and PD pathology. In this review, we draw attention to the mechanisms that underlie LC degeneration in ageing, AD and PD. We aim to motivate future research to investigate how early degeneration of the noradrenergic system may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of AD and PD which may also be relevant to other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Krohn
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - E Lancini
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - M Ludwig
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - M Leiman
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - G Guruprasath
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - L Haag
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - J Panczyszyn
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - E Düzel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London UK-WC1E 6BT, UK; CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - D Hämmerer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London UK-WC1E 6BT, UK; CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - M Betts
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; CBBS Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
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12
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Berger A, Koshmanova E, Beckers E, Sharifpour R, Paparella I, Campbell I, Mortazavi N, Balda F, Yi YJ, Lamalle L, Dricot L, Phillips C, Jacobs HIL, Talwar P, El Tahry R, Sherif S, Vandewalle G. Structural and functional characterization of the locus coeruleus in young and late middle-aged individuals. FRONTIERS IN NEUROIMAGING 2023; 2:1207844. [PMID: 37554637 PMCID: PMC10406214 DOI: 10.3389/fnimg.2023.1207844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The brainstem locus coeruleus (LC) influences a broad range of brain processes, including cognition. The so-called LC contrast is an accepted marker of the integrity of the LC that consists of a local hyperintensity on specific Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) structural images. The small size of the LC has, however, rendered its functional characterization difficult in humans, including in aging. A full characterization of the structural and functional characteristics of the LC in healthy young and late middle-aged individuals is needed to determine the potential roles of the LC in different medical conditions. Here, we wanted to determine whether the activation of the LC in a mismatch negativity task changes in aging and whether the LC functional response was associated to the LC contrast. METHODS We used Ultra-High Field (UHF) 7-Tesla functional MRI (fMRI) to record brain response during an auditory oddball task in 53 healthy volunteers, including 34 younger (age: 22.15y ± 3.27; 29 women) and 19 late middle-aged (age: 61.05y ± 5.3; 14 women) individuals. RESULTS Whole-brain analyses confirmed brain responses in the typical cortical and subcortical regions previously associated with mismatch negativity. When focusing on the brainstem, we found a significant response in the rostral part of the LC probability mask generated based on individual LC images. Although bilateral, the activation was more extensive in the left LC. Individual LC activity was not significantly different between young and late middle-aged individuals. Importantly, while the LC contrast was higher in older individuals, the functional response of the LC was not significantly associated with its contrast. DISCUSSION These findings may suggest that the age-related alterations of the LC structural integrity may not be related to changes in its functional response. The results further suggest that LC responses may remain stable in healthy individuals aged 20 to 70.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Berger
- Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Synergia Medical SA, Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium
| | - Ekaterina Koshmanova
- Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Elise Beckers
- Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Roya Sharifpour
- Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Ilenia Paparella
- Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Islay Campbell
- Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Nasrin Mortazavi
- Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Fermin Balda
- Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Yeo-Jin Yi
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Laurent Lamalle
- Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Laurence Dricot
- Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christophe Phillips
- Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Heidi I. L. Jacobs
- Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Radiology, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Puneet Talwar
- Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Riëm El Tahry
- Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Refractory Epilepsy, Department of Neurology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
- Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (WELBIO) Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
| | - Siya Sherif
- Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Gilles Vandewalle
- Sleep and Chronobiology Lab, GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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13
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Galgani A, Bartolini E, D'Amora M, Faraguna U, Giorgi FS. The Central Noradrenergic System in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Merging Experimental and Clinical Evidence. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065805. [PMID: 36982879 PMCID: PMC10055776 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this article is to highlight the potential role of the locus-coeruleus-noradrenergic (LC-NA) system in neurodevelopmental disorders (NdDs). The LC is the main brain noradrenergic nucleus, key in the regulation of arousal, attention, and stress response, and its early maturation and sensitivity to perinatal damage make it an interesting target for translational research. Clinical data shows the involvement of the LC-NA system in several NdDs, suggesting a pathogenetic role in the development of such disorders. In this context, a new neuroimaging tool, LC Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), has been developed to visualize the LC in vivo and assess its integrity, which could be a valuable tool for exploring morphological alterations in NdD in vivo in humans. New animal models may be used to test the contribution of the LC-NA system to the pathogenic pathways of NdD and to evaluate the efficacy of NA-targeting drugs. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of how the LC-NA system may represent a common pathophysiological and pathogenic mechanism in NdD and a reliable target for symptomatic and disease-modifying drugs. Further research is needed to fully understand the interplay between the LC-NA system and NdD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Galgani
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Emanuele Bartolini
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy
- Tuscany PhD Programme in Neurosciences, 50121 Florence, Italy
| | - Marta D'Amora
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, 56125 Pisa, Italy
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Ugo Faraguna
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, 56128 Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Sean Giorgi
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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14
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Wang S, Wu T, Cai Y, Yu Y, Chen X, Wang L. Neuromelanin magnetic resonance imaging of substantia nigra and locus coeruleus in Parkinson's disease with freezing of gait. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1060935. [PMID: 36819729 PMCID: PMC9932285 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1060935] [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: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The downregulation of monoamines, especially dopamine in substantia nigra (SN) and norepinephrine in locus coeruleus (LC), may be responsible for freezing of gait (FOG) pathological basis in Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods Thirty-two Parkinson's disease patients with freezing of gait (PD-FOG), 32 Parkinson's disease patients without freezing of gait (PD-NFOG) and 32 healthy controls (HC) underwent neuromelanin magnetic resonance imaging (NM-MRI). The volume, surface area and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) of SN and LC were measured and compared. The correlation analyses were conducted between the measurements of SN and LC with clinical symptoms. We plotted the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and determined the sensitivity and specificity of the CNR of SN and LC for discriminating the PD-FOG from the PD-NFOG. Results Both PD-FOG and PD-NFOG showed decreased volume, surface area and CNR of SN compared with HC. The PD-FOG exhibited decreased volume and surface area of LC compared with both PD-NFOG and HC groups, and decreased CNR of LC compared with HC group. The volume, surface area and CNR of SN were negatively correlated with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III scores. The illness durations in PD patients were negatively correlated with the volume, surface area of SN, while not the CNR. And the volume and surface area of LC were negatively correlated with new freezing of gait questionnaire scores. ROC analyses indicated that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.865 and 0.713 in the CNR of SN and LC, respectively, in PD versus HC, whereas it was 0.494 and 0.637 respectively, in PD-FOG versus PD-NFOG. Among these, for discriminating the PD from the HC, the sensitivity and specificity in the CNR of the SN was 90.6 and 71.9%, respectively, when the cut-off value was set at 2.101; the sensitivity and specificity in the CNR of the LC was 90.6 and 50.0%, respectively, when the cut-off value for CNR was set at 1.411. Conclusion The dopaminergic changes in the SN were found across both PD-FOG and PD-NFOG, whilst LC noradrenergic neuron reduction was more evident in PD-FOG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangpei Wang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Tong Wu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yajie Cai
- Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yongqiang Yu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,*Correspondence: Yongqiang Yu, ✉
| | - Xianwen Chen
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,Xianwen Chen, ✉
| | - Longsheng Wang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China,Longsheng Wang, ✉
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15
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He N, Chen Y, LeWitt PA, Yan F, Haacke EM. Application of Neuromelanin MR Imaging in Parkinson Disease. J Magn Reson Imaging 2023; 57:337-352. [PMID: 36017746 PMCID: PMC10086789 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.28414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
MRI has been used to develop biomarkers for movement disorders such as Parkinson disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative disorders with parkinsonism such as progressive supranuclear palsy and multiple system atrophy. One of these imaging biomarkers is neuromelanin (NM), whose integrity can be assessed from its contrast and volume. NM is found mainly in certain brain stem structures, namely, the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), the ventral tegmental area, and the locus coeruleus. Another major biomarker is brain iron, which often increases in concert with NM degeneration. These biomarkers have the potential to improve diagnostic certainty in differentiating between PD and other neurodegenerative disorders similar to PD, as well as provide a better understanding of pathophysiology. Mapping NM in vivo has clinical importance for gauging the premotor phase of PD when there is a greater than 50% loss of dopaminergic SNpc melanized neurons. As a metal ion chelator, NM can absorb iron. When NM is released from neurons, it deposits iron into the intracellular tissues of the SNpc; the result is iron that can be imaged and measured using quantitative susceptibility mapping. An increase of iron also leads to the disappearance of the nigrosome-1 sign, another neuroimage biomarker for PD. Therefore, mapping NM and iron changes in the SNpc are a practical means for improving early diagnosis of PD and in monitoring disease progression. In this review, we discuss the functions and location of NM, how NM-MRI is performed, the automatic mapping of NM and iron content, how NM-related imaging biomarkers can be used to enhance PD diagnosis and differentiate it from other neurodegenerative disorders, and potential advances in NM imaging methods. With major advances currently evolving for rapid imaging and artificial intelligence, NM-related biomarkers are likely to have increasingly important roles for enhancing diagnostic capabilities in PD. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naying He
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China
| | - Yongsheng Chen
- Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Peter A LeWitt
- Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Hospital, Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Program, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Fuhua Yan
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China
| | - E Mark Haacke
- Department of Radiology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China.,Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,Department of Radiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA.,SpinTech, Inc, Bingham Farms, Michigan, USA
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16
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Eckert MA, Iuricich F, Harris KC, Hamlett ED, Vazey EM, Aston-Jones G. Locus coeruleus and dorsal cingulate morphology contributions to slowed processing speed. Neuropsychologia 2023; 179:108449. [PMID: 36528219 PMCID: PMC9906468 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108449] [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: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Slowed information processing speed is a defining feature of cognitive aging. Nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) and medial prefrontal regions are targets for understanding slowed processing speed because these brain regions influence neural and behavioral response latencies through their roles in optimizing task performance. Although structural measures of medial prefrontal cortex have been consistently related to processing speed, it is unclear if 1) declines in LC structure underlie this association because of reciprocal connections between LC and medial prefrontal cortex, or 2) if LC declines provide a separate explanation for age-related changes in processing speed. LC and medial prefrontal structural measures were predicted to explain age-dependent individual differences in processing speed in a cross-sectional sample of 43 adults (19-79 years; 63% female). Higher turbo-spin echo LC contrast, based on a persistent homology measure, and greater dorsal cingulate cortical thickness were significantly and each uniquely related to faster processing speed. However, only dorsal cingulate cortical thickness appeared to statistically mediate age-related differences in processing speed. The results suggest that individual differences in cognitive processing speed can be attributed, in part, to structural variation in nucleus LC and medial prefrontal cortex, with the latter key to understanding why older adults exhibit slowed processing speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Eckert
- Hearing Research Program, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, MSC 550, Charleston, S.C., 29425-5500, USA.
| | - Federico Iuricich
- Visual Computing Division, School of Computing, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., 29634, USA
| | - Kelly C Harris
- Hearing Research Program, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, MSC 550, Charleston, S.C., 29425-5500, USA
| | - Eric D Hamlett
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C., 29425-5500, USA
| | - Elena M Vazey
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003-9297, USA
| | - Gary Aston-Jones
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University/Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
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17
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Chen Y, Gong T, Sun C, Yang A, Gao F, Chen T, Chen W, Wang G. Regional age-related changes of neuromelanin and iron in the substantia nigra based on neuromelanin accumulation and iron deposition. Eur Radiol 2023; 33:3704-3714. [PMID: 36680605 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-023-09411-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate age-related neuromelanin signal variation and iron content changes in the subregions of substantia nigra (SN) using magnetization transfer contrast neuromelanin-sensitive multi-echo fast field echo sequence in a normal population. METHODS In this prospective study, 115 healthy volunteers between 20 and 86 years of age were recruited and scanned using 3.0-T MRI. We manually delineated neuromelanin accumulation and iron deposition regions in neuromelanin image and quantitative susceptibility mapping, respectively. We calculated the overlap region using the two measurements mentioned above. Partial correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlations between volume, contrast ratio (CR), susceptibility of three subregions of SN, and age. Curve estimation models were used to find the best regression model. RESULTS CR increased with age (r = 0.379, p < 0.001; r = 0.371, p < 0.001), while volume showed an age-related decline (r = -0.559, p < 0.001; r = -0.410, p < 0.001) in the neuromelanin accumulation and overlap regions. Cubic polynomial regression analysis found a small increase in neuromelanin accumulation volume with age until 34, followed by a significant decrease until the 80 s (R2 = 0.358, p < 0.001). No significant correlations were found between susceptibility and age in any subregion. No correlation was found between CR and susceptibility in the overlap region. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that CR increased with age, while volume showed an age-related decline in the overlap region. We further found that the neuromelanin accumulation region volume increased until the 30 s and decreased into the 80 s. This study may provide a reference for future neurodegenerative elucidations of substantia nigra. KEY POINTS • Our results define the regional changes in neuromelanin and iron in the substantia nigra with age in the normal population, especially in the overlap region. • The contrast ratio increased with age in the neuromelanin accumulation and overlap regions, and volume showed an age-related decline, while contrast ratio and volume do not affect each other indirectly. • The contrast ratio of hyperintense neuromelanin in the overlap region was unaffected by iron content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufan Chen
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Tao Gong
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Cong Sun
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Aocai Yang
- Department of Radiology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China.,Graduate School of Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Gao
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Tong Chen
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | | | - Guangbin Wang
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China. .,Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.
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18
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The Proteome of Neuromelanin Granules in Dementia with Lewy Bodies. Cells 2022; 11:cells11223538. [PMID: 36428966 PMCID: PMC9688080 DOI: 10.3390/cells11223538] [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: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromelanin granules (NMGs) are organelle-like structures present in the human substantia nigra pars compacta. In addition to neuromelanin, NMGs contain proteins, lipids and metals. As NMG-containing dopaminergic neurons are preferentially lost in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), it is assumed that NMGs may play a role in neurodegenerative processes. Until now, this role is not completely understood and needs further investigation. We therefore set up an exploratory proteomic study to identify differences in the proteomic profile of NMGs from DLB patients (n = 5) compared to healthy controls (CTRL, n = 5). We applied a laser microdissection and mass-spectrometry-based approach, in which we used targeted mass spectrometric experiments for validation. In NMG-surrounding (SNSurr.) tissue of DLB patients, we found evidence for ongoing oxidative damage and an impairment of protein degradation. As a potentially disease-related mechanism, we found α-synuclein and protein S100A9 to be enriched in NMGs of DLB cases, while the abundance of several ribosomal proteins was significantly decreased. As S100A9 is known to be able to enhance the formation of toxic α-synuclein fibrils, this finding points towards an involvement of NMGs in pathogenesis, however the exact role of NMGs as either neuroprotective or neurotoxic needs to be further investigated. Nevertheless, our study provides evidence for an impairment of protein degradation, ongoing oxidative damage and accumulation of potentially neurotoxic protein aggregates to be central mechanisms of neurodegeneration in DLB.
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He C, Guan X, Zhang W, Li J, Liu C, Wei H, Xu X, Zhang Y. Quantitative susceptibility atlas construction in Montreal Neurological Institute space: towards histological-consistent iron-rich deep brain nucleus subregion identification. Brain Struct Funct 2022:10.1007/s00429-022-02547-1. [PMID: 36038737 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02547-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Iron-rich deep brain nuclei (DBN) of the human brain are involved in various motoric, emotional and cognitive brain functions. The abnormal iron alterations in the DBN are closely associated with multiple neurological and psychiatric diseases. Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) provides the spatial distribution of the magnetic susceptibility of human brain tissues. Compared to traditional structural imaging, QSM provides superiority for imaging the iron-rich DBN owing to the susceptibility difference existing between brain tissues. In this study, we constructed a Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) space unbiased QSM human brain atlas via group-wise registration from 100 healthy subjects aged 19-29 years. The atlas construction process was guided by hybrid images that were fused from multi-modal magnetic resonance images (MRI). We named it as Multi-modal-fused magnetic Susceptibility (MuSus-100) atlas. The high-quality susceptibility atlas provides extraordinary image contrast between iron-rich DBN with their surroundings. Parcellation maps of DBN and their subregions that are highly related to neurological and psychiatric pathology were then manually labeled based on the atlas set with the assistance of an image border-enhancement process. Especially, the bilateral thalamus was delineated into 64 detailed subregions referring to the Schaltenbrand-Wahren stereotactic atlas. To our best knowledge, the histological-consistent thalamic nucleus parcellation map is well defined for the first time in the MNI space. Compared with existing atlases that emphasizing DBN parcellation, the newly proposed atlas outperforms on the task of atlas-guided individual brain image DBN segmentation both in accuracy and robustness. Moreover, we applied the proposed DBN parcellation map to conduct detailed identification of the pathology-related iron content alterations in subcortical nuclei for Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients. We envision that the MuSus-100 atlas can play a crucial role in improving the accuracy of DBN segmentation for the research of neurological and psychiatric disease progress and also be helpful for target planning in deep brain stimulation surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyu He
- School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Xiaojun Guan
- Department of Radiology of The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Weimin Zhang
- School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jun Li
- School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Chunlei Liu
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, United States
| | - Hongjiang Wei
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Xiaojun Xu
- Department of Radiology of The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuyao Zhang
- School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China. .,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Vision and Imaging, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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20
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Yang X, Liu W, Dang P, Wang Y, Ge X, Huang X, Wang M, Zheng J, Ding X, Wang X. Decreased brain noradrenaline in minimal hepatic encephalopathy is associated with cognitive impairment in rats. Brain Res 2022; 1793:148041. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.148041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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21
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Pamphlett R, Bishop DP. Mercury is present in neurons and oligodendrocytes in regions of the brain affected by Parkinson's disease and co-localises with Lewy bodies. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262464. [PMID: 35015796 PMCID: PMC8752015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Environmental toxicants are suspected to play a part in the pathogenesis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and may underlie its increasing incidence. Mercury exposure in humans is common and is increasing due to accelerating levels of atmospheric mercury, and mercury damages cells via oxidative stress, cell membrane damage, and autoimmunity, mechanisms suspected in the pathogenesis of PD. We therefore compared the cellular distribution of mercury in the tissues of people with and without PD who had evidence of previous mercury exposure by mercury being present in their locus ceruleus neurons. MATERIALS AND METHODS Paraffin sections from the brain and general organs of two people with PD, two people without PD with a history of mercury exposure, and ten people without PD or known mercury exposure, were stained for inorganic mercury using autometallography, combined with immunostaining for a-synuclein and glial cells. All had mercury-containing neurons in locus ceruleus neurons. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to confirm the presence of mercury and to look for other potentially toxic elements. Autometallography-stained locus ceruleus paraffin sections were examined to compare the frequency of previous mercury exposure between 20 PD and 40 non-PD individuals. RESULTS In PD brains, autometallography-detected mercury was seen in neurons affected by the disease, such as those in the substantia nigra, motor cortex, striatum, thalamus, and cerebellum. Mercury was seen in oligodendrocytes in white and grey matter. Mercury often co-localised with Lewy bodies and neurites. A more restricted distribution of brain mercury was seen in people without PD (both with or without known mercury exposure), with no mercury present in the substantia nigra, striatum, or thalamus. The presence of autometallography-detected mercury in PD was confirmed with LA-ICP-MS, which demonstrated other potentially toxic metals in the locus ceruleus and high iron levels in white matter. Autometallography-detected mercury was found in locus ceruleus neurons in a similar proportion of PD (65%) and non-PD (63%) individuals. CONCLUSIONS In people with PD, mercury was found in neurons and oligodendrocytes in regions of the brain that are affected by the disease, and often co-localised with aggregated a-synuclein. Mercury in the motor cortex, thalamus and striatum could result in bradykinesia and rigidity, and mercury in the cerebellum could cause tremor. People without PD had a restricted uptake of mercury into the brain. The similar frequency of mercury in the locus ceruleus of people with and without PD suggests these two groups have had comparable previous mercury exposures but that PD brains have a greater predisposition to take up circulating mercury. While this post mortem study does not provide a direct link between mercury and idiopathic PD, it adds to the body of evidence that metal toxicants such as mercury play a role in the disease. A precautionary approach would be to reduce rising mercury levels in the atmosphere by limiting the burning of fossil fuels, which may be contributing to the increasing incidence of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Pamphlett
- Sydney Medical School, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Neuropathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - David P. Bishop
- Elemental Bio-Imaging Facility, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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22
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Raha AA, Biswas A, Henderson J, Chakraborty S, Holland A, Friedland RP, Mukaetova-Ladinska E, Zaman S, Raha-Chowdhury R. Interplay of Ferritin Accumulation and Ferroportin Loss in Ageing Brain: Implication for Protein Aggregation in Down Syndrome Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031060. [PMID: 35162984 PMCID: PMC8834792 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron accumulates in the ageing brain and in brains with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and Down syndrome (DS) dementia. However, the mechanisms of iron deposition and regional selectivity in the brain are ill-understood. The identification of several proteins that are involved in iron homeostasis, transport, and regulation suggests avenues to explore their function in neurodegenerative diseases. To uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying this association, we investigated the distribution and expression of these key iron proteins in brain tissues of patients with AD, DS, PD, and compared them with age-matched controls. Ferritin is an iron storage protein that is deposited in senile plaques in the AD and DS brain, as well as in neuromelanin-containing neurons in the Lewy bodies in PD brain. The transporter of ferrous iron, Divalent metal protein 1 (DMT1), was observed solely in the capillary endothelium and in astrocytes close to the ventricles with unchanged expression in PD. The principal iron transporter, ferroportin, is strikingly reduced in the AD brain compared to age-matched controls. Extensive blood vessel damage in the basal ganglia and deposition of punctate ferritin heavy chain (FTH) and hepcidin were found in the caudate and putamen within striosomes/matrix in both PD and DS brains. We suggest that downregulation of ferroportin could be a key reason for iron mismanagement through disruption of cellular entry and exit pathways of the endothelium. Membrane damage and subsequent impairment of ferroportin and hepcidin causes oxidative stress that contributes to neurodegeneration seen in DS, AD, and in PD subjects. We further propose that a lack of ferritin contributes to neurodegeneration as a consequence of failure to export toxic metals from the cortex in AD/DS and from the substantia nigra and caudate/putamen in PD brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Animesh Alexander Raha
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 2PY, UK; (A.A.R.); (J.H.); (S.C.)
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Anwesha Biswas
- Department of Biochemistry, The M. S. University of Baroda, Vadodara 39002, India;
| | - James Henderson
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 2PY, UK; (A.A.R.); (J.H.); (S.C.)
| | - Subhojit Chakraborty
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 2PY, UK; (A.A.R.); (J.H.); (S.C.)
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Anthony Holland
- Cambridge Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Research Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK; (A.H.); (S.Z.)
| | - Robert P. Friedland
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA;
| | | | - Shahid Zaman
- Cambridge Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Research Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK; (A.H.); (S.Z.)
| | - Ruma Raha-Chowdhury
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 2PY, UK; (A.A.R.); (J.H.); (S.C.)
- Cambridge Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Research Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK; (A.H.); (S.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-1223-465262; Fax: +44-1223-746033
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23
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Jacobs HI, Becker JA, Kwong K, Engels-Domínguez N, Prokopiou PC, Papp KV, Properzi M, Hampton OL, Uquillas FD, Sanchez JS, Rentz DM, Fakhri GE, Normandin MD, Price JC, Bennett DA, Sperling RA, Johnson KA. In vivo and neuropathology data support locus coeruleus integrity as indicator of Alzheimer's disease pathology and cognitive decline. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabj2511. [PMID: 34550726 PMCID: PMC8641759 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abj2511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Several autopsy studies recognize the locus coeruleus (LC) as the initial site of hyperphosphorylated TAU aggregation, and as the number of LC neurons harboring TAU increases, TAU pathology emerges throughout the cortex. By conjointly using dedicated MRI measures of LC integrity and TAU and amyloid PET imaging, we aimed to address the question whether in vivo LC measures relate to initial cortical patterns of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) fibrillar proteinopathies or cognitive dysfunction in 174 cognitively unimpaired and impaired older individuals with longitudinal cognitive measures. To guide our interpretations, we verified these associations in autopsy data from 1524 Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project and 2145 National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center cases providing three different LC measures (pigmentation, tangle density, and neuronal density), Braak staging, β-amyloid, and longitudinal cognitive measures. Lower LC integrity was associated with elevated TAU deposition in the entorhinal cortex among unimpaired individuals consistent with postmortem correlations between LC tangle density and successive Braak staging. LC pigmentation ratings correlated with LC neuronal density but not with LC tangle density and were particularly worse at advanced Braak stages. In the context of elevated β-amyloid, lower LC integrity and greater cortical tangle density were associated with greater TAU burden beyond the medial temporal lobe and retrospective memory decline. These findings support neuropathologic data in which early LC TAU accumulation relates to disease progression and identify LC integrity as a promising indicator of initial AD-related processes and subtle changes in cognitive trajectories of preclinical AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi I.L. Jacobs
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University; 6200MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - John A. Becker
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kenneth Kwong
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- The Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Nina Engels-Domínguez
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University; 6200MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Prokopis C. Prokopiou
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kathryn V. Papp
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Boston, MA,02115, USA
| | - Michael Properzi
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Olivia L. Hampton
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | | | - Justin S. Sanchez
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Dorene M. Rentz
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Boston, MA,02115, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Georges El Fakhri
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Marc D. Normandin
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Julie C. Price
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- The Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - David A. Bennett
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center; Chicago, Illinois, 60612, USA
| | - Reisa A. Sperling
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Boston, MA,02115, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Keith A. Johnson
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114, USA
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24
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Capucciati A, Zucca FA, Monzani E, Zecca L, Casella L, Hofer T. Interaction of Neuromelanin with Xenobiotics and Consequences for Neurodegeneration; Promising Experimental Models. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10060824. [PMID: 34064062 PMCID: PMC8224073 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10060824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuromelanin (NM) accumulates in catecholamine long-lived brain neurons that are lost in neurodegenerative diseases. NM is a complex substance made of melanic, peptide and lipid components. NM formation is a natural protective process since toxic endogenous metabolites are removed during its formation and as it binds excess metals and xenobiotics. However, disturbances of NM synthesis and function could be toxic. Here, we review recent knowledge on NM formation, toxic mechanisms involving NM, go over NM binding substances and suggest experimental models that can help identifying xenobiotic modulators of NM formation or function. Given the high likelihood of a central NM role in age-related human neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, resembling such diseases using animal models that do not form NM to a high degree, e.g., mice or rats, may not be optimal. Rather, use of animal models (i.e., sheep and goats) that better resemble human brain aging in terms of NM formation, as well as using human NM forming stem cellbased in vitro (e.g., mid-brain organoids) models can be more suitable. Toxicants could also be identified during chemical synthesis of NM in the test tube.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Capucciati
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.C.); (E.M.); (L.C.)
| | - Fabio A. Zucca
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, 20054 Milan, Italy; (F.A.Z.); (L.Z.)
| | - Enrico Monzani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.C.); (E.M.); (L.C.)
| | - Luigi Zecca
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, 20054 Milan, Italy; (F.A.Z.); (L.Z.)
| | - Luigi Casella
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (A.C.); (E.M.); (L.C.)
| | - Tim Hofer
- Department of Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P.O. Box 222 Skøyen, N-0213 Oslo, Norway
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +47-21076671
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25
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Ma L, Gholam Azad M, Dharmasivam M, Richardson V, Quinn RJ, Feng Y, Pountney DL, Tonissen KF, Mellick GD, Yanatori I, Richardson DR. Parkinson's disease: Alterations in iron and redox biology as a key to unlock therapeutic strategies. Redox Biol 2021; 41:101896. [PMID: 33799121 PMCID: PMC8044696 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2021.101896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A plethora of studies indicate that iron metabolism is dysregulated in Parkinson's disease (PD). The literature reveals well-documented alterations consistent with established dogma, but also intriguing paradoxical observations requiring mechanistic dissection. An important fact is the iron loading in dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), which are the cells primarily affected in PD. Assessment of these changes reveal increased expression of proteins critical for iron uptake, namely transferrin receptor 1 and the divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), and decreased expression of the iron exporter, ferroportin-1 (FPN1). Consistent with this is the activation of iron regulator protein (IRP) RNA-binding activity, which is an important regulator of iron homeostasis, with its activation indicating cytosolic iron deficiency. In fact, IRPs bind to iron-responsive elements (IREs) in the 3ꞌ untranslated region (UTR) of certain mRNAs to stabilize their half-life, while binding to the 5ꞌ UTR prevents translation. Iron loading of dopaminergic neurons in PD may occur through these mechanisms, leading to increased neuronal iron and iron-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The "gold standard" histological marker of PD, Lewy bodies, are mainly composed of α-synuclein, the expression of which is markedly increased in PD. Of note, an atypical IRE exists in the α-synuclein 5ꞌ UTR that may explain its up-regulation by increased iron. This dysregulation could be impacted by the unique autonomous pacemaking of dopaminergic neurons of the SNpc that engages L-type Ca+2 channels, which imparts a bioenergetic energy deficit and mitochondrial redox stress. This dysfunction could then drive alterations in iron trafficking that attempt to rescue energy deficits such as the increased iron uptake to provide iron for key electron transport proteins. Considering the increased iron-loading in PD brains, therapies utilizing limited iron chelation have shown success. Greater therapeutic advancements should be possible once the exact molecular pathways of iron processing are dissected.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Ma
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - M Gholam Azad
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - M Dharmasivam
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - V Richardson
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - R J Quinn
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Y Feng
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - D L Pountney
- School of Medical Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - K F Tonissen
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - G D Mellick
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - I Yanatori
- Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - D R Richardson
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Centre for Cancer Cell Biology and Drug Discovery, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Department of Pathology and Biological Responses, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan.
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26
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Scholefield M, Church SJ, Xu J, Patassini S, Roncaroli F, Hooper NM, Unwin RD, Cooper GJS. Widespread Decreases in Cerebral Copper Are Common to Parkinson's Disease Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease Dementia. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:641222. [PMID: 33746735 PMCID: PMC7966713 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.641222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies of Parkinson's disease (PD) have reported dysregulation of cerebral metals, particularly decreases in copper and increases in iron in substantia nigra (SN). However, few studies have investigated regions outside the SN, fewer have measured levels of multiple metals across different regions within the same brains, and there are no currently-available reports of metal levels in Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). This study aimed to compare concentrations of nine essential metals across nine different brain regions in cases of PDD and controls. Investigated were: primary motor cortex (MCX); cingulate gyrus (CG); primary visual cortex (PVC); hippocampus (HP); cerebellar cortex (CB); SN; locus coeruleus (LC); medulla oblongata (MED); and middle temporal gyrus (MTG), thus covering regions with severe, moderate, or low levels of neuronal loss in PDD. Levels of eight essential metals and selenium were determined using an analytical methodology involving the use of inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and compared between cases and controls, to better understand the extent and severity of metal perturbations. Findings were also compared with those from our previous study of sporadic Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD), which employed equivalent methods, to identify differences and similarities between these conditions. Widespread copper decreases occurred in PDD in seven of nine regions (exceptions being LC and CB). Four PDD-affected regions showed similar decreases in ADD: CG, HP, MTG, and MCX. Decreases in potassium and manganese were present in HP, MTG and MCX; decreased manganese was also found in SN and MED. Decreased selenium and magnesium were present in MCX, and decreased zinc in HP. There was no evidence for increased iron in SN or any other region. These results identify alterations in levels of several metals across multiple regions of PDD brain, the commonest being widespread decreases in copper that closely resemble those in ADD, pointing to similar disease mechanisms in both dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Scholefield
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Centre for Advanced Discovery & Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie J. Church
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Centre for Advanced Discovery & Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jingshu Xu
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Centre for Advanced Discovery & Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano Patassini
- Faculty of Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Federico Roncaroli
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Brain and Mental Health, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Nigel M. Hooper
- Division of Neuroscience & Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Richard D. Unwin
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Centre for Advanced Discovery & Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Stoller Biomarker Discovery Centre & Division of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Garth J. S. Cooper
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Centre for Advanced Discovery & Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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27
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Viktorinova A, Durfinova M. Mini-Review: Is iron-mediated cell death (ferroptosis) an identical factor contributing to the pathogenesis of some neurodegenerative diseases? Neurosci Lett 2021; 745:135627. [PMID: 33440237 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.135627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The review article briefly discusses a hypothesis based on the potential participation of iron dyshomeostasis and iron-mediated cell death (ferroptosis) in the pathogenesis of some neurodegenerative diseases. Iron dyshomeostasis (especially cellular iron overload) is considered to be a critical condition of neurodegeneration. The etiopathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, Multiple sclerosis, and others, is different. However, there are several identical cellular processes, such as iron dyshomeostasis (an excessive iron deposition), iron-induced oxidative stress, the accumulation of lipid-generated reactive oxygen species, and ferroptosis that accompany these diseases. Based on the existing theoretical and experimental evidence, the article provides current insight into iron dyshomeostasis and ferroptosis as a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration. In addition, special attention is addressed to the possible relationship between cellular iron overload and key pathological features of selected neurodegenerative diseases, such as β-amyloid and tau proteins, α-synuclein, and demyelination. The mechanism by which ferroptosis may be involved in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases is not fully elucidated. Further experimental and clinical studies are needed to clarify the hypothesis on the potential role of ferroptosis in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena Viktorinova
- Institute of Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Monika Durfinova
- Institute of Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Oshima S, Fushimi Y, Okada T, Nakajima S, Yokota Y, Shima A, Grinstead J, Ahn S, Sawamoto N, Takahashi R, Nakamoto Y. Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging Using DANTE Pulse. Mov Disord 2020; 36:874-882. [PMID: 33314293 PMCID: PMC8247273 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neuromelanin‐sensitive magnetic resonance imaging techniques have been developed but currently require relatively long scan times. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of black‐blood delay alternating with nutation for tailored excitation‐prepared T1‐weighted variable flip angle turbo spin echo (DANTE T1‐SPACE), which provides relatively high resolution with a short scan time, to visualize neuromelanin in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Methods Participants comprised 49 healthy controls and 25 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Contrast ratios of SNpc and hyperintense SNpc areas, which show pixels brighter than thresholds, were assessed between DANTE T1‐SPACE and T1‐SPACE in healthy controls. To evaluate the diagnostic ability of DANTE T1‐SPACE, the contrast ratios and hyperintense areas were compared between healthy and PD groups, and receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed. We also compared areas under the curve (AUCs) between DANTE T1‐SPACE and the previously reported gradient echo neuromelanin (GRE‐NM) imaging. Each analysis was performed using original images in native space and images transformed into Montreal Neurological Institute space. Values of P < 0.05 were considered significant. Results DANTE T1‐SPACE showed significantly higher contrast ratios and larger hyperintense areas than T1‐SPACE. On DANTE T1‐SPACE, healthy controls showed significantly higher contrast ratios and larger hyperintense areas than patients with PD. Hyperintense areas in native space analysis achieved the best AUC (0.94). DANTE T1‐SPACE showed AUCs as high as those of GRE‐NM. Conclusions DANTE T1‐SPACE successfully visualized neuromelanin of the SNpc and showed potential for evaluating PD. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonoko Oshima
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Fushimi
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomohisa Okada
- Human Brain Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nakajima
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yusuke Yokota
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Atsushi Shima
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | | | - Sinyeob Ahn
- Siemens Healthineers, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Nobukatsu Sawamoto
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Takahashi
- Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuji Nakamoto
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Galgani A, Lombardo F, Della Latta D, Martini N, Bonuccelli U, Fornai F, Giorgi FS. Locus Coeruleus Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Neurological Diseases. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2020; 21:2. [PMID: 33313963 PMCID: PMC7732795 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-020-01087-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Locus coeruleus (LC) is the main noradrenergic nucleus of the brain, and its degeneration is considered to be key in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. In the last 15 years,MRI has been used to assess LC in vivo, both in healthy subjects and in patients suffering from neurological disorders. In this review, we summarize the main findings of LC-MRI studies, interpreting them in light of preclinical and histopathological data, and discussing its potential role as diagnostic and experimental tool. RECENT FINDINGS LC-MRI findings were largely in agreement with neuropathological evidences; LC signal showed to be not significantly affected during normal aging and to correlate with cognitive performances. On the contrary, a marked reduction of LC signal was observed in patients suffering from neurodegenerative disorders, with specific features. LC-MRI is a promising tool, which may be used in the future to explore LC pathophysiology as well as an early biomarker for degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesco Lombardo
- U.O.C. "Risonanza Magnetica Specialistica e Neuroradiologia", Fondazione "G. Monasterio"- National Research Council/Tuscany Region, Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniele Della Latta
- Deep Health Unit, Fondazione "G. Monasterio"- National Research Council/Tuscany Region, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicola Martini
- Deep Health Unit, Fondazione "G. Monasterio"- National Research Council/Tuscany Region, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Fornai
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Filippo Sean Giorgi
- Neurology Unit, Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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Locus Coeruleus Modulates Neuroinflammation in Parkinsonism and Dementia. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228630. [PMID: 33207731 PMCID: PMC7697920 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Locus Coeruleus (LC) is the main noradrenergic nucleus of the central nervous system, and its neurons widely innervate the whole brain. LC is severely degenerated both in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and in Parkinson’s disease (PD), years before the onset of clinical symptoms, through mechanisms that differ among the two disorders. Several experimental studies have shown that noradrenaline modulates neuroinflammation, mainly by acting on microglia/astrocytes function. In the present review, after a brief introduction on the anatomy and physiology of LC, we provide an overview of experimental data supporting a pathogenetic role of LC degeneration in AD and PD. Then, we describe in detail experimental data, obtained in vitro and in vivo in animal models, which support a potential role of neuroinflammation in such a link, and the specific molecules (i.e., released cytokines, glial receptors, including pattern recognition receptors and others) whose expression is altered by LC degeneration and might play a key role in AD/PD pathogenesis. New imaging and biochemical tools have recently been developed in humans to estimate in vivo the integrity of LC, the degree of neuroinflammation, and pathology AD/PD biomarkers; it is auspicable that these will allow in the near future to test the existence of a link between LC-neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration directly in patients.
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Priovoulos N, van Boxel SCJ, Jacobs HIL, Poser BA, Uludag K, Verhey FRJ, Ivanov D. Unraveling the contributions to the neuromelanin-MRI contrast. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:2757-2774. [PMID: 33090274 PMCID: PMC7674382 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02153-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The Locus Coeruleus (LC) and the Substantia Nigra (SN) are small brainstem nuclei that change with aging and may be involved in the development of various neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. Magnetization Transfer (MT) MRI has been shown to facilitate LC and the SN visualization, and the observed contrast is assumed to be related to neuromelanin accumulation. Imaging these nuclei may have predictive value for the progression of various diseases, but interpretation of previous studies is hindered by the fact that the precise biological source of the contrast remains unclear, though several hypotheses have been put forward. To inform clinical studies on the possible biological interpretation of the LC- and SN contrast, we examined an agar-based phantom containing samples of natural Sepia melanin and synthetic Cys-Dopa-Melanin and compared this to the in vivo human LC and SN. T1 and T2* maps, MT spectra and relaxation times of the phantom, the LC and the SN were measured, and a two-pool MT model was fitted. Additionally, Bloch simulations and a transient MT experiment were conducted to confirm the findings. Overall, our results indicate that Neuromelanin-MRI contrast in the LC likely results from a lower macromolecular fraction, thus facilitating interpretation of results in clinical populations. We further demonstrate that in older individuals T1 lengthening occurs in the LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikos Priovoulos
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Center Limburg, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
| | - Stan C J van Boxel
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Center Limburg, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Heidi I L Jacobs
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Center Limburg, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.,Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benedikt A Poser
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Kamil Uludag
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Seobu-ro 2066, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Republic of Korea.,Techna Institute and Koerner Scientist in MR Imaging, University Health Network, 121-100 College Street, Toronto, M5G 1L5, Canada
| | - Frans R J Verhey
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Center Limburg, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Dimo Ivanov
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
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Kelberman M, Keilholz S, Weinshenker D. What's That (Blue) Spot on my MRI? Multimodal Neuroimaging of the Locus Coeruleus in Neurodegenerative Disease. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:583421. [PMID: 33122996 PMCID: PMC7573566 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.583421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) has long been underappreciated for its role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and other neurodegenerative disorders. While AD and PD are distinct in clinical presentation, both are characterized by prodromal protein aggregation in the LC, late-stage degeneration of the LC, and comorbid conditions indicative of LC dysfunction. Many of these early studies were limited to post-mortem histological techniques due to the LC’s small size and location deep in the brainstem. Thus, there is a growing interest in utilizing in vivo imaging of the LC as a predictor of preclinical neurodegenerative processes and biomarker of disease progression. Simultaneously, neuroimaging in animal models of neurodegenerative disease holds promise for identifying early alterations to LC circuits, but has thus far been underutilized. While still in its infancy, a handful of studies have reported effects of single gene mutations and pathology on LC function in disease using various neuroimaging techniques. Furthermore, combining imaging and optogenetics or chemogenetics allows for interrogation of network connectivity in response to changes in LC activity. The purpose of this article is twofold: (1) to review what magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) have revealed about LC dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease and its potential as a biomarker in humans, and (2) to explore how animal models can be used to test hypotheses derived from clinical data and establish a mechanistic framework to inform LC-focused therapeutic interventions to alleviate symptoms and impede disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kelberman
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Shella Keilholz
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - David Weinshenker
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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Age-related variability in decision-making: Insights from neurochemistry. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 19:415-434. [PMID: 30536205 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-00678-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite dopamine's significant role in models of value-based decision-making and findings demonstrating loss of dopamine function in aging, evidence of systematic changes in decision-making over the life span remains elusive. Previous studies attempting to resolve the neural basis of age-related alteration in decision-making have typically focused on physical age, which can be a poor proxy for age-related effects on neural systems. There is growing appreciation that aging has heterogeneous effects on distinct components of the dopamine system within subject in addition to substantial variability between subjects. We propose that some of the conflicting findings in age-related effects on decision-making may be reconciled if we can observe the underlying dopamine components within individuals. This can be achieved by incorporating in vivo imaging techniques including positron emission tomography (PET) and neuromelanin-sensitive MR. Further, we discuss how affective factors may contribute to individual differences in decision-making performance among older adults. Specifically, we propose that age-related shifts in affective attention ("positivity effect") can, in some cases, counteract the impact of altered dopamine function on specific decision-making processes, contributing to variability in findings. In an effort to provide clarity to the field and advance productive hypothesis testing, we propose ways in which in vivo dopamine imaging can be leveraged to disambiguate dopaminergic influences on decision-making, and suggest strategies for assessing individual differences in the contribution of affective attentional focus.
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Janitzky K. Impaired Phasic Discharge of Locus Coeruleus Neurons Based on Persistent High Tonic Discharge-A New Hypothesis With Potential Implications for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Neurol 2020; 11:371. [PMID: 32477246 PMCID: PMC7235306 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small brainstem nucleus with widely distributed noradrenergic projections to the whole brain, and loss of LC neurons is a prominent feature of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). This article discusses the hypothesis that in early stages of neurodegenerative diseases, the discharge mode of LC neurons could be changed to a persistent high tonic discharge, which in turn might impair phasic discharge. Since phasic discharge of LC neurons is required for the release of high amounts of norepinephrine (NE) in the brain to promote anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects, persistent high tonic discharge of LC neurons could be a key factor in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Transcutaneous vagal stimulation (t-VNS), a non-invasive technique that potentially increases phasic discharge of LC neurons, could therefore provide a non-pharmacological treatment approach in specific disease stages. This article focuses on LC vulnerability in neurodegenerative diseases, discusses the hypothesis that a persistent high tonic discharge of LC neurons might affect neurodegenerative processes, and finally reflects on t-VNS as a potentially useful clinical tool in specific stages of AD and PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Janitzky
- Department of Neurology, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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35
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Mather M, Huang R, Clewett D, Nielsen SE, Velasco R, Tu K, Han S, Kennedy BL. Isometric exercise facilitates attention to salient events in women via the noradrenergic system. Neuroimage 2020; 210:116560. [PMID: 31978545 PMCID: PMC7061882 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) regulates attention via the release of norepinephrine (NE), with levels of tonic LC activity constraining the intensity of phasic LC responses. In the current fMRI study, we used isometric handgrip to modulate tonic LC-NE activity in older women and in young women with different hormone statuses during the time period immediately after the handgrip. During this post-handgrip time, an oddball detection task was used to probe how changes in tonic arousal influenced functional coordination between the LC and a right frontoparietal network that supports attentional selectivity. As expected, the frontoparietal network responded more to infrequent target and novel sounds than to frequent sounds. Across participants, greater LC-frontoparietal functional connectivity, pupil dilation, and faster oddball detection were all positively associated with LC MRI structural contrast from a neuromelanin-sensitive scan. Thus, LC structure was related to LC functional dynamics and attentional performance during the oddball task. We also found that handgrip influenced pupil and attentional processing during a subsequent oddball task. Handgrip decreased subsequent tonic pupil size, increased phasic pupil responses to oddball sounds, speeded oddball detection speed, and increased frontoparietal network activation, suggesting that inducing strong LC activity benefits attentional performance in the next few minutes, potentially due to reduced tonic LC activity. In addition, older women showed a similar benefit of handgrip on frontoparietal network activation as younger women, despite showing lower frontoparietal network activation overall. Together these findings suggest that a simple exercise may improve selective attention in healthy aging, at least for several minutes afterwards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Mather
- University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, USA.
| | - Ringo Huang
- University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, USA
| | - David Clewett
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, USA
| | - Shawn E Nielsen
- University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, USA
| | - Ricardo Velasco
- University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, USA
| | - Kristie Tu
- University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, USA
| | - Sophia Han
- University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, USA
| | - Briana L Kennedy
- University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, USA
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Bergsland N, Tavazzi E, Schweser F, Jakimovski D, Hagemeier J, Dwyer MG, Zivadinov R. Targeting Iron Dyshomeostasis for Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders. CNS Drugs 2019; 33:1073-1086. [PMID: 31556017 PMCID: PMC6854324 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-019-00668-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
While iron has an important role in the normal functioning of the brain owing to its involvement in several physiological processes, dyshomeostasis has been found in many neurodegenerative disorders, as evidenced by both histopathological and imaging studies. Although the exact causes have remained elusive, the fact that altered iron levels have been found in disparate diseases suggests that iron may contribute to their development and/or progression. As such, the processes involved in iron dyshomeostasis may represent novel therapeutic targets. There are, however, many questions about the exact interplay between neurodegeneration and altered iron homeostasis. Some insight can be gained by considering the parallels with respect to what occurs in healthy aging, which is also characterized by increased iron throughout many regions in the brain along with progressive neurodegeneration. Nevertheless, the exact mechanisms of iron-mediated damage are likely disease specific to a certain degree, given that iron plays a crucial role in many disparate biological processes, which are not always affected in the same way across different neurodegenerative disorders. Moreover, it is not even entirely clear yet whether iron actually has a causative role in all of the diseases where altered iron levels have been noted. For example, there is strong evidence of iron dyshomeostasis leading to neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease, but there is still some question as to whether changes in iron levels are merely an epiphenomenon in multiple sclerosis. Recent advances in neuroimaging now offer the possibility to detect and monitor iron levels in vivo, which allows for an improved understanding of both the temporal and spatial dynamics of iron changes and associated neurodegeneration compared to post-mortem studies. In this regard, iron-based imaging will likely play an important role in the development of therapeutic approaches aimed at addressing altered iron dynamics in neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, the bulk of such therapies have focused on chelating excess iron. Although there is some evidence that these treatment options may yield some benefit, they are not without their own limitations. They are generally effective at reducing brain iron levels, as assessed by imaging, but clinical benefits are more modest. New drugs that specifically target iron-related pathological processes may offer the possibility to prevent, or at the least, slow down irreversible neurodegeneration, which represents an unmet therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels Bergsland
- Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 100 High St., Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
| | - Eleonora Tavazzi
- Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Ferdinand Schweser
- Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA,Center for Biomedical Imaging, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Dejan Jakimovski
- Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jesper Hagemeier
- Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Michael G. Dwyer
- Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA,Center for Biomedical Imaging, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Robert Zivadinov
- Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA,Center for Biomedical Imaging, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Trujillo P, Petersen KJ, Cronin MJ, Lin YC, Kang H, Donahue MJ, Smith SA, Claassen DO. Quantitative magnetization transfer imaging of the human locus coeruleus. Neuroimage 2019; 200:191-198. [PMID: 31233908 PMCID: PMC6934172 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.06.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is the major origin of norepinephrine in the central nervous system, and is subject to age-related and neurodegenerative changes, especially in disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies have shown that neuromelanin (NM)-sensitive MRI can be used to visualize the LC, and it is hypothesized that magnetization transfer (MT) effects are the primary source of LC contrast. The aim of this study was to characterize the MT effects in LC imaging by applying high spatial resolution quantitative MT (qMT) imaging to create parametric maps of the macromolecular content of the LC and surrounding tissues. Healthy volunteers (n = 26; sex = 17 F/9M; age = 41.0 ± 19.1 years) underwent brain MRI on a 3.0 T scanner. qMT data were acquired using a 3D MT-prepared spoiled gradient echo sequence. A traditional NM scan consisting of a T1-weighted turbo spin echo sequence with MT preparation was also acquired. The pool-size ratio (PSR) was estimated for each voxel using a single-point qMT approach. The LC was semi-automatically segmented on the MT-weighted images. The MT-weighted images provided higher contrast-ratio between the LC and surrounding pontine tegmentum (PT) (0.215 ± 0.031) than the reference images without MT-preparation (-0.005 ± 0.026) and the traditional NM images (0.138 ± 0.044). The PSR maps showed significant differences between the LC (0.090 ± 0.009) and PT (0.188 ± 0.025). The largest difference between the PSR values in the LC and PT was observed in the central slices, which also correspond to those with the highest contrast-ratio. These results highlight the role of MT in generating NM-related contrast in the LC, and should serve as a foundation for future studies aiming to quantify pathological changes in the LC and surrounding structures in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Trujillo
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Kalen J Petersen
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Matthew J Cronin
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ya-Chen Lin
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Hakmook Kang
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Manus J Donahue
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Seth A Smith
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Daniel O Claassen
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Betts MJ, Kirilina E, Otaduy MCG, Ivanov D, Acosta-Cabronero J, Callaghan MF, Lambert C, Cardenas-Blanco A, Pine K, Passamonti L, Loane C, Keuken MC, Trujillo P, Lüsebrink F, Mattern H, Liu KY, Priovoulos N, Fliessbach K, Dahl MJ, Maaß A, Madelung CF, Meder D, Ehrenberg AJ, Speck O, Weiskopf N, Dolan R, Inglis B, Tosun D, Morawski M, Zucca FA, Siebner HR, Mather M, Uludag K, Heinsen H, Poser BA, Howard R, Zecca L, Rowe JB, Grinberg LT, Jacobs HIL, Düzel E, Hämmerer D. Locus coeruleus imaging as a biomarker for noradrenergic dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. Brain 2019; 142:2558-2571. [PMID: 31327002 PMCID: PMC6736046 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological alterations to the locus coeruleus, the major source of noradrenaline in the brain, are histologically evident in early stages of neurodegenerative diseases. Novel MRI approaches now provide an opportunity to quantify structural features of the locus coeruleus in vivo during disease progression. In combination with neuropathological biomarkers, in vivo locus coeruleus imaging could help to understand the contribution of locus coeruleus neurodegeneration to clinical and pathological manifestations in Alzheimer's disease, atypical neurodegenerative dementias and Parkinson's disease. Moreover, as the functional sensitivity of the noradrenergic system is likely to change with disease progression, in vivo measures of locus coeruleus integrity could provide new pathophysiological insights into cognitive and behavioural symptoms. Locus coeruleus imaging also holds the promise to stratify patients into clinical trials according to noradrenergic dysfunction. In this article, we present a consensus on how non-invasive in vivo assessment of locus coeruleus integrity can be used for clinical research in neurodegenerative diseases. We outline the next steps for in vivo, post-mortem and clinical studies that can lay the groundwork to evaluate the potential of locus coeruleus imaging as a biomarker for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Betts
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Evgeniya Kirilina
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria C G Otaduy
- Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance LIM44, Department and Institute of Radiology, Medical School of the University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dimo Ivanov
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Martina F Callaghan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Christian Lambert
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Arturo Cardenas-Blanco
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Kerrin Pine
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Luca Passamonti
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, UK
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare (IBFM), Milan, Italy
| | - Clare Loane
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Max C Keuken
- University of Amsterdam, Integrative Model-based Cognitive Neuroscience research unit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- University of Leiden, Cognitive Psychology, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Paula Trujillo
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Falk Lüsebrink
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Physics, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Hendrik Mattern
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Physics, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Kathy Y Liu
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nikos Priovoulos
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Klaus Fliessbach
- Department for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Martin J Dahl
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anne Maaß
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Christopher F Madelung
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - David Meder
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Alexander J Ehrenberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Oliver Speck
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Institute for Physics, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Raymond Dolan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Max Planck Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing, University College London, UK
| | - Ben Inglis
- Henry H. Wheeler, Jr. Brain Imaging Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Duygu Tosun
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Markus Morawski
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Fabio A Zucca
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Hartwig R Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Mara Mather
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kamil Uludag
- Centre for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Techna Institute and Koerner Scientist in MR Imaging, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - Helmut Heinsen
- University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Clinic of Psychiatry, University of Würzburg, Wurzburg, Germany
| | - Benedikt A Poser
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Robert Howard
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Luigi Zecca
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, Milan, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
- Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Heidi I L Jacobs
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Centre Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Emrah Düzel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Dorothea Hämmerer
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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40
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Kou L, Duan Y, Wang P, Fu Y, Darabedian N, He Y, Jiang D, Chen D, Xiang J, Liu G, Zhou F. Norepinephrine-Fe(III)-ATP Ternary Complex and Its Relevance to Parkinson's Disease. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:2777-2785. [PMID: 31059226 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The aberrant autoxidation of norepinephrine (NE) in the presence of oxygen, which is accelerated by Fe(III), has been linked to the pathogenesis of the Parkinson's disease (PD). Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), as a neurotransmitter whose release can be stimulated by tissue damage and oxidative stress, is co-stored and often co-released with NE in presynaptic terminals. We have shown previously that ATP inhibits the iron-catalyzed dopamine oxidation, thereby decreasing the production of certain neurotoxins such as 6-hydroxydopamine. Whether ATP plays a similar role in Fe(III)-catalyzed NE oxidation and how it maintains the NE stability have not been investigated. Here, we studied the coordination in a ternary complex among NE, Fe(III), and ATP, and found that Fe(III) is coordinated as a octahedral center by NE and ATP. Voltammetry and mass spectrometry were employed to examine this ternary complex's modulation of the NE autoxidation. NE-Fe(III)-ATP plays a protective role to modulate the autoxidation and Fe(III)-catalyzed oxidation of NE. The ternary complex can be detected in the substantia nigra (SN), locus coeruleus (LC), and striatum regions of C57BL/6 wild-type mice. In contrast, the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD mouse brains displayed a significant decrease of the ternary complex in the SN region and an increase in the LC and striatum areas. We posit that the ternary complex is produced by noradrenergic neurons as a protective regulator against neuronal damage and oxidative stress, contributing to the lower vulnerability of LC neurons with respect to that of SN neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Kou
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, P. R. China
| | - Yuemei Duan
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, P. R. China
| | - Pengcheng Wang
- Institute of Surface Analysis and Chemical Biology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, P. R. China
| | - Yaru Fu
- Institute of Surface Analysis and Chemical Biology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, P. R. China
| | - Nerek Darabedian
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0744, United States
| | - Yonghui He
- Key Laboratory of Chemistry in Ethnic Medicinal Resources, State Ethnic Affairs Commission & Ministry of Education, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming 650031, P. R. China
| | - Dianlu Jiang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, Los Angeles, California 90032, United States
| | - Dinglong Chen
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, P. R. China
| | - Juan Xiang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, P. R. China
| | - Guokun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Feimeng Zhou
- Institute of Surface Analysis and Chemical Biology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, Los Angeles, California 90032, United States
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41
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Monzani E, Nicolis S, Dell'Acqua S, Capucciati A, Bacchella C, Zucca FA, Mosharov EV, Sulzer D, Zecca L, Casella L. Dopamin, oxidativer Stress und Protein‐Chinonmodifikationen bei Parkinson und anderen neurodegenerativen Erkrankungen. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201811122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Monzani
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Pavia 27100 Pavia Italien
| | | | | | | | | | - Fabio A. Zucca
- Institute of Biomedical TechnologiesNational Research Council of Italy Segrate (Mailand) Italien
| | - Eugene V. Mosharov
- Department of PsychiatryColumbia University Medical CenterNew York State Psychiatric Institute New York NY USA
- Departments Neurology, PharmacologyColumbia University Medical Center New York NY USA
| | - David Sulzer
- Department of PsychiatryColumbia University Medical CenterNew York State Psychiatric Institute New York NY USA
- Departments Neurology, PharmacologyColumbia University Medical Center New York NY USA
| | - Luigi Zecca
- Institute of Biomedical TechnologiesNational Research Council of Italy Segrate (Mailand) Italien
- Department of PsychiatryColumbia University Medical CenterNew York State Psychiatric Institute New York NY USA
| | - Luigi Casella
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Pavia 27100 Pavia Italien
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42
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Monzani E, Nicolis S, Dell'Acqua S, Capucciati A, Bacchella C, Zucca FA, Mosharov EV, Sulzer D, Zecca L, Casella L. Dopamine, Oxidative Stress and Protein-Quinone Modifications in Parkinson's and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:6512-6527. [PMID: 30536578 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201811122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) is the most important catecholamine in the brain, as it is the most abundant and the precursor of other neurotransmitters. Degeneration of nigrostriatal neurons of substantia nigra pars compacta in Parkinson's disease represents the best-studied link between DA neurotransmission and neuropathology. Catecholamines are reactive molecules that are handled through complex control and transport systems. Under normal conditions, small amounts of cytosolic DA are converted to neuromelanin in a stepwise process involving melanization of peptides and proteins. However, excessive cytosolic or extraneuronal DA can give rise to nonselective protein modifications. These reactions involve DA oxidation to quinone species and depend on the presence of redox-active transition metal ions such as iron and copper. Other oxidized DA metabolites likely participate in post-translational protein modification. Thus, protein-quinone modification is a heterogeneous process involving multiple DA-derived residues that produce structural and conformational changes of proteins and can lead to aggregation and inactivation of the modified proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Monzani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stefania Nicolis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | | | | | - Chiara Bacchella
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fabio A Zucca
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate (Milano), Italy
| | - Eugene V Mosharov
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Sulzer
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.,Departments of Neurology and Pharmacology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Luigi Zecca
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate (Milano), Italy.,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Luigi Casella
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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43
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Liu KY, Acosta-Cabronero J, Cardenas-Blanco A, Loane C, Berry AJ, Betts MJ, Kievit RA, Henson RN, Düzel E, Howard R, Hämmerer D. In vivo visualization of age-related differences in the locus coeruleus. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 74:101-111. [PMID: 30447418 PMCID: PMC6338679 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 10/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC), the major origin of noradrenergic modulation of the central nervous system, may play an important role in neuropsychiatric disorders including Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. The pattern of age-related change of the LC across the life span is unclear. We obtained normalized, mean LC signal intensity values, that is, contrast ratios (CRs), from magnetization transfer-weighted images to investigate the relationship between LC CR and age in cognitively normal healthy adults (N = 605, age range 18-88 years). Study participants were part of the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience-an open-access, population-based data set. We found a quadratic relationship between LC CR and age, the peak occurring around 60 years, with no differences between males and females. Subregional analyses revealed that age-related decline in LC CR was confined to the rostral portion of the LC. Older adults showed greater variance in overall LC CR than younger adults, and the functional and clinical implications of these observed age-related differences require further investigation. Visualization of the LC in this study may inform how future scanning parameters can be optimized, and provides insight into how LC integrity changes across the life span.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy Y Liu
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Julio Acosta-Cabronero
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Arturo Cardenas-Blanco
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Clare Loane
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alex J Berry
- Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Matthew J Betts
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Rogier A Kievit
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Richard N Henson
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emrah Düzel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Robert Howard
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Dorothea Hämmerer
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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44
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Determination of metal elements concentrations in human brain tissues using PIXE and EDX methods. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-018-6208-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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45
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Rourk CJ. Ferritin and neuromelanin "quantum dot" array structures in dopamine neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta and norepinephrine neurons of the locus coeruleus. Biosystems 2018; 171:48-58. [PMID: 30048795 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2018.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
In this review, the author shows that ferritin has documented quantum dot material properties that have been reported in numerous independent studies, and can enable quantum mechanical electron transport over substantial distances. In addition, neuromelanin is a pi-conjugated polymer, and quantum dot/pi-conjugated polymer combinations have been reported in numerous independent studies to facilitate electron transport for solar photovoltaic and other applications. Both ferritin and neuromelanin are present in large quantities in the dopamine neurons of the substantia nigra pars compactaand the norepinephrine neurons of the locus coeruleus. The unique structure of subgroups of these neurons that have a large number of axon branches and synapses may have evolved to take advantage of this electron transport mechanism, if it is present, such as to coordinate conscious action, or for other purposes. Independent clinical and laboratory studies are also reviewed that corroborate this theory of coordinated action in these neuron groups. Research to validate the theory using charge transport measurements, materials characterization, existing fluorescent probe material and reaction time testing is proposed.
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46
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Giguère N, Burke Nanni S, Trudeau LE. On Cell Loss and Selective Vulnerability of Neuronal Populations in Parkinson's Disease. Front Neurol 2018; 9:455. [PMID: 29971039 PMCID: PMC6018545 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 242] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Significant advances have been made uncovering the factors that render neurons vulnerable in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the critical pathogenic events leading to cell loss remain poorly understood, complicating the development of disease-modifying interventions. Given that the cardinal motor symptoms and pathology of PD involve the loss of dopamine (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), a majority of the work in the PD field has focused on this specific neuronal population. PD however, is not a disease of DA neurons exclusively: pathology, most notably in the form of Lewy bodies and neurites, has been reported in multiple regions of the central and peripheral nervous system, including for example the locus coeruleus, the dorsal raphe nucleus and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. Cell and/or terminal loss of these additional nuclei is likely to contribute to some of the other symptoms of PD and, most notably to the non-motor features. However, exactly which regions show actual, well-documented, cell loss is presently unclear. In this review we will first examine the strength of the evidence describing the regions of cell loss in idiopathic PD, as well as the order in which this loss occurs. Secondly, we will discuss the neurochemical, morphological and physiological characteristics that render SNc DA neurons vulnerable, and will examine the evidence for these characteristics being shared across PD-affected neuronal populations. The insights raised by focusing on the underpinnings of the selective vulnerability of neurons in PD might be helpful to facilitate the development of new disease-modifying strategies and improve animal models of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Giguère
- CNS Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Samuel Burke Nanni
- CNS Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Louis-Eric Trudeau
- CNS Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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47
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Zucca FA, Vanna R, Cupaioli FA, Bellei C, De Palma A, Di Silvestre D, Mauri P, Grassi S, Prinetti A, Casella L, Sulzer D, Zecca L. Neuromelanin organelles are specialized autolysosomes that accumulate undegraded proteins and lipids in aging human brain and are likely involved in Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2018; 4:17. [PMID: 29900402 PMCID: PMC5988730 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-018-0050-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
During aging, neuronal organelles filled with neuromelanin (a dark-brown pigment) and lipid bodies accumulate in the brain, particularly in the substantia nigra, a region targeted in Parkinson's disease. We have investigated protein and lipid systems involved in the formation of these organelles and in the synthesis of the neuromelanin of human substantia nigra. Membrane and matrix proteins characteristic of lysosomes were found in neuromelanin-containing organelles at a lower number than in typical lysosomes, indicating a reduced enzymatic activity and likely impaired capacity for lysosomal and autophagosomal fusion. The presence of proteins involved in lipid transport may explain the accumulation of lipid bodies in the organelle and the lipid component in neuromelanin structure. The major lipids observed in lipid bodies of the organelle are dolichols with lower amounts of other lipids. Proteins of aggregation and degradation pathways were present, suggesting a role for accumulation by this organelle when the ubiquitin-proteasome system is inadequate. The presence of proteins associated with aging and storage diseases may reflect impaired autophagic degradation or impaired function of lysosomal enzymes. The identification of typical autophagy proteins and double membranes demonstrates the organelle's autophagic nature and indicates that it has engulfed neuromelanin precursors from the cytosol. Based on these data, it appears that the neuromelanin-containing organelle has a very slow turnover during the life of a neuron and represents an intracellular compartment of final destination for numerous molecules not degraded by other systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio A. Zucca
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Renzo Vanna
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS Foundation, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca A. Cupaioli
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Bellei
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella De Palma
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Dario Di Silvestre
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Mauri
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Grassi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Prinetti
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Segrate, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Casella
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - David Sulzer
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Luigi Zecca
- Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Segrate, Milan, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY USA
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48
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Schwarz ST, Mougin O, Xing Y, Blazejewska A, Bajaj N, Auer DP, Gowland P. Parkinson's disease related signal change in the nigrosomes 1-5 and the substantia nigra using T2* weighted 7T MRI. Neuroimage Clin 2018; 19:683-689. [PMID: 29872633 PMCID: PMC5986169 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Improved markers for the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD) are required. Previous work has proven that iron dependent MRI scans can detect the largest Nigrosome (N1) within the substantia nigra (SN) pars compacta and changes in PD. Histopathological studies have shown that N1 is particularly affected in early PD whereas the other nigrosomes (N2-N5) and the surrounding iron-rich SN are affected later. In this study we aimed to determine whether MRI can detect the smaller nigrosomes (N2-N5) and whether graded signal alterations can be detected on T2*-weighted MRI at different disease stages consistent with histopathological changes. An observational prospective study was performed within the research imaging centre at the University of Nottingham, UK. Altogether 26 individuals with confirmed PD (median Hoehn&Yahr stage = 1, Unified PD Rating Scale [UPDRS] = 12.5) and 15 healthy controls participated. High resolution T2*weighted 7T MRI of the brain was performed and visibility of N1-N5 within the SN was qualitatively rated. Normalised T2*weighted signal intensities in manually segmented N1-N5 regions and iron-rich SN were calculated. We performed group comparisons and correlations with severity based on UPDRS. Qualitative measures were a nigrosome visibility score and a confidence score for identification. Quantitative measures were T2*weighted contrast of N1-5 and iron-rich SN relative to white matter. We found that visual assessment of the SN for N1-N5 revealed normal range visibility scores in 14 of 15 controls. N1 was identified with the highest confidence and visibility was in abnormal range in all 26 PD patients. The other nigrosomes were less well visible and less confidently identified. There was a larger PD induced signal reduction in all nigrosomes than in the iron-rich SN (median signal difference N1-5 PD compared to controls: 19.4% [IQR = 24%], iron-rich SN 11% [IQR = 24%, p = 0.017]). The largest PD induced signal reduction was in N1: 37.2% [IQR = 19%] which inversely correlated with UPDRS in PD (R2 = 0.19). All nigrosomes can be detected using 7T MRI, and PD induced T2*weighted signal reduction was greatest in the nigrosomes (especially N1). The graded T2*weighted signal alterations in the nigrosomes match previously described differential histopathological effects of PD. N1 was identified with the highest confidence and T2*weighted signal in N1 correlated with UPDRS confirming N1 as the most promising SN marker of PD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Theodor Schwarz
- Radiological Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK; Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Radiology, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UK; Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), University of Cardiff, Cardiff, UK.
| | - Olivier Mougin
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Yue Xing
- Radiological Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK; Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Anna Blazejewska
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Nin Bajaj
- Department of Neurology, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham, UK
| | - Dorothee P Auer
- Radiological Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK; Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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Sulzer D, Cassidy C, Horga G, Kang UJ, Fahn S, Casella L, Pezzoli G, Langley J, Hu XP, Zucca FA, Isaias IU, Zecca L. Neuromelanin detection by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its promise as a biomarker for Parkinson's disease. NPJ PARKINSONS DISEASE 2018; 4:11. [PMID: 29644335 PMCID: PMC5893576 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-018-0047-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) occurs after pathogenesis is advanced and many substantia nigra (SN) dopamine neurons have already died. Now that therapies to block this neuronal loss are under development, it is imperative that the disease be diagnosed at earlier stages and that the response to therapies is monitored. Recent studies suggest this can be accomplished by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detection of neuromelanin (NM), the characteristic pigment of SN dopaminergic, and locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic neurons. NM is an autophagic product synthesized via oxidation of catecholamines and subsequent reactions, and in the SN and LC it increases linearly during normal aging. In PD, however, the pigment is lost when SN and LC neurons die. As shown nearly 25 years ago by Zecca and colleagues, NM’s avid binding of iron provides a paramagnetic source to enable electron and nuclear magnetic resonance detection, and thus a means for safe and noninvasive measure in living human brain. Recent technical improvements now provide a means for MRI to differentiate between PD patients and age-matched healthy controls, and should be able to identify changes in SN NM with age in individuals. We discuss how MRI detects NM and how this approach might be improved. We suggest that MRI of NM can be used to confirm PD diagnosis and monitor disease progression. We recommend that for subjects at risk for PD, and perhaps generally for older people, that MRI sequences performed at regular intervals can provide a pre-clinical means to detect presymptomatic PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Sulzer
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center , New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY USA.,2Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY USA.,3Department of Pharmacology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Clifford Cassidy
- 4The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, Affiliated with the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Guillermo Horga
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center , New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY USA
| | - Un Jung Kang
- 2Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Stanley Fahn
- 2Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Luigi Casella
- 5Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Gianni Pezzoli
- Parkinson Institute, ASST "Gaetano Pini-CTO", Milan, Italy
| | - Jason Langley
- 7Center for Advanced NeuroImaging, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA USA
| | - Xiaoping P Hu
- 8Department of Bioengineering, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA USA
| | - Fabio A Zucca
- 9Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Milan, Italy
| | - Ioannis U Isaias
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital and Julius-Maximillian-University, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Luigi Zecca
- 9Institute of Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council of Italy, Milan, Italy
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Prasad S, Stezin A, Lenka A, George L, Saini J, Yadav R, Pal PK. Three-dimensional neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging of the substantia nigra in Parkinson's disease. Eur J Neurol 2018; 25:680-686. [PMID: 29341412 DOI: 10.1111/ene.13573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The aim was to investigate the diagnostic utility of signal intensity measurement of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) using three-dimensional (3D) neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), for discrimination of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) from healthy controls. METHODS T1-weighted neuromelanin-sensitive images of 16 patients with PD and 15 controls were quantitatively analyzed by placing circular 10 mm2 regions of interest over the central and lateral parts of the bilateral SNc and anterior to the cerebral aqueduct at three levels of the midbrain. Signal intensities and contrast ratios (CRs) were calculated, after which significant differences, correlations, sensitivity and specificity were calculated. RESULTS The CRs of the central and lateral SNc were significantly lower in patients with PD. Lateral CRs were lower than the central CRs in both groups and significantly correlated with duration of illness. CRs of central and lateral parts of the SNc also correlated with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale III OFF state scores. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed lateral CRs to be more sensitive and central CRs to be more specific for the discrimination of patients with PD from controls. CONCLUSIONS Contrast ratio analysis of the SNc using 3D neuromelanin-sensitive MRI may serve as a quick and accurate tool to discern between patients with PD and healthy controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Prasad
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.,Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - A Stezin
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.,Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - A Lenka
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.,Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - L George
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - J Saini
- Department of Neuroimaging and Interventional Radiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - R Yadav
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - P K Pal
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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