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Dutt S, Bachman SL, Dahl MJ, Li Y, Yew B, Jang JY, Ho JK, Nashiro K, Min J, Yoo HJ, Gaubert A, Nguyen A, Blanken AE, Sible IJ, Marshall AJ, Kapoor A, Alitin JPM, Hoang K, Rouanet J, Sordo L, Head E, Shao X, Wang DJJ, Mather M, Nation DA. Locus coeruleus MRI contrast, cerebral perfusion, and plasma Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in older adults. Neurobiol Aging 2025; 147:12-21. [PMID: 39637519 PMCID: PMC11781958 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Revised: 11/19/2024] [Accepted: 11/20/2024] [Indexed: 12/07/2024]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is among the first brain structures impacted by Alzheimer's disease (AD), and noradrenergic denervation may contribute to early neurovascular dysfunction in AD. Mechanistic links between the LC and cerebral perfusion have been demonstrated in rodents, but there have been no similar studies in aging humans. Community-dwelling older adults with no history of stroke or dementia (N=66) underwent structural (T1-MPRAGE; T1-FSE) and perfusion (resting pCASL) MRI. Plasma AD biomarkers levels were evaluated for Aβ42/40 ratio (n=56) and pTau181 (n=60). Higher rostral LC structural MRI contrast was associated with lower perfusion in entorhinal and limbic regions but higher perfusion in lateral and medial orbitofrontal cortices. Relationships between LC structure and regional cerebral perfusion were attenuated in older adults with higher plasma pTau levels and lower plasma Aβ42/40 ratios. Previously unstudied links between LC structure and cerebral perfusion are detectible in older adults using MRI and are attenuated in those showing greater AD pathophysiologic change, suggesting an uncoupling of LC-cerebral perfusion relationships in older adults with aggregating AD-related pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubir Dutt
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Shelby L Bachman
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Martin J Dahl
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yanrong Li
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Belinda Yew
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jung Yun Jang
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jean K Ho
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Kaoru Nashiro
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jungwon Min
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hyun Joo Yoo
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Aimée Gaubert
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amy Nguyen
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anna E Blanken
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, CA, USA
| | - Isabel J Sible
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anisa J Marshall
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arunima Kapoor
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - John Paul M Alitin
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kim Hoang
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jeremy Rouanet
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Lorena Sordo
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Head
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Xingfeng Shao
- Laboratory of FMRI Technology, Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Danny J J Wang
- Laboratory of FMRI Technology, Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Mara Mather
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel A Nation
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, CA, Los Angeles, USA.
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Wengler K, Trujillo P, Cassidy CM, Horga G. Neuromelanin-sensitive MRI for mechanistic research and biomarker development in psychiatry. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 50:137-152. [PMID: 39160355 PMCID: PMC11526017 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01934-y] [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: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
Neuromelanin-sensitive MRI is a burgeoning non-invasive neuroimaging method with an increasing number of applications in psychiatric research. This MRI modality is sensitive to the concentration of neuromelanin, which is synthesized from intracellular catecholamines and accumulates in catecholaminergic nuclei including the dopaminergic substantia nigra and the noradrenergic locus coeruleus. Emerging data suggest the utility of neuromelanin-sensitive MRI as a proxy measure for variability in catecholamine metabolism and function, even in the absence of catecholaminergic cell loss. Given the importance of catecholamine function to several psychiatric disorders and their treatments, neuromelanin-sensitive MRI is ideally positioned as an informative and easy-to-acquire catecholaminergic index. In this review paper, we examine basic aspects of neuromelanin and neuromelanin-sensitive MRI and focus on its psychiatric applications in the contexts of mechanistic research and biomarker development. We discuss ongoing debates and state-of-the-art research into the mechanisms of the neuromelanin-sensitive MRI contrast, standardized protocols and optimized analytic approaches, and application of cutting-edge methods such as machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance the feasibility and predictive power of neuromelanin-sensitive-MRI-based tools. We finally lay out important future directions to allow neuromelanin-sensitive-MRI to fulfill its potential as a key component of the research, and ultimately clinical, toolbox in psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Wengler
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Diagnostic, Molecular and Interventional Radiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paula Trujillo
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt, TN, USA
| | - Clifford M Cassidy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Guillermo Horga
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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Lv Q, Wang X, Lin P, Wang X. Neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging in the study of mental disorder: A systematic review. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2024; 339:111785. [PMID: 38325165 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2024.111785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Dopamine and norepinephrine are implicated in the pathophysiology of mental disorders, but non-invasive study of their neuronal function remains challenging. Recent research suggests that neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (NM-MRI) techniques may overcome this limitation by enabling the non-invasive imaging of the substantia nigra (SN)/ ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic and locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic systems. A review of 19 studies that met the criteria for NM-MRI application in mental disorders found that despite the use of heterogeneous sequence parameters and metrics, nearly all studies reported differences in contrast ratio (CNR) of LC or SN/VTA between patients with mental disorders and healthy controls. These findings suggest that NM-MRI is a valuable tool in psychiatry, but the differences in sequence parameters across studies hinder comparability, and a standardized analysis pipeline is needed to improve the reliability of results. Further research using standardized methods is needed to better understand the role of dopamine and norepinephrine in mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyu Lv
- Department of Psychology and Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Xuanyi Wang
- Department of Psychology and Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Pan Lin
- Department of Psychology and Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China.; China National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, Hunan, PR China..
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Yoo HJ, Nashiro K, Min J, Cho C, Mercer N, Bachman SL, Nasseri P, Dutt S, Porat S, Choi P, Zhang Y, Grigoryan V, Feng T, Thayer JF, Lehrer P, Chang C, Stanley JA, Head E, Rouanet J, Marmarelis VZ, Narayanan S, Wisnowski J, Nation DA, Mather M. Multimodal neuroimaging data from a 5-week heart rate variability biofeedback randomized clinical trial. Sci Data 2023; 10:503. [PMID: 37516756 PMCID: PMC10387077 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02396-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
We present data from the Heart Rate Variability and Emotion Regulation (HRV-ER) randomized clinical trial testing effects of HRV biofeedback. Younger (N = 121) and older (N = 72) participants completed baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including T1-weighted, resting and emotion regulation task functional MRI (fMRI), pulsed continuous arterial spin labeling (PCASL), and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS). During fMRI scans, physiological measures (blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and end-tidal CO2) were continuously acquired. Participants were randomized to either increase heart rate oscillations or decrease heart rate oscillations during daily sessions. After 5 weeks of HRV biofeedback, they repeated the baseline measurements in addition to new measures (ultimatum game fMRI, training mimicking during blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) and PCASL fMRI). Participants also wore a wristband sensor to estimate sleep time. Psychological assessment comprised three cognitive tests and ten questionnaires related to emotional well-being. A subset (N = 104) provided plasma samples pre- and post-intervention that were assayed for amyloid and tau. Data is publicly available via the OpenNeuro data sharing platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Joo Yoo
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - Kaoru Nashiro
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - Jungwon Min
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - Christine Cho
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - Noah Mercer
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | | | - Padideh Nasseri
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - Shubir Dutt
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - Shai Porat
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - Paul Choi
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - Yong Zhang
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | | | - Tiantian Feng
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | | | - Paul Lehrer
- Rutgers University, New Brunswick-Piscataway, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Mara Mather
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA.
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Bachman SL, Attanti S, Mather M. Isometric handgrip exercise speeds working memory responses in younger and older adults. Psychol Aging 2023; 38:305-322. [PMID: 36931831 PMCID: PMC10238670 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Physiological arousal affects attention and memory, sometimes enhancing and other times impairing what we attend to and remember. In the present study, we investigated how changes in physiological arousal-induced through short bursts of isometric handgrip exercise-affected subsequent working memory performance. A sample of 57 younger (ages 18-29) and 56 older (ages 65-85) participants performed blocks of isometric handgrip exercise in which they periodically squeezed a therapy ball, alternating with blocks of an auditory working memory task. We found that, compared with those in a control group, participants who performed isometric handgrip had faster reaction times on the working memory task. Handgrip-speeded responses were observed for both younger and older participants, across working memory loads. Analysis of multimodal physiological responses indicated that physiological arousal increased during handgrip. Our findings suggest that performing short bouts of isometric handgrip exercise can improve processing speed, and they offer testable possibilities for the mechanism underlying handgrip's effects on performance. The potential for acute isometric exercise to temporarily improve processing speed may be of particular relevance for older adults who show declines in processing speed and working memory. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sumedha Attanti
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California
| | - Mara Mather
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California
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Increased sympathetic outflow induced by emotional stress aggravates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury via activation of TLR7/MyD88/IRF5 signaling pathway. Inflamm Res 2023; 72:901-913. [PMID: 36933018 DOI: 10.1007/s00011-023-01708-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Emotional stress substantially increases the risk of ischemic cardiovascular diseases. Previous study indicates that sympathetic outflow is increased under emotional stress. We aim to investigate the role of increased sympathetic outflow induced by emotional stress in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, and explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS We used Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs technique to activate the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), a critical emotion-related nucleus. The results revealed that emotional stress stimulated by VMH activation increased sympathetic outflow, enhanced blood pressure, aggravated myocardial I/R injury, and exacerbated infarct size. The RNA-seq and molecular detection demonstrated that toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5), and downstream inflammatory markers in cardiomyocytes were significantly upregulated. Emotional stress-induced sympathetic outflow further exacerbated the disorder of the TLR7/MyD88/IRF5 inflammatory signaling pathway. While inhibition of the signaling pathway partially alleviated myocardial I/R injury aggravated by emotional stress-induced sympathetic outflow. CONCLUSION Increased sympathetic outflow induced by emotional stress activates TLR7/MyD88/IRF5 signaling pathway, ultimately aggravating I/R injury.
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