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La Barbera L, Krashia P, Nobili A. How dopamine tunes parvalbumin interneurons in the hippocampus: new experimental observations in Alzheimer's disease. Neural Regen Res 2025; 20:1405-1406. [PMID: 39075905 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-24-00322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Livia La Barbera
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, Rome, Italy (La Barbera L, Nobili A)
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, Rome, Italy (La Barbera L, Krashia P, Nobili A)
| | - Paraskevi Krashia
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, Rome, Italy (La Barbera L, Krashia P, Nobili A)
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, Rome, Italy (Krashia P)
| | - Annalisa Nobili
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, Rome, Italy (La Barbera L, Nobili A)
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, Rome, Italy (La Barbera L, Krashia P, Nobili A)
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2
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Crawford JL, Berry AS. Examining resilience to Alzheimer's disease through the lens of monoaminergic neuromodulator systems. Trends Neurosci 2024:S0166-2236(24)00176-0. [PMID: 39368845 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.09.004] [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: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 08/15/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 10/07/2024]
Abstract
The monoaminergic nuclei are thought to be some of the earliest sites of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology in the brain, with tau-containing pretangles appearing in these nuclei decades before the onset of clinical impairments. It has increasingly been recognized that monoamine systems represent a critical target of investigation towards understanding the progression of AD and designing early detection and treatment approaches. This review synthesizes evidence across animal studies, human neuropathology, and state-of-the-art neuroimaging and daily life assessment methods in humans, which demonstrate robust relationships between monoamine systems and AD pathophysiology and behavior. Further, the review highlights the promise of multimethod, multisystem approaches to studying monoaminergic mechanisms of resilience to AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne S Berry
- Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA.
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3
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Scarfo S, Marsella AMA, Grigoriadou L, Moshfeghi Y, McGeown WJ. Neuroanatomical correlates and predictors of psychotic symptoms in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neuropsychologia 2024; 204:109006. [PMID: 39326784 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.109006] [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: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 09/13/2024] [Accepted: 09/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychotic symptoms (hallucinations and delusions) are a type of neuropsychiatric symptom found during Alzheimer's Disease (AD). OBJECTIVE This systematic review aims to comprehensively capture, analyse, and evaluate the body of evidence that has investigated associations between brain regions/networks and psychotic symptoms in AD. METHODS The protocol, created according to the PRISMA guidelines, was pre-registered on OSF (https://osf.io/tg8xp/). Searches were performed using PubMed, Web of Science and PsycInfo. A partial coordinate-based meta-analysis (CBMA) was performed based on data availability. RESULTS Eighty-two papers were selected: delusions were found to be associated mainly with right fronto-temporal brain regions and the insula; hallucinations mainly with fronto-occipital areas; both were frequently associated with the anterior cingulate cortex. The CBMA, performed on the findings of fourteen papers on delusions, identified a cluster in the frontal lobe, one in the putamen, and a smaller one in the insula. CONCLUSIONS The available evidence highlights that key brain regions, predominantly in the right frontal lobe, the anterior cingulate cortex, and temporo-occipital areas, appear to underpin the different manifestations of psychotic symptoms in AD and MCI. The fronto-temporal areas identified in relation to delusions may underpin a failure to assimilate correct information and consider alternative possibilities (which might generate and maintain the delusional belief), and dysfunction within the salience network (anterior cingulate cortex and insula) may suggest a contribution for how internal and external stimuli are identified; the fronto-occipital areas linked to hallucinations may indicate diminished sensory processing and non-optimal predictive processing, that together contribute to misinterpretation of stimuli and misperceptions; the fronto-temporal and occipital areas, as well as the anterior cingulate cortex were linked to the psychotic cluster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Scarfo
- Department of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Loulouda Grigoriadou
- Department of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Yashar Moshfeghi
- Computer and Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - William J McGeown
- Department of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
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4
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Wengler K, Trujillo P, Cassidy CM, Horga G. Neuromelanin-sensitive MRI for mechanistic research and biomarker development in psychiatry. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01934-y. [PMID: 39160355 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01934-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [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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5
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Armijo-Weingart L, San Martin L, Gallegos S, Araya A, Konar-Nie M, Fernandez-Pérez E, Aguayo LG. Loss of glycine receptors in the nucleus accumbens and ethanol reward in an Alzheimer´s Disease mouse model. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 237:102616. [PMID: 38723884 PMCID: PMC11163974 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2024.102616] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Alterations in cognitive and non-cognitive cerebral functions characterize Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cortical and hippocampal impairments related to extracellular accumulation of Aβ in AD animal models have been extensively investigated. However, recent reports have also implicated intracellular Aβ in limbic regions, such as the nucleus accumbens (nAc). Accumbal neurons express high levels of inhibitory glycine receptors (GlyRs) that are allosterically modulated by ethanol and have a role in controlling its intake. In the present study, we investigated how GlyRs in the 2xTg mice (AD model) affect nAc functions and ethanol intake behavior. Using transgenic and control aged-matched litter mates, we found that the GlyRα2 subunit was significantly decreased in AD mice (6-month-old). We also examined intracellular calcium dynamics using the fluorescent calcium protein reporter GCaMP in slice photometry. We also found that the calcium signal mediated by GlyRs, but not GABAAR, was also reduced in AD neurons. Additionally, ethanol potentiation was significantly decreased in accumbal neurons in the AD mice. Finally, we performed drinking in the dark (DID) experiments and found that 2xTg mice consumed less ethanol on the last day of DID, in agreement with a lower blood ethanol concentration. 2xTg mice also showed lower sucrose consumption, indicating that overall food reward was altered. In conclusion, the data support the role of GlyRs in nAc neuron excitability and a decreased glycinergic activity in the 2xTg mice that might lead to impairment in reward processing at an early stage of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Armijo-Weingart
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepción, Chile; Programa de Neurociencia, Psiquiatría y Salud Mental (NEPSAM), Universidad de Concepción, Chile
| | - Loreto San Martin
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepción, Chile; Programa de Neurociencia, Psiquiatría y Salud Mental (NEPSAM), Universidad de Concepción, Chile
| | - Scarlet Gallegos
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepción, Chile
| | - Anibal Araya
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepción, Chile
| | - Macarena Konar-Nie
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepción, Chile
| | - Eduardo Fernandez-Pérez
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepción, Chile; Programa de Neurociencia, Psiquiatría y Salud Mental (NEPSAM), Universidad de Concepción, Chile
| | - Luis G Aguayo
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepción, Chile.
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6
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Spoleti E, La Barbera L, Cauzzi E, De Paolis ML, Saba L, Marino R, Sciamanna G, Di Lazzaro V, Keller F, Nobili A, Krashia P, D'Amelio M. Dopamine neuron degeneration in the Ventral Tegmental Area causes hippocampal hyperexcitability in experimental Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1265-1280. [PMID: 38228889 PMCID: PMC11189820 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02408-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Early and progressive dysfunctions of the dopaminergic system from the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) have been described in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). During the long pre-symptomatic phase, alterations in the function of Parvalbumin interneurons (PV-INs) are also observed, resulting in cortical hyperexcitability represented by subclinical epilepsy and aberrant gamma-oscillations. However, it is unknown whether the dopaminergic deficits contribute to brain hyperexcitability in AD. Here, using the Tg2576 mouse model of AD, we prove that reduced hippocampal dopaminergic innervation, due to VTA dopamine neuron degeneration, impairs PV-IN firing and gamma-waves, weakens the inhibition of pyramidal neurons and induces hippocampal hyperexcitability via lower D2-receptor-mediated activation of the CREB-pathway. These alterations coincide with reduced PV-IN numbers and Perineuronal Net density. Importantly, L-DOPA and the selective D2-receptor agonist quinpirole rescue p-CREB levels and improve the PV-IN-mediated inhibition, thus reducing hyperexcitability. Moreover, similarly to quinpirole, sumanirole - another D2-receptor agonist and a known anticonvulsant - not only increases p-CREB levels in PV-INs but also restores gamma-oscillations in Tg2576 mice. Conversely, blocking the dopaminergic transmission with sulpiride (a D2-like receptor antagonist) in WT mice reduces p-CREB levels in PV-INs, mimicking what occurs in Tg2576. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that the VTA dopaminergic system integrity plays a key role in hippocampal PV-IN function and survival, disclosing a relevant contribution of the reduced dopaminergic tone to aberrant gamma-waves, hippocampal hyperexcitability and epileptiform activity in early AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Spoleti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - Livia La Barbera
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128, Rome, Italy
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Emma Cauzzi
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa De Paolis
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - Luana Saba
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128, Rome, Italy
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Ramona Marino
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sciamanna
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
- UniCamillus International University of Health Sciences, 00131, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Di Lazzaro
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128, Rome, Italy
- Operative Research Unit of Neurology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavio Keller
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Nobili
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128, Rome, Italy
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Paraskevi Krashia
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
- Department of Sciences and Technologies for Sustainable Development and One Health, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello D'Amelio
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy.
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7
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Lista S, Santos-Lozano A, Emanuele E, Mercuri NB, Gabelle A, López-Ortiz S, Martín-Hernández J, Maisto N, Imbimbo C, Caraci F, Imbimbo BP, Zetterberg H, Nisticò R. Monitoring synaptic pathology in Alzheimer's disease through fluid and PET imaging biomarkers: a comprehensive review and future perspectives. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:847-857. [PMID: 38228892 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02376-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is currently constrained by limited clinical treatment options. The initial pathophysiological event, which can be traced back to decades before the clinical symptoms become apparent, involves the excessive accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ), a peptide comprised of 40-42 amino acids, in extraneuronal plaques within the brain. Biochemical and histological studies have shown that overaccumulation of Aβ instigates an aberrant escalation in the phosphorylation and secretion of tau, a microtubule-binding axonal protein. The accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau into intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles is in turn correlated with microglial dysfunction and reactive astrocytosis, culminating in synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration. As neurodegeneration progresses, it gives rise to mild clinical symptoms of AD, which may eventually evolve into overt dementia. Synaptic loss in AD may develop even before tau alteration and in response to possible elevations in soluble oligomeric forms of Aβ associated with early AD. These findings largely rely on post-mortem autopsy examinations, which typically involve a limited number of patients. Over the past decade, a range of fluid biomarkers such as neurogranin, α-synuclein, visinin-like protein 1 (VILIP-1), neuronal pentraxin 2, and β-synuclein, along with positron emission tomography (PET) markers like synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A, have been developed. These advancements have facilitated the exploration of how synaptic markers in AD patients correlate with cognitive impairment. However, fluid biomarkers indicating synaptic loss have only been validated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), not in plasma, with the exception of VILIP-1. The most promising PET radiotracer, [11C]UCB-J, currently faces significant challenges hindering its widespread clinical use, primarily due to the necessity of a cyclotron. As such, additional research geared toward the exploration of synaptic pathology biomarkers is crucial. This will not only enable their extensive clinical application, but also refine the optimization process of AD pharmacological trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Lista
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain.
| | - Alejandro Santos-Lozano
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain
- Physical Activity and Health Research Group (PaHerg), Research Institute of the Hospital 12 de Octubre ('imas12'), 28041, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Nicola B Mercuri
- Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Audrey Gabelle
- CMRR, Memory Resources and Research Center, Montpellier University of Excellence i-site, 34295, Montpellier, France
| | - Susana López-Ortiz
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Juan Martín-Hernández
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Nunzia Maisto
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Synaptic Plasticity, EBRI Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Camillo Imbimbo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Filippo Caraci
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125, Catania, Italy
- Neuropharmacology and Translational Neurosciences Research Unit, Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018, Troina, Italy
| | - Bruno P Imbimbo
- Department of Research and Development, Chiesi Farmaceutici, 43122, Parma, Italy
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, WC1N, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, 53726, WI, USA
| | - Robert Nisticò
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Synaptic Plasticity, EBRI Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy.
- School of Pharmacy, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy.
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Jiang J, Liu Y, Wang A, Zhuo Z, Shi H, Zhang X, Li W, Sun M, Jiang S, Wang Y, Zou X, Zhang Y, Jia Z, Xu J. Development and validation of a nutrition-related genetic-clinical-radiological nomogram associated with behavioral and psychological symptoms in Alzheimer's disease. Chin Med J (Engl) 2023:00029330-990000000-00878. [PMID: 38031345 PMCID: PMC11407811 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000002914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few evidence is available in the early prediction models of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aimed to develop and validate a novel genetic-clinical-radiological nomogram for evaluating BPSD in patients with AD and explore its underlying nutritional mechanism. METHODS This retrospective study included 165 patients with AD from the Chinese Imaging, Biomarkers, and Lifestyle (CIBL) cohort between June 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022. Data on demoimagedatas, neuropsychological assessments, single-nucleotide polymorphisms of AD risk genes, and regional brain volumes were collected. A multivariate logistic regression model identified BPSD-associated factors, for subsequently constructing a diagnostic nomogram. This nomogram was internally validated through 1000-bootstrap resampling and externally validated using a time-series split based on the CIBL cohort data between June 1, 2022, and February 1, 2023. Area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess the discrimination, calibration, and clinical applicability of the nomogram. RESULTS Factors independently associated with BPSD were: CETP rs1800775 (odds ratio [OR] = 4.137, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.276-13.415, P = 0.018), decreased Mini Nutritional Assessment score (OR = 0.187, 95% CI: 0.086-0.405, P <0.001), increased caregiver burden inventory score (OR = 8.993, 95% CI: 3.830-21.119, P <0.001), and decreased brain stem volume (OR = 0.006, 95% CI: 0.001-0.191, P = 0.004). These variables were incorporated into the nomogram. The area under the ROC curve was 0.925 (95% CI: 0.884-0.967, P <0.001) in the internal validation and 0.791 (95% CI: 0.686-0.895, P <0.001) in the external validation. The calibration plots showed favorable consistency between the prediction of nomogram and actual observations, and the DCA showed that the model was clinically useful in both validations. CONCLUSION A novel nomogram was established and validated based on lipid metabolism-related genes, nutritional status, and brain stem volumes, which may allow patients with AD to benefit from early triage and more intensive monitoring of BPSD. REGISTRATION Chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2100049131.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwei Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Yaou Liu
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Anxin Wang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Zhizheng Zhuo
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Hanping Shi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China
- Beijing International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Cancer Metabolism and Nutrition, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Wenyi Li
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Mengfan Sun
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Shirui Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Yanli Wang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Xinying Zou
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Ziyan Jia
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing 100070, China
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9
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Dai M, Guo Z, Chen J, Liu H, Li J, Zhu M, Liu J, Wei F, Wang L, Liu X. Altered functional connectivity of the locus coeruleus in Alzheimer's disease patients with depression symptoms. Exp Gerontol 2023; 179:112252. [PMID: 37414196 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2023.112252] [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: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Studies have shown that functional abnormalities in the locus coeruleus (LC) are strongly associated with depressive symptoms, but the pattern of LC functional connectivity in Alzheimer's disease patients with depressive symptoms (D-AD) remains unclear. The current study aimed to investigate the characteristics of LC functional connectivity (FC) in D-AD using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). We obtained rsfMRI data in 24 D-AD patients (aged 66-76 years), 14 non-depressive AD patients (nD-AD) (aged 69-79 years) and 20 normal controls (aged 67-74 years) using a 3 T scanner. We used the FC approach to investigate abnormalities in the LC brain network of D-AD patients. One-way ANCOVA and post-hoc two-sample t-tests were performed to compare the strength of functional connectivity from the LC among the three groups. Our results showed that, compared with normal controls, D-AD showed decreased left LC FC with the right caudate and left fusiform gyrus, whereas nD-AD showed decreased left LC FC with the right caudate, right middle frontal gyrus and left fusiform gyrus. Compared to nD-AD, D-AD showed increased left LC FC with right superior frontal gyrus and right precentral gyrus. These findings contribute to our understanding of the neural mechanisms of D-AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Dai
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
| | - Zhongwei Guo
- Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310012, China
| | - Jinming Chen
- Department of Neurology of the Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050050, China
| | - Hao Liu
- Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310012, China
| | - Jiapeng Li
- Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310012, China
| | - Mengxiao Zhu
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Zhejiang 310000, China
| | - Jian Liu
- The Seventh Hospital of Hangzhou, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China; Clinical Institute of Mental Health in Hangzhou, Anhui Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China
| | - Fuquan Wei
- Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310012, China
| | - Lijuan Wang
- Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310012, China.
| | - Xiaozheng Liu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China.
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10
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Yang Y, Yabluchanskiy A. Sex-specific hippocampal connectivity markers in mild cognitive impairment. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:2371-2372. [PMID: 37053017 PMCID: PMC10120893 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yang
- Neural Control and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK 74104,USA
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA
- Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Andriy Yabluchanskiy
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Neurodegeneration Program, Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA
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11
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Motta C, Assogna M, Bonomi CG, Di Lorenzo F, Nuccetelli M, Mercuri NB, Koch G, Martorana A. Interplay between the catecholaminergic enzymatic axis and neurodegeneration/neuroinflammation processes in the Alzheimer's disease continuum. Eur J Neurol 2023; 30:839-848. [PMID: 36692274 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The locus coeruleus (LC) provides dopamine/noradrenaline (DA/NA) innervation throughout the brain and undergoes early degeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We evaluated catecholaminergic enzyme levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a group of patients biologically defined as within the AD continuum (ADc) and explored their relationship with AD biomarkers and cytokine/growth factor levels to investigate their interplay with neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory processes. METHODS The CSF concentration of DA transporter (DAT), tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH), DOPA-decarboxylase (DDC), and dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DβH), as well as cytokine/growth factor levels, were analyzed in 41 ADc patients stratified according to CSF beta-amyloid (Aβ)1-42 (A) and p-tau (T) in AD pathological changes (A+ T-) and AD (A+ T+) subgroups, as well as in 15 control subjects (A- T-). RESULTS The ADc group had lower CSF levels of DAT and TH but increased DβH levels to compensate for NA synthesis. DDC levels were higher in the A+ T+ subgroup but comparable with controls in the A+ T- subgroup, probably because the DA system is resilient to the degeneration of LC neurons in the absence of tau pathology. Adjusting for age, sex, APOE genotype, and cognitive status, a significant association was found between TH and Aβ1-42 (R2 = 0.25) and between DDC and p-tau (R2 = 0.33). Finally, TH correlated with interleukin (IL)-10 levels (p = 0.0008) and DβH with IL-1β (p = 0.03), IL-4 (p = 0.02), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (p = 0.007), and IL-17 (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these findings suggest that catecholaminergic enzymes, functional markers of the catecholaminergic system, are closely linked to the neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory processes in AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Motta
- UOSD Centro Demenze, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Assogna
- UOSD Centro Demenze, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
- Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit/Department of Behavioral and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Giuseppina Bonomi
- UOSD Centro Demenze, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Di Lorenzo
- Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit/Department of Behavioral and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marzia Nuccetelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Biagio Mercuri
- Neurology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo Koch
- Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit/Department of Behavioral and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandro Martorana
- UOSD Centro Demenze, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
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12
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Nobili A, D'Amelio M, Viscomi MT. Nilotinib: from animal-based studies to clinical investigation in Alzheimer's disease patients. Neural Regen Res 2023; 18:803-804. [PMID: 36204843 PMCID: PMC9700081 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.350700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Nobili
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University Campus Bio-Medico; Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello D'Amelio
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University Campus Bio-Medico; Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Viscomi
- Department of Life Science and Public Health Section of Histology and Embryology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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13
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Possemato E, La Barbera L, Nobili A, Krashia P, D'Amelio M. The role of dopamine in NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition: Implications for neurodegenerative diseases. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 87:101907. [PMID: 36893920 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
In the Central Nervous System (CNS), neuroinflammation orchestrated by microglia and astrocytes is an innate immune response to counteract stressful and dangerous insults. One of the most important and best characterized players in the neuroinflammatory response is the NLRP3 inflammasome, a multiproteic complex composed by NOD-like receptor family Pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) and pro-caspase-1. Different stimuli mediate NLRP3 activation, resulting in the NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and the pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1β and IL-18) maturation and secretion. The persistent and uncontrolled NLRP3 inflammasome activation has a leading role during the pathophysiology of neuroinflammation in age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's (PD) and Alzheimer's (AD). The neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) is one of the players that negatively modulate NLRP3 inflammasome activation through DA receptors expressed in both microglia and astrocytes. This review summarizes recent findings linking the role of DA in the modulation of NLRP3-mediated neuroinflammation in PD and AD, where early deficits of the dopaminergic system are well characterized. Highlighting the relationship between DA, its glial receptors and the NLRP3-mediated neuroinflammation can provide insights to novel diagnostic strategies in early disease phases and new pharmacological tools to delay the progression of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Possemato
- Department of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Livia La Barbera
- Department of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Rome, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Nobili
- Department of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Rome, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Paraskevi Krashia
- Department of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Rome, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello D'Amelio
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143 Rome, Italy; Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
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14
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D’Amelio M, Viscomi M, Nobili A. Nilotinib: from animal-based studies to clinical investigation in Alzheimer’s disease patients. Neural Regen Res 2023. [DOI: 10.4103/5374.350700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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15
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La Barbera L, D'Amelio M. Alzheimer's Disease and Sex-Dependent Alterations in the Striatum: A Lesson from a Mouse Model. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 94:1377-1380. [PMID: 37522213 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
In the last years, many clinical studies highlighted sex-specific differences in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The recent paper published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease shows the influence of sex on amyloid-β plaque deposition, behavior, and dopaminergic signaling in the 5xFAD mouse model of AD, with worse alterations in female mice. This commentary focuses on the importance of recognizing sex as a key variable to consider for a more precise clinical practice, with the challenge to develop sex-specific therapeutic interventions in neurodegenerative diseases such as AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia La Barbera
- Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello D'Amelio
- Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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16
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Accelerated atrophy in dopaminergic targets and medial temporo-parietal regions precedes the onset of delusions in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023; 273:229-241. [PMID: 35554669 PMCID: PMC9958148 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01417-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
People with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and delusions have worse quality of life and prognosis. However, early markers of delusions have not been identified yet. The present study investigated whether there are any detectable differences in grey matter (GM) volume and cognitive changes in the year before symptom onset between patients with AD who did and did not develop delusions. Two matched samples of AD patients, 63 who did (PT-D) and 63 who did not develop delusions (PT-ND) over 1 year, were identified from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) was used to assess the presence of delusions. Sixty-three additional matched healthy controls (HC) were selected. Repeated-measures ANCOVA models were used to investigate group-by-time effects on the volume of selected GM regions of interest and on cognitive performance. No neurocognitive differences were observed between patient groups prior to symptom onset. Greater episodic memory decline and GM loss in bilateral caudate nuclei, medio-temporal and midline cingulo-parietal regions were found in the PT-D compared with the PT-ND group. A pattern of faster GM loss in brain areas typically affected by AD and in cortical and subcortical targets of dopaminergic pathways, paralleled by worsening of episodic memory and behavioural symptoms, may explain the emergence of delusions in patients with AD.
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17
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Serra L, Petrosini L, Mandolesi L, Bonarota S, Balsamo F, Bozzali M, Caltagirone C, Gelfo F. Walking, Running, Swimming: An Analysis of the Effects of Land and Water Aerobic Exercises on Cognitive Functions and Neural Substrates. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:16310. [PMID: 36498383 PMCID: PMC9740550 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192316310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In the brain and cognitive reserves framework, aerobic exercise is considered as a protective lifestyle factor able to induce positive effects on both brain structure and function. However, specific aspects of such a beneficial effect still need to be completely clarified. To this aim, the present narrative review focused on the potential brain/cognitive/neural reserve-construction mechanisms triggered by different aerobic exercise types (land activities; such as walking or running; vs. water activities; such as swimming), by considering human and animal studies on healthy subjects over the entire lifespan. The literature search was conducted in PubMed database. The studies analyzed here indicated that all the considered kinds of activities exert a beneficial effect on cognitive/behavioral functions and on the underlying brain neurobiological processes. In particular, the main effects observed involve the cognitive domains of memory and executive functions. These effects appear related to structural and functional changes mainly involving the fronto-hippocampal axis. The present review supports the requirement of further studies that investigate more specifically and systematically the effects of each type of aerobic activity, as a basis to plan more effective and personalized interventions on individuals as well as prevention and healthy promotion policies for the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Serra
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Laura Mandolesi
- Department of Humanities, Federico II University of Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Sabrina Bonarota
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Balsamo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Bozzali
- Department of Neuroscience ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’, University of Torino, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RY, UK
| | | | - Francesca Gelfo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00193 Rome, Italy
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18
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La Barbera L, Nobili A, Cauzzi E, Paoletti I, Federici M, Saba L, Giacomet C, Marino R, Krashia P, Melone M, Keller F, Mercuri NB, Viscomi MT, Conti F, D’Amelio M. Upregulation of Ca 2+-binding proteins contributes to VTA dopamine neuron survival in the early phases of Alzheimer's disease in Tg2576 mice. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:76. [PMID: 36434727 PMCID: PMC9700939 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00580-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent clinical and experimental studies have highlighted the involvement of Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons for the early pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). We have previously described a progressive and selective degeneration of these neurons in the Tg2576 mouse model of AD, long before amyloid-beta plaque formation. The degenerative process in DA neurons is associated with an autophagy flux impairment, whose rescue can prevent neuronal loss. Impairments in autophagy can be the basis for accumulation of damaged mitochondria, leading to disturbance in calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis, and to functional and structural deterioration of DA neurons. METHODS In Tg2576 mice, we performed amperometric recordings of DA levels and analysis of dopaminergic fibers in the Nucleus Accumbens - a major component of the ventral striatum precociously affected in AD patients - together with retrograde tracing, to identify the most vulnerable DA neuron subpopulations in the VTA. Then, we focused on these neurons to analyze mitochondrial integrity and Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) localization by electron and confocal microscopy, respectively. Stereological cell count was also used to evaluate degeneration of DA neuron subpopulations containing the Ca2+-binding proteins Calbindin-D28K and Calretinin. The expression levels for these proteins were analyzed by western blot and confocal microscopy. Lastly, using electrophysiology and microfluorometry we analyzed VTA DA neuron intrinsic properties and cytosolic free Ca2+ levels. RESULTS We found a progressive degeneration of mesolimbic DA neurons projecting to the ventral striatum, located in the paranigral nucleus and parabrachial pigmented subnucleus of the VTA. At the onset of degeneration (3 months of age), the vulnerable DA neurons in the Tg2576 accumulate damaged mitochondria, while AIF translocates from the mitochondria to the nucleus. Although we describe an age-dependent loss of the DA neurons expressing Calbindin-D28K or Calretinin, we observed that the remaining cells upregulate the levels of Ca2+-binding proteins, and the free cytosolic levels of Ca2+ in these neurons are significantly decreased. Coherently, TUNEL-stained Tg2576 DA neurons express lower levels of Calbindin-D28K when compared with non-apoptotic cells. CONCLUSION Overall, our results suggest that the overexpression of Ca2+-binding proteins in VTA DA neurons might be an attempt of cells to survive by increasing their ability to buffer free Ca2+. Exploring strategies to overexpress Ca2+-binding proteins could be fundamental to reduce neuronal suffering and improve cognitive and non-cognitive functions in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia La Barbera
- grid.9657.d0000 0004 1757 5329Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy ,grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Nobili
- grid.9657.d0000 0004 1757 5329Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy ,grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Emma Cauzzi
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy ,grid.6530.00000 0001 2300 0941Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Paoletti
- grid.9657.d0000 0004 1757 5329Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Federici
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Luana Saba
- grid.9657.d0000 0004 1757 5329Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy ,grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Cecilia Giacomet
- grid.6530.00000 0001 2300 0941Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Ramona Marino
- grid.9657.d0000 0004 1757 5329Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Paraskevi Krashia
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy ,grid.9657.d0000 0004 1757 5329Department of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello Melone
- grid.7010.60000 0001 1017 3210Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM), 60020 Ancona, Italy ,Center for Neurobiology of Aging, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Ricovero e Cura Anziani (INRCA), 60020 Ancona, Italy
| | - Flavio Keller
- grid.9657.d0000 0004 1757 5329Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Biagio Mercuri
- grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy ,grid.6530.00000 0001 2300 0941Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Viscomi
- grid.8142.f0000 0001 0941 3192Department of Life Science and Public Health; Section of Histology and Embryology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy ,grid.414603.4Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli”, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Fiorenzo Conti
- grid.7010.60000 0001 1017 3210Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM), 60020 Ancona, Italy ,Center for Neurobiology of Aging, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Ricovero e Cura Anziani (INRCA), 60020 Ancona, Italy ,grid.7010.60000 0001 1017 3210Foundation for Molecular Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60020 Ancona, Italy
| | - Marcello D’Amelio
- grid.9657.d0000 0004 1757 5329Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy ,grid.417778.a0000 0001 0692 3437Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
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19
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Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Preferentially Enhances Neuro-Inflammation and Senescence in Brainstem of Female Mice. J Virol 2022; 96:e0108122. [PMID: 35975996 PMCID: PMC9472638 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01081-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Following acute infection, herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) establishes lifelong latency in neurons. The latency associated transcript (LAT) is the only viral gene abundantly expressed during latency. Wild-type (WT) HSV-1 reactivates more efficiently than LAT mutants because LAT promotes establishment and maintenance of latency. While sensory neurons in trigeminal ganglia (TG) are important sites for latency, brainstem is also a site for latency and reactivation from latency. The principal sensory nucleus of the spinal trigeminal tract (Pr5) likely harbors latent HSV-1 because it receives afferent inputs from TG. The locus coeruleus (LC), an adjacent brainstem region, sends axonal projections to cortical structures and is indirectly linked to Pr5. Senescent cells accumulate in the nervous system during aging and accelerate neurodegenerative processes. Generally senescent cells undergo irreversible cell cycle arrest and produce inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Based on these observations, we hypothesized HSV-1 influences senescence and inflammation in Pr5 and LC of latently infected mice. This hypothesis was tested using a mouse model of infection. Strikingly, female but not age-matched male mice latently infected with a LAT null mutant (dLAT2903) exhibited significantly higher levels of senescence markers and inflammation in LC, including cell cycle inhibitor p16, NLRP3 (NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing protein 3), IL-1α, and IL-β. Conversely, Pr5 in female but not male mice latently infected with WT HSV-1 or dLAT2903 exhibited enhanced expression of important inflammatory markers. The predilection of HSV-1 to induce senescence and inflammation in key brainstem regions of female mice infers that enhanced neurodegeneration occurs. IMPORTANCE HSV-1 (herpes simplex virus 1), an important human pathogen, establishes lifelong latency in neurons in trigeminal ganglia and the central nervous system. In contrast to productive infection, the only viral transcript abundantly expressed in latently infected neurons is the latency associated transcript (LAT). The brainstem, including principal sensory nucleus of the spinal trigeminal tract (Pr5) and locus coeruleus (LC), may expedite HSV-1 spread from trigeminal ganglia to the brain. Enhanced senescence and expression of key inflammatory markers were detected in LC of female mice latently infected with a LAT null mutant (dLAT2903) relative to age-matched male or female mice latently infected with wild-type HSV-1. Conversely, wild-type HSV-1 and dLAT2903 induced higher levels of senescence and inflammatory markers in Pr5 of latently infected female mice. In summary, enhanced inflammation and senescence in LC and Pr5 of female mice latently infected with HSV-1 are predicted to accelerate neurodegeneration.
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Williamson J, Yabluchanskiy A, Mukli P, Wu DH, Sonntag W, Ciro C, Yang Y. Sex differences in brain functional connectivity of hippocampus in mild cognitive impairment. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:959394. [PMID: 36034134 PMCID: PMC9399646 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.959394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the prodromal stage of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Prior research shows that females are more impacted by MCI than males. On average females have a greater incidence rate of any dementia and current evidence suggests that they suffer greater cognitive deterioration than males in the same disease stage. Recent research has linked these sex differences to neuroimaging markers of brain pathology, such as hippocampal volumes. Specifically, the rate of hippocampal atrophy affects the progression of AD in females more than males. This study was designed to extend our understanding of the sex-related differences in the brain of participants with MCI. Specifically, we investigated the difference in the hippocampal connectivity to different areas of the brain. The Resting State fMRI and T2 MRI of cognitively normal individuals (n = 40, female = 20) and individuals with MCI (n = 40, female = 20) from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) were analyzed using the Functional Connectivity Toolbox (CONN). Our results demonstrate that connectivity of hippocampus to the precuneus cortex and brain stem was significantly stronger in males than in females. These results improve our current understanding of the role of hippocampus-precuneus cortex and hippocampus-brainstem connectivity in sex differences in MCI. Understanding the contribution of impaired functional connectivity sex differences may aid in the development of sex specific precision medicine to manipulate hippocampal-precuneus cortex and hippocampal-brainstem connectivity to decrease the progression of MCI to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Williamson
- Neural Control and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
| | - Andriy Yabluchanskiy
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Neurodegeneration Program, Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Peter Mukli
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Neurodegeneration Program, Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Dee H. Wu
- Department of Radiological Science and Medical Physics, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
- Data Institute for Societal Challenges, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
- School of Computer Science, Gallogly College of Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Gallogly College of Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
| | - William Sonntag
- Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Neurodegeneration Program, Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Carrie Ciro
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | - Yuan Yang
- Neural Control and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
- Data Institute for Societal Challenges, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK, United States
- Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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21
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La Barbera L, Mauri E, D’Amelio M, Gori M. Functionalization strategies of polymeric nanoparticles for drug delivery in Alzheimer's disease: Current trends and future perspectives. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:939855. [PMID: 35992936 PMCID: PMC9387393 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.939855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is a progressive and multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder whose primary causes are mostly unknown. Due to the increase in life expectancy of world population, including developing countries, AD, whose incidence rises dramatically with age, is at the forefront among neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, a definitive cure is not yet within reach, imposing substantial medical and public health burdens at every latitude. Therefore, the effort to devise novel and effective therapeutic strategies is still of paramount importance. Genetic, functional, structural and biochemical studies all indicate that new and efficacious drug delivery strategies interfere at different levels with various cellular and molecular targets. Over the last few decades, therapeutic development of nanomedicine at preclinical stage has shown to progress at a fast pace, thus paving the way for its potential impact on human health in improving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of age-related neurodegenerative disorders, including AD. Clinical translation of nano-based therapeutics, despite current limitations, may present important advantages and innovation to be exploited in the neuroscience field as well. In this state-of-the-art review article, we present the most promising applications of polymeric nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery for bypassing the blood-brain barrier of AD preclinical models and boost pharmacological safety and efficacy. In particular, novel strategic chemical functionalization of polymeric nanocarriers that could be successfully employed for treating AD are thoroughly described. Emphasis is also placed on nanotheranostics as both potential therapeutic and diagnostic tool for targeted treatments. Our review highlights the emerging role of nanomedicine in the management of AD, providing the readers with an overview of the nanostrategies currently available to develop future therapeutic applications against this chronic neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia La Barbera
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCSS, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele Mauri
- Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello D’Amelio
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCSS, Rome, Italy
| | - Manuele Gori
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC) - National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
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22
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Osorio-Gómez D, Guzmán-Ramos K, Bermúdez-Rattoni F. Dopamine activity on the perceptual salience for recognition memory. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:963739. [PMID: 36275849 PMCID: PMC9583835 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.963739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
To survive, animals must recognize relevant stimuli and distinguish them from inconspicuous information. Usually, the properties of the stimuli, such as intensity, duration, frequency, and novelty, among others, determine the salience of the stimulus. However, previously learned experiences also facilitate the perception and processing of information to establish their salience. Here, we propose “perceptual salience” to define how memory mediates the integration of inconspicuous stimuli into a relevant memory trace without apparently altering the recognition of the physical attributes or valence, enabling the detection of stimuli changes in future encounters. The sense of familiarity is essential for successful recognition memory; in general, familiarization allows the transition of labeling a stimulus from the novel (salient) to the familiar (non-salient). The novel object recognition (NOR) and object location recognition (OLRM) memory paradigms represent experimental models of recognition memory that allow us to study the neurobiological mechanisms involved in episodic memory. The catecholaminergic system has been of vital interest due to its role in several aspects of recognition memory. This review will discuss the evidence that indicates changes in dopaminergic activity during exposure to novel objects or places, promoting the consolidation and persistence of memory. We will discuss the relationship between dopaminergic activity and perceptual salience of stimuli enabling learning and consolidation processes necessary for the novel-familiar transition. Finally, we will describe the effect of dopaminergic deregulation observed in some pathologies and its impact on recognition memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Osorio-Gómez
- División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Kioko Guzmán-Ramos
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, División de Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Lerma, Estado de México, Mexico
| | - Federico Bermúdez-Rattoni
- División de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Federico Bermúdez-Rattoni
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23
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Identification of Alzheimer’s Disease Progression Stages Using Topological Measures of Resting-State Functional Connectivity Networks: A Comparative Study. Behav Neurol 2022; 2022:9958525. [PMID: 35832401 PMCID: PMC9273422 DOI: 10.1155/2022/9958525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) has been widely employed to examine brain functional connectivity (FC) alterations in various neurological disorders. At present, various computational methods have been proposed to estimate connectivity strength between different brain regions, as the edge weight of FC networks. However, little is known about which model is more sensitive to Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. This study comparatively characterized topological properties of rs-FC networks constructed with Pearson correlation (PC), dynamic time warping (DTW), and group information guided independent component analysis (GIG-ICA), aimed at investigating the sensitivity and effectivity of these methods in differentiating AD stages. A total of 54 subjects from Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ANDI) database, divided into healthy control (HC), mild cognition impairment (MCI), and AD groups, were included in this study. Network-level (global efficiency and characteristic path length) and nodal (clustering coefficient) metrics were used to capture groupwise difference across HC, MCI, and AD groups. The results showed that almost no significant differences were found according to global efficiency and characteristic path length. However, in terms of clustering coefficient, 52 brain parcels sensitive to AD progression were identified in rs-FC networks built with GIG-ICA, much more than PC (6 parcels) and DTW (3 parcels). This indicates that GIG-ICA is more sensitive to AD progression than PC and DTW. The findings also confirmed that the AD-linked FC alterations mostly appeared in temporal, cingulate, and angular areas, which might contribute to clinical diagnosis of AD. Overall, this study provides insights into the topological properties of rs-FC networks over AD progression, suggesting that FC strength estimation of FC networks cannot be neglected in AD-related graph analysis.
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24
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Guzmán-Ramos K, Osorio-Gómez D, Bermúdez-Rattoni F. Cognitive impairment in alzheimer’s and metabolic diseases: A catecholaminergic hypothesis. Neuroscience 2022; 497:308-323. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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25
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David M, Malhotra PA. New approaches for the quantification and targeting of noradrenergic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2022; 9:582-596. [PMID: 35293158 PMCID: PMC8994981 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
There is clear, early noradrenergic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. This is likely secondary to pathological tau deposition in the locus coeruleus, the pontine nucleus that produces and releases noradrenaline, prior to involvement of cortical brain regions. Disruption of noradrenergic pathways affects cognition, especially attention, impacting memory and broader functioning. Additionally, it leads to autonomic and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Despite the strong evidence of noradrenergic involvement in Alzheimer's, there are no clear trial data supporting the clinical use of any noradrenergic treatments. Several approaches have been tried, including proof-of-principle studies and (mostly small scale) randomised controlled trials. Treatments have included pharmacotherapies as well as stimulation. The lack of clear positive findings is likely secondary to limitations in gauging locus coeruleus integrity and dysfunction at an individual level. However, the recent development of several novel biomarkers holds potential and should allow quantification of dysfunction. This may then inform inclusion criteria and stratification for future trials. Imaging approaches have improved greatly following the development of neuromelanin-sensitive sequences, enabling the use of structural MRI to estimate locus coeruleus integrity. Additionally, functional MRI scanning has the potential to quantify network dysfunction. As well as neuroimaging, EEG, fluid biomarkers and pupillometry techniques may prove useful in assessing noradrenergic tone. Here, we review the development of these biomarkers and how they might augment clinical studies, particularly randomised trials, through identification of patients most likely to benefit from treatment. We outline the biomarkers with most potential, and how they may transform symptomatic therapy for people living with Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael David
- Imperial College London and the University of SurreyUK Dementia Research Institute Care Research and Technology CentreSir Michael Uren Hub, 86 Wood LaneLondonW12 0BZUK
- Imperial College London, Brain SciencesSouth KensingtonLondonSW7 2AZUK
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Clinical NeurosciencesCharing Cross HospitalLondonW2 1NYUK
| | - Paresh A. Malhotra
- Imperial College London and the University of SurreyUK Dementia Research Institute Care Research and Technology CentreSir Michael Uren Hub, 86 Wood LaneLondonW12 0BZUK
- Imperial College London, Brain SciencesSouth KensingtonLondonSW7 2AZUK
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Clinical NeurosciencesCharing Cross HospitalLondonW2 1NYUK
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26
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Guardia T, Geerligs L, Tsvetanov KA, Ye R, Campbell KL. The role of the arousal system in age-related differences in cortical functional network architecture. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:985-997. [PMID: 34713955 PMCID: PMC8764482 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A common finding in the aging literature is that of the brain's decreased within- and increased between-network functional connectivity. However, it remains unclear what is causing this shift in network organization with age. Given the essential role of the ascending arousal system (ARAS) in cortical activation and previous findings of disrupted ARAS functioning with age, it is possible that age differences in ARAS functioning contribute to disrupted cortical connectivity. We test this possibility here using resting state fMRI data from over 500 individuals across the lifespan from the Cambridge Center for Aging and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) population-based cohort. Our results show that ARAS-cortical connectivity declines with age and, consistent with our expectations, significantly mediates some age-related differences in connectivity within and between association networks (specifically, within the default mode and between the default mode and salience networks). Additionally, connectivity between the ARAS and association networks predicted cognitive performance across several tasks over and above the effects of age and connectivity within the cortical networks themselves. These findings suggest that age differences in cortical connectivity may be driven, at least in part, by altered arousal signals from the brainstem and that ARAS-cortical connectivity relates to cognitive performance with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Guardia
- Department of PsychologyBrock UniversitySt. CatharinesOntarioCanada
| | - Linda Geerligs
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and BehaviourRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Rong Ye
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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27
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Um YH, Wang SM, Kang DW, Kim NY, Lim HK. Subcortical and Cerebellar Neural Correlates of Prodromal Alzheimer’s Disease with Prolonged Sleep Latency. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 86:565-578. [PMID: 35068468 PMCID: PMC9028620 DOI: 10.3233/jad-215460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background: Despite the important associations among sleep, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), subcortical structures, and the cerebellum, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with regard to these regions and sleep on patients in AD trajectory are scarce. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of prolonged sleep latency on the structural and functional alterations in the subcortical and cerebellar neural correlates in amyloid-β positive amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients (Aβ+aMCI). Methods: A total of 60 patients with aMCI who were identified as amyloid positive ([18F] flutemetamol+) were recruited in the study, 24 patients with normal sleep latency (aMCI-n) and 36 patients prolonged sleep latency (aMCI-p). Cortical thickness and volumes between the two groups were compared. Volumetric analyses were implemented on the brainstem, thalamus, and hippocampus. Subcortical and cerebellar resting state functional connectivity (FC) differences were measured between the both groups through seed-to-voxel analysis. Additionally, group x Aβ interactive effects on FC values were tested with a general linear model. Result: There was a significantly decreased brainstem volume in aMCI-p subjects. We observed a significant reduction of the locus coeruleus (LC) FC with frontal, temporal, insular cortices, hippocampus, and left thalamic FC with occipital cortex. Moreover, the LC FC with occipital cortex and left hippocampal FC with frontal cortex were increased in aMCI-p subjects. In addition, there was a statistically significant group by regional standardized uptake value ratio interactions discovered in cerebro-cerebellar networks. Conclusion: The aforementioned findings suggest that prolonged sleep latency may be a detrimental factor in compromising structural and functional correlates of subcortical structures and the cerebellum, which may accelerate AD pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoo Hyun Um
- Department of Psychiatry, St. Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sheng-Min Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dong Woo Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Nak-Young Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Keyo Hospital, Keyo Medical Foundation, Uiwang, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Kook Lim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
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28
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Krashia P, Spoleti E, D'Amelio M. The VTA dopaminergic system as diagnostic and therapeutical target for Alzheimer's disease. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1039725. [PMID: 36325523 PMCID: PMC9618946 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1039725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) occur in nearly all patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Most frequently they appear since the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage preceding clinical AD, and have a prognostic importance. Unfortunately, these symptoms also worsen the daily functioning of patients, increase caregiver stress and accelerate the disease progression from MCI to AD. Apathy and depression are the most common of these NPS, and much attention has been given in recent years to understand the biological mechanisms related to their appearance in AD. Although for many decades these symptoms have been known to be related to abnormalities of the dopaminergic ventral tegmental area (VTA), a direct association between deficits in the VTA and NPS in AD has never been investigated. Fortunately, this scenario is changing since recent studies using preclinical models of AD, and clinical studies in MCI and AD patients demonstrated a number of functional, structural and metabolic alterations affecting the VTA dopaminergic neurons and their mesocorticolimbic targets. These findings appear early, since the MCI stage, and seem to correlate with the appearance of NPS. Here, we provide an overview of the recent evidence directly linking the dopaminergic VTA with NPS in AD and propose a setting in which the precocious identification of dopaminergic deficits can be a helpful biomarker for early diagnosis. In this scenario, treatments of patients with dopaminergic drugs might slow down the disease progression and delay the impairment of daily living activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paraskevi Krashia
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Science and Technology for Humans and the Environment, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Spoleti
- Department of Science and Technology for Humans and the Environment, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello D'Amelio
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
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29
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Chaudhary S, Zhornitsky S, Chao HH, van Dyck CH, Li CSR. Emotion Processing Dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease: An Overview of Behavioral Findings, Systems Neural Correlates, and Underlying Neural Biology. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen 2022; 37:15333175221082834. [PMID: 35357236 PMCID: PMC9212074 DOI: 10.1177/15333175221082834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
We described behavioral studies to highlight emotional processing deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The findings suggest prominent deficit in recognizing negative emotions, pronounced effect of positive emotion on enhancing memory, and a critical role of cognitive deficits in manifesting emotional processing dysfunction in AD. We reviewed imaging studies to highlight morphometric and functional markers of hippocampal circuit dysfunction in emotional processing deficits. Despite amygdala reactivity to emotional stimuli, hippocampal dysfunction conduces to deficits in emotional memory. Finally, the reviewed studies implicating major neurotransmitter systems in anxiety and depression in AD supported altered cholinergic and noradrenergic signaling in AD emotional disorders. Overall, the studies showed altered emotions early in the course of illness and suggest the need of multimodal imaging for further investigations. Particularly, longitudinal studies with multiple behavioral paradigms translatable between preclinical and clinical models would provide data to elucidate the time course and underlying neurobiology of emotion processing dysfunction in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shefali Chaudhary
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Herta H. Chao
- Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Christopher H. van Dyck
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Chiang-Shan R. Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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30
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Spoleti E, Krashia P, La Barbera L, Nobili A, Lupascu CA, Giacalone E, Keller F, Migliore M, Renzi M, D'Amelio M. Early derailment of firing properties in CA1 pyramidal cells of the ventral hippocampus in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Exp Neurol 2021; 350:113969. [PMID: 34973962 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Gradual decline in cognitive and non-cognitive functions are considered clinical hallmarks of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Post-mortem autoptic analysis shows the presence of amyloid β deposits, neuroinflammation and severe brain atrophy. However, brain circuit alterations and cellular derailments, assessed in very early stages of AD, still remain elusive. The understanding of these early alterations is crucial to tackle defective mechanisms. In a previous study we proved that the Tg2576 mouse model of AD displays functional deficits in the dorsal hippocampus and relevant behavioural AD-related alterations. We had shown that these deficits in Tg2576 mice correlate with the precocious degeneration of dopamine (DA) neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) and can be restored by L-DOPA treatment. Due to the distinct functionality and connectivity of dorsal versus ventral hippocampus, here we investigated neuronal excitability and synaptic functionality in the ventral CA1 hippocampal sub-region of Tg2576 mice. We found an age-dependent alteration of cell excitability and firing in pyramidal neurons starting at 3 months of age, that correlates with reduced levels in the ventral CA1 of tyrosine hydroxylase - the rate-limiting enzyme of DA synthesis. Additionally, at odds with the dorsal hippocampus, we found no alterations in basal glutamatergic transmission and long-term plasticity of ventral neurons in 8-month old Tg2576 mice compared to age-matched controls. Last, we used computational analysis to model the early derailments of firing properties observed and hypothesize that the neuronal alterations found could depend on dysfunctional sodium and potassium conductances, leading to anticipated depolarization-block of action potential firing. The present study depicts that impairment of cell excitability and homeostatic control of firing in ventral CA1 pyramidal neurons is a prodromal feature in Tg2576 AD mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Spoleti
- Faculty of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome 00128, Italy
| | - Paraskevi Krashia
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome 00128, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome 00143, Italy
| | - Livia La Barbera
- Faculty of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome 00128, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome 00143, Italy
| | - Annalisa Nobili
- Faculty of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome 00128, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome 00143, Italy
| | | | | | - Flavio Keller
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome 00128, Italy
| | - Michele Migliore
- Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo 90146, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Renzi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome 00185, Italy.
| | - Marcello D'Amelio
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome 00128, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome 00143, Italy.
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31
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Sala A, Caminiti SP, Presotto L, Pilotto A, Liguori C, Chiaravalloti A, Garibotto V, Frisoni GB, D'Amelio M, Paghera B, Schillaci O, Mercuri N, Padovani A, Perani D. In vivo human molecular neuroimaging of dopaminergic vulnerability along the Alzheimer's disease phases. Alzheimers Res Ther 2021; 13:187. [PMID: 34772450 PMCID: PMC8588696 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-021-00925-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preclinical and pathology evidence suggests an involvement of brain dopamine (DA) circuitry in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We in vivo investigated if, when, and in which target regions [123I]FP-CIT-SPECT regional binding and molecular connectivity are damaged along the AD course. METHODS We retrospectively selected 16 amyloid-positive subjects with mild cognitive impairment due to AD (AD-MCI), 22 amyloid-positive patients with probable AD dementia (AD-D), and 74 healthy controls, all with available [123I]FP-CIT-SPECT imaging. We tested whether nigrostriatal vs. mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic targets present binding potential loss, via MANCOVA, and alterations in molecular connectivity, via partial correlation analysis. Results were deemed significant at p < 0.05, after Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. RESULTS We found significant reductions of [123I]FP-CIT binding in both AD-MCI and AD-D compared to controls. Binding reductions were prominent in the major targets of the ventrotegmental-mesocorticolimbic pathway, namely the ventral striatum and the hippocampus, in both clinical groups, and in the cingulate gyrus, in patients with dementia only. Within the nigrostriatal projections, only the dorsal caudate nucleus showed reduced [123I]FP-CIT binding, in both groups. Molecular connectivity assessment revealed a widespread loss of inter-connections among subcortical and cortical targets of the mesocorticolimbic network only (poor overlap with the control group as expressed by a Dice coefficient ≤ 0.25) and no alterations of the nigrostriatal network (high overlap with controls, Dice coefficient = 1). CONCLUSION Local- and system-level alterations of the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic circuitry characterize AD, already in prodromal disease phases. These results might foster new therapeutic strategies for AD. The clinical correlates of these findings deserve to be carefully considered within the emergence of both neuropsychiatric symptoms and cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Sala
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy
- In Vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Paola Caminiti
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy
- In Vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Presotto
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, San Raffaele Hospital, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Pilotto
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25121, Brescia, Italy
- Parkinson's Disease Rehabilitation Centre, FERB ONLUS - S. Isidoro Hospital, 24069, Trescore Balneario, Italy
| | - Claudio Liguori
- Division of Neurology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Agostino Chiaravalloti
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Valentina Garibotto
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Diagnostic Department, University Hospitals of Geneva, and NIMTLab, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva University, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Battista Frisoni
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Diagnostic Department, University Hospitals of Geneva, and NIMTLab, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva University, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
- Memory Clinic and LANVIE-Laboratory of Neuroimaging of Aging, University Hospitals and University of Geneva, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marcello D'Amelio
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179, Rome, Italy
- Unit of Molecular Neurosciences, Department of Medicine, University Campus-Biomedico, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - Barbara Paghera
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Spedali Civili Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Orazio Schillaci
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, 86077, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Nicola Mercuri
- Division of Neurology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Padovani
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25121, Brescia, Italy
| | - Daniela Perani
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy.
- In Vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy.
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, San Raffaele Hospital, 20132, Milan, Italy.
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32
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Fernandes C, Macedo I, Barbosa F, Marques-Teixeira J. Economic decision-making in the continuum between healthy aging and Alzheimer's Disease: A systematic review of 20 years of research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1243-1263. [PMID: 34715151 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The effect of pathological aging on economic decision-making is a topic of major relevance as impairments in this domain place older adults at increased risk for financial abuse. This review aims to characterize decision-making across the continuum that goes from healthy aging to Alzheimer's Dementia. We included 42 studies comparing patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and healthy older adults, patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and healthy older adults, and patients with MCI and patients with AD. Substantial evidence emerged suggesting that both MCI as AD affect economic decision-making. However, a non-negligible number of behavioural tasks failed to find significant differences between patients and controls, and no differences were reported between patients with MCI and AD. On the contrary, measures of financial capacity reached more robust findings, showing that healthy older adults had better performance than patients, while MCI patients showed better performance than AD patients. This review presents the main conclusions that may be drawn from significant findings, as well as the hypotheses and recommendations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Fernandes
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal.
| | - Inês Macedo
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando Barbosa
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - João Marques-Teixeira
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
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Ferrucci M, Biagioni F, Busceti CL, Vidoni C, Castino R, Isidoro C, Ryskalin L, Frati A, Puglisi-Allegra S, Fornai F. Inhibition of Autophagy In Vivo Extends Methamphetamine Toxicity to Mesencephalic Cell Bodies. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14101003. [PMID: 34681227 PMCID: PMC8538796 DOI: 10.3390/ph14101003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine (METH) is a widely abused psychostimulant and a stress-inducing compound, which leads to neurotoxicity for nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) terminals in rodents and primates including humans. In vitro studies indicate that autophagy is a strong modulator of METH toxicity. In detail, suppressing autophagy increases METH toxicity, while stimulating autophagy prevents METH-induced toxicity in cell cultures. In the present study, the role of autophagy was investigated in vivo. In the whole brain, METH alone destroys meso-striatal DA axon terminals, while fairly sparing DA cell bodies within substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). No damage to either cell bodies or axons from ventral tegmental area (VTA) is currently documented. According to the hypothesis that ongoing autophagy prevents METH-induced DA toxicity, we tested whether systemic injection of autophagy inhibitors such as asparagine (ASN, 1000 mg/Kg) or glutamine (GLN, 1000 mg/Kg), may extend METH toxicity to DA cell bodies, both within SNpc and VTA, where autophagy was found to be inhibited. When METH (5 mg/Kg × 4, 2 h apart) was administered to C57Bl/6 mice following ASN or GLN, a frank loss of cell bodies takes place within SNpc and a loss of both axons and cell bodies of VTA neurons is documented. These data indicate that, ongoing autophagy protects DA neurons and determines the refractoriness of cell bodies to METH-induced toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Ferrucci
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (M.F.); (L.R.)
| | - Francesca Biagioni
- I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Isernia, Italy; (F.B.); (C.L.B.); (A.F.); (S.P.-A.)
| | - Carla L. Busceti
- I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Isernia, Italy; (F.B.); (C.L.B.); (A.F.); (S.P.-A.)
| | - Chiara Vidoni
- Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Via P. Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy; (C.V.); (R.C.); (C.I.)
| | - Roberta Castino
- Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Via P. Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy; (C.V.); (R.C.); (C.I.)
| | - Ciro Isidoro
- Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Via P. Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy; (C.V.); (R.C.); (C.I.)
| | - Larisa Ryskalin
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (M.F.); (L.R.)
| | - Alessandro Frati
- I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Isernia, Italy; (F.B.); (C.L.B.); (A.F.); (S.P.-A.)
- Neurosurgery Division, Human Neurosciences Department, Sapienza University, 00135 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Puglisi-Allegra
- I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Isernia, Italy; (F.B.); (C.L.B.); (A.F.); (S.P.-A.)
| | - Francesco Fornai
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (M.F.); (L.R.)
- I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Isernia, Italy; (F.B.); (C.L.B.); (A.F.); (S.P.-A.)
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +39-050-2218601
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Babić Leko M, Nikolac Perković M, Nedić Erjavec G, Klepac N, Švob Štrac DK, Borovečki F, Pivac N, Hof PR, Šimić G. Association of the MAOB rs1799836 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism and APOE ɛ4 Allele in Alzheimer's Disease. Curr Alzheimer Res 2021; 18:585-594. [PMID: 34533445 DOI: 10.2174/1567205018666210917162843] [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: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The dopaminergic system is functionally compromised in Alzheimer's dis-ease (AD). The activity of monoamine oxidase B (MAOB), the enzyme involved in the degradation of dopamine, is increased during AD. Also, increased expression of MAOB occurs in the post-mortem hippocampus and neocortex of patients with AD. The MAOB rs1799836 polymorphism modulates MAOB transcription, consequently influencing protein translation and MAOB activity. We recently showed that cerebrospinal fluid levels of amyloid β1-42 are decreased in patients carry- ing the A allele in MAOB rs1799836 polymorphism. OBJECTIVE The present study compares MAOB rs1799836 polymorphism and APOE, the only con- firmed genetic risk factor for sporadic AD. METHOD We included 253 participants, 127 of whom had AD, 57 had mild cognitive impairment, 11 were healthy controls, and 58 suffered from other primary causes of dementia. MAOB and APOE polymorphisms were determined using TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays. RESULTS We observed that the frequency of APOE ɛ4/ɛ4 homozygotes and APOE ɛ4 carriers is sig- nificantly increased among patients carrying the AA MAOB rs1799836 genotype. CONCLUSION These results indicate that the MAOB rs1799836 polymorphism is a potential genetic biomarker of AD and a potential target for the treatment of decreased dopaminergic transmission and cognitive deterioration in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjana Babić Leko
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | | | - Nataša Klepac
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Fran Borovečki
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nela Pivac
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute Ruđer Bošković, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
| | - Goran Šimić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia
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Caligiore D, Silvetti M, D'Amelio M, Puglisi-Allegra S, Baldassarre G. Computational Modeling of Catecholamines Dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease at Pre-Plaque Stage. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 77:275-290. [PMID: 32741822 PMCID: PMC7592658 DOI: 10.3233/jad-200276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) etiopathogenesis remains partially unexplained. The main conceptual framework used to study AD is the Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis, although the failure of recent clinical experimentation seems to reduce its potential in AD research. Objective: A possible explanation for the failure of clinical trials is that they are set too late in AD progression. Recent studies suggest that the ventral tegmental area (VTA) degeneration could be one of the first events occurring in AD progression (pre-plaque stage). Methods: Here we investigate this hypothesis through a computational model and computer simulations validated with behavioral and neural data from patients. Results: We show that VTA degeneration might lead to system-level adjustments of catecholamine release, triggering a sequence of events leading to relevant clinical and pathological signs of AD. These changes consist first in a midfrontal-driven compensatory hyperactivation of both VTA and locus coeruleus (norepinephrine) followed, with the progression of the VTA impairment, by a downregulation of catecholamine release. These processes could then trigger the neural degeneration at the cortical and hippocampal levels, due to the chronic loss of the neuroprotective role of norepinephrine. Conclusion: Our novel hypothesis might contribute to the formulation of a wider system-level view of AD which might help to devise early diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Caligiore
- Computational and Translational Neuroscience Laboratory (CTNLab), Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Silvetti
- Computational and Translational Neuroscience Laboratory (CTNLab), Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello D'Amelio
- Unit of Molecular Neurosciences, Department of Medicine, University Campus-Biomedico, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Gianluca Baldassarre
- Laboratory of Computational Embodied Neuroscience (LOCEN), Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
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In vivo evidence of functional disconnection between brainstem monoaminergic nuclei and brain networks in multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2021; 56:103224. [PMID: 34461571 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.103224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND brainstem monoaminergic (dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and serotoninergic) nuclei (BrMn) contain a variety of ascending neurons that diffusely project to the whole brain, crucially regulating normal brain function. BrMn are directly affected in multiple sclerosis (MS) by inflammation and neurodegeneration. Moreover, inflammation reduces the synthesis of monoamines. Aberrant monoaminergic neurotransmission contributes to the pathogenesis of MS and explains some clinical features of MS. We used resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI) to characterize abnormal patterns of BrMn functional connectivity (FC) in MS. METHODS BrMn FC was studied with multi-echo RS-fMRI in n = 68 relapsing-remitting MS patients and n = 39 healthy controls (HC), by performing a seed-based analysis, after producing standard space seed masks of the BrMn. FC was assessed between ventral tegmental area (VTA), locus coeruleus (LC), median raphe (MR), dorsal raphe (DR), and the rest of the brain and compared between MS patients and HC. Between-group comparisons were carried out only within the main effect observed in HC, setting p<0.05 family-wise-error corrected (FWE). RESULTS in HC, VTA displayed FC with the core regions of the default-mode network. As compared to HC, MS patients showed altered FC between VTA and posterior cingulate cortex (p<0.05FWE). LC displayed FC with core regions of the executive-control network with a reduced functional connection between LC and right prefrontal cortex in MS patients (p<0.05FWE). Raphe nuclei was functionally connected with cerebellar cortex, with a significantly lower FC between these nuclei and cerebellum in MS patients, as compared to HC (p<0.05FWE). CONCLUSIONS our study demonstrated in MS patients a functional disconnection between BrMn and cortical/subcortical efferent targets of central brain networks, possibly due to a loss or a dysregulation of BrMn neurons. This adds new information about how monoaminergic systems contribute to MS pathogenesis and suggests new potential therapeutic targets.
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Serra L, D'Amelio M, Esposito S, Di Domenico C, Koch G, Marra C, Mercuri NB, Caltagirone C, Artusi CA, Lopiano L, Cercignani M, Bozzali M. Ventral Tegmental Area Disconnection Contributes Two Years Early to Correctly Classify Patients Converted to Alzheimer's Disease: Implications for Treatment. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 82:985-1000. [PMID: 34120905 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent cross-sectional studies highlighted the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as an early pathophysiological event in Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE In this study, we longitudinally investigated by resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) a cohort of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD to evaluate the impact of VTA disconnection in predicting the conversion to AD. METHODS A cohort of 35 patients with MCI due to AD were recruited and followed-up for 24 months. They underwent cognitive evaluation and rs-fMRI to assess VTA connectivity at baseline and at follow-up. RESULTS At 24-month follow-up, 16 out of 35 patients converted to AD. Although converters and non-converters to AD did not differ in demographic and behavioral characteristics at baseline, the first group showed a significant reduction of VTA-driven connectivity in the posterior cingulate and precentral cortex. This pattern of additional disconnection in MCI-Converters compared to non-converters remained substantially unchanged at 24-month follow-up. CONCLUSION This study reinforces the hypothesis of an early contribution of dopaminergic dysfunction to AD evolution by targeting the default-mode network. These results have potential implications for AD staging and prognosis and support new opportunities for therapeutic interventions to slow down disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Serra
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello D'Amelio
- Laboratory Molecular Neurosciences, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Unit of Molecular Neurosciences, Department of Medicine, University Campus-Biomedico, Rome, Italy
| | - Sharon Esposito
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giacomo Koch
- Non Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit/Department of Behavioral and Clinical Neurology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Section of Human Physiology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Camillo Marra
- Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Biagio Mercuri
- Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Alberto Artusi
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Leonardo Lopiano
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Mara Cercignani
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Cardiff University Brain Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Bozzali
- 'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience University of Torino, Turin, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom
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The Insular Cortex, Alzheimer Disease Pathology, and Their Effects on Blood Pressure Variability. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2021; 34:282-291. [PMID: 32384285 DOI: 10.1097/wad.0000000000000340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent findings indicate that the human cardiovascular system is regulated by a cortical network comprised of the insular cortex (Ic), anterior cingulate gyrus, and amygdala which is necessary for the regulation of the central autonomic network system. Alzheimer disease (AD) affects the Ic at a preclinical stage. The pathology of AD at the Ic is suggested to predispose the cardiovascular system to detrimental changes such as increased blood pressure variability (BPV). In this review article, we focus on the physiology of the Ic in the relationship between the central autonomic network and BPV. We provide a summary of the published evidence regarding the relationship between Ic damage and exaggerated BPV in the context of AD pathology.
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Gallo A, Pillet LE, Verpillot R. New frontiers in Alzheimer's disease diagnostic: Monoamines and their derivatives in biological fluids. Exp Gerontol 2021; 152:111452. [PMID: 34182050 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2021.111452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Current diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) relies on a combination of neuropsychological evaluations, biomarker measurements and brain imaging. Nevertheless, these approaches are either expensive, invasive or lack sensitivity to early AD stages. The main challenge of ongoing research is therefore to identify early non-invasive biomarkers to diagnose AD at preclinical stage. Accumulating evidence support the hypothesis that initial degeneration of profound monoaminergic nuclei may trigger a transneuronal spread of AD pathology towards hippocampus and cortex. These studies aroused great interest on monoamines, i.e. noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (D) ad serotonin (5-HT), as early hallmarks of AD pathology. The present work reviews current literature on the potential role of monoamines and related metabolites as biomarkers of AD. First, morphological changes in the monoaminergic systems during AD are briefly described. Second, we focus on concentration changes of these molecules and their derivatives in biological fluids, including cerebrospinal fluid, obtained by lumbar puncture, and blood or urine, sampled via less invasive procedures. Starting from initial observations, we then discuss recent insights on metabolomics-based analysis, highlighting the promising clinical utility of monoamines for the identification of a molecular AD signature, aimed at improving early diagnosis and discrimination from other dementia.
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Iaccarino L, Sala A, Caminiti SP, Presotto L, Perani D. In vivo MRI Structural and PET Metabolic Connectivity Study of Dopamine Pathways in Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 75:1003-1016. [PMID: 32390614 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by an involvement of brain dopamine (DA) circuitry, the presence of which has been associated with emergence of both neuropsychiatric symptoms and cognitive deficits. OBJECTIVE In order to investigate whether and how the DA pathways are involved in the pathophysiology of AD, we assessed by in vivo neuroimaging the structural and metabolic alterations of subcortical and cortical DA pathways and targets. METHODS We included 54 healthy control participants, 53 amyloid-positive subjects with mild cognitive impairment due to AD (MCI-AD), and 60 amyloid-positive patients with probable dementia due to AD (ADD), all with structural 3T MRI and 18F-FDG-PET scans. We assessed MRI-based gray matter reductions in the MCI-AD and ADD groups within an anatomical a priori-defined Nigrostriatal and Mesocorticolimbic DA pathways, followed by 18F-FDG-PET metabolic connectivity analyses to evaluate network-level metabolic connectivity changes. RESULTS We found significant tissue loss in the Mesocorticolimbic over the Nigrostriatal pathway. Atrophy was evident in the ventral striatum, orbitofrontal cortex, and medial temporal lobe structures, and already plateaued in the MCI-AD stage. Degree of atrophy in Mesocorticolimbic regions positively correlated with the severity of depression, anxiety, and apathy in MCI-AD and ADD subgroups. Additionally, we observed significant alterations of metabolic connectivity between the ventral striatum and fronto-cingulate regions in ADD, but not in MCI-AD. There were no metabolic connectivity changes within the Nigrostriatal pathway. CONCLUSION Our cross-sectional data support a clinically-meaningful, yet stage-dependent, involvement of the Mesocorticolimbic system in AD. Longitudinal and clinical correlation studies are needed to further establish the relevance of DA system involvement in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Iaccarino
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,In vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Arianna Sala
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,In vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Paola Caminiti
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,In vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Presotto
- In vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Nuclear Medicine Unit, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Perani
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,In vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Nuclear Medicine Unit, San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
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Carandini T, Cercignani M, Galimberti D, Scarpini E, Bozzali M. The distinct roles of monoamines in multiple sclerosis: A bridge between the immune and nervous systems? Brain Behav Immun 2021; 94:381-391. [PMID: 33662501 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The monoaminergic neurotransmitters dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin are pivotal actors of the interplay between the nervous and the immune system due to their ability of binding to cell-receptors of both systems, crucially regulating their function within the central nervous system and the periphery. As monoamines are dysfunctional in many neurological and psychiatric diseases, they have been successfully used as pharmacological targets. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the best examples of neurological disease caused by an altered interaction between the nervous and immune system and emerging evidence supports a dysregulation of monoaminergic systems in the pathogenesis of MS, secondary to both inflammation-induced reduction of monoamines' synthesis and structural damage to monoaminergic pathways within the brain. Here we review the evidence for monoamines being key mediators of neuroimmune interaction, affecting MS pathogenesis and course. Moreover, we discuss how the reduction/dysfunction of monoamines in MS may contribute to some clinical features typical of the disease, particularly fatigue and depression. Finally, we summarize different drugs targeting monoamines that are currently under evaluation for their potential efficacy to treat MS, as well as to alleviate fatigue and depression in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Carandini
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Mara Cercignani
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK; Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Galimberti
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; University of Milan, Dino Ferrari Center, Milan, Italy
| | - Elio Scarpini
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; University of Milan, Dino Ferrari Center, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Bozzali
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK; Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
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Patthy Á, Murai J, Hanics J, Pintér A, Zahola P, Hökfelt TGM, Harkany T, Alpár A. Neuropathology of the Brainstem to Mechanistically Understand and to Treat Alzheimer's Disease. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10081555. [PMID: 33917176 PMCID: PMC8067882 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10081555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder as yet without effective therapy. Symptoms of this disorder typically reflect cortical malfunction with local neurohistopathology, which biased investigators to search for focal triggers and molecular mechanisms. Cortex, however, receives massive afferents from caudal brain structures, which do not only convey specific information but powerfully tune ensemble activity. Moreover, there is evidence that the start of AD is subcortical. The brainstem harbors monoamine systems, which establish a dense innervation in both allo- and neocortex. Monoaminergic synapses can co-release neuropeptides either by precisely terminating on cortical neurons or, when being “en passant”, can instigate local volume transmission. Especially due to its early damage, malfunction of the ascending monoaminergic system emerges as an early sign and possible trigger of AD. This review summarizes the involvement and cascaded impairment of brainstem monoaminergic neurons in AD and discusses cellular mechanisms that lead to their dysfunction. We highlight the significance and therapeutic challenges of transmitter co-release in ascending activating system, describe the role and changes of local connections and distant afferents of brainstem nuclei in AD, and summon the rapidly increasing diagnostic window during the last few years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ágoston Patthy
- Department of Anatomy, Semmelweis University, H-1094 Budapest, Hungary; (Á.P.); (J.M.); (J.H.); (A.P.); (P.Z.)
| | - János Murai
- Department of Anatomy, Semmelweis University, H-1094 Budapest, Hungary; (Á.P.); (J.M.); (J.H.); (A.P.); (P.Z.)
| | - János Hanics
- Department of Anatomy, Semmelweis University, H-1094 Budapest, Hungary; (Á.P.); (J.M.); (J.H.); (A.P.); (P.Z.)
- SE NAP Research Group of Experimental Neuroanatomy and Developmental Biology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1094 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anna Pintér
- Department of Anatomy, Semmelweis University, H-1094 Budapest, Hungary; (Á.P.); (J.M.); (J.H.); (A.P.); (P.Z.)
| | - Péter Zahola
- Department of Anatomy, Semmelweis University, H-1094 Budapest, Hungary; (Á.P.); (J.M.); (J.H.); (A.P.); (P.Z.)
| | - Tomas G. M. Hökfelt
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum 7D, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden; (T.G.M.H.); (T.H.)
| | - Tibor Harkany
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicum 7D, Karolinska Institutet, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden; (T.G.M.H.); (T.H.)
- Center for Brain Research, Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alán Alpár
- Department of Anatomy, Semmelweis University, H-1094 Budapest, Hungary; (Á.P.); (J.M.); (J.H.); (A.P.); (P.Z.)
- SE NAP Research Group of Experimental Neuroanatomy and Developmental Biology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1094 Budapest, Hungary
- Correspondence:
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Oberrauch S, Metha JA, Brian ML, Barnes SA, Featherby TJ, Lawrence AJ, Hoyer D, Murawski C, Jacobson LH. Reward motivation and cognitive flexibility in tau null-mutation mice. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 100:106-117. [PMID: 33524848 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The reduction of tau or hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Cognitive decline and sleep-wake dysregulation seen in AD and FTD patients are mimicked in transgenic and null-mutation mouse models of tauopathy. Alterations in the reward system are additional symptoms of AD and FTD. However, the role of tau in reward processes is not well understood. The present study aimed to examine reward and reward-motivated cognitive processes in male and female tau knockout (tau-/-) and wild-type mice using progressive ratio and reversal learning tasks. Tau-/- mice were heavier, ate more in the home cage, and reached criterion in operant lever training faster than wild-type mice. Tau-/- mice had a higher breakpoint in progressive ratio but were unimpaired in reversal learning or reward sensitivity. These data indicate that tau loss of function alters reward processing. This may help to explain aberrant reward-related behaviors in tauopathy patients and highlights a potentially important area for consideration in the development of anti-tau therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Oberrauch
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville Campus, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jeremy A Metha
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville Campus, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Finance, Brain, Mind & Markets Laboratory, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Maddison L Brian
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville Campus, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Samuel A Barnes
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Travis J Featherby
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville Campus, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville Campus, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Daniel Hoyer
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville Campus, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carsten Murawski
- Department of Finance, Brain, Mind & Markets Laboratory, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laura H Jacobson
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville Campus, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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La Barbera L, Vedele F, Nobili A, Krashia P, Spoleti E, Latagliata EC, Cutuli D, Cauzzi E, Marino R, Viscomi MT, Petrosini L, Puglisi-Allegra S, Melone M, Keller F, Mercuri NB, Conti F, D'Amelio M. Nilotinib restores memory function by preventing dopaminergic neuron degeneration in a mouse model of Alzheimer's Disease. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 202:102031. [PMID: 33684513 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
What happens precociously to the brain destined to develop Alzheimer's Disease (AD) still remains to be elucidated and this is one reason why effective AD treatments are missing. Recent experimental and clinical studies indicate that the degeneration of the dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) could be one of the first events occurring in AD. However, the causes of the increased vulnerability of DA neurons in AD are missing. Here, we deeply investigate the physiology of DA neurons in the VTA before, at the onset, and after onset of VTA neurodegeneration. We use the Tg2576 mouse model of AD, overexpressing a mutated form of the human APP, to identify molecular targets that can be manipulated pharmacologically. We show that in Tg2576 mice, DA neurons of the VTA at the onset of degeneration undergo slight but functionally relevant changes in their electrophysiological properties and cell morphology. Importantly, these changes are associated with accumulation of autophagosomes, suggestive of a dysfunctional autophagy, and with enhanced activation of c-Abl, a tyrosine kinase previously implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Chronic treatment of Tg2576 mice with Nilotinib, a validated c-Abl inhibitor, reduces c-Abl phosphorylation, improves autophagy, reduces Aβ levels and - more importantly - prevents degeneration as well as functional and morphological alterations in DA neurons of the VTA. Interestingly, the drug prevents the reduction of DA outflow to the hippocampus and ameliorates hippocampal-related cognitive functions. Our results strive to identify early pathological brain changes in AD, to provide a rational basis for new therapeutic interventions able to slow down the disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia La Barbera
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Department of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128, Rome, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Francescangelo Vedele
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy; Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Nobili
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Department of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128, Rome, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Paraskevi Krashia
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Department of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128, Rome, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy.
| | - Elena Spoleti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Department of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Debora Cutuli
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy; Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Emma Cauzzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Department of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128, Rome, Italy; School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Ramona Marino
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Department of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Viscomi
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy; Department of Life Science and Public Health Section of Histology and Embryology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Petrosini
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marcello Melone
- Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM), 60020, Ancona, Italy; Center for Neurobiology of Aging, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Ricovero e Cura Anziani (INRCA), 60020, Ancona, Italy
| | - Flavio Keller
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Department of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Biagio Mercuri
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy; Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Fiorenzo Conti
- Section of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM), 60020, Ancona, Italy; Center for Neurobiology of Aging, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Ricovero e Cura Anziani (INRCA), 60020, Ancona, Italy; Foundation for Molecular Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60020, Ancona, Italy
| | - Marcello D'Amelio
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Department of Sciences and Technologies for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128, Rome, Italy; Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy.
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Carandini T, Mancini M, Bogdan I, Rae CL, Barritt AW, Sethi A, Harrison N, Rashid W, Scarpini E, Galimberti D, Bozzali M, Cercignani M. Disruption of brainstem monoaminergic fibre tracts in multiple sclerosis as a putative mechanism for cognitive fatigue: a fixel-based analysis. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 30:102587. [PMID: 33610097 PMCID: PMC7903010 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In multiple sclerosis (MS), monoaminergic systems are altered as a result of both inflammation-dependent reduced synthesis and direct structural damage. Aberrant monoaminergic neurotransmission is increasingly considered a major contributor to fatigue pathophysiology. In this study, we aimed to compare the integrity of the monoaminergic white matter fibre tracts projecting from brainstem nuclei in a group of patients with MS (n = 68) and healthy controls (n = 34), and to investigate its association with fatigue. Fibre tracts integrity was assessed with the novel fixel-based analysis that simultaneously estimates axonal density, by means of 'fibre density', and white matter atrophy, by means of fibre 'cross section'. We focused on ventral tegmental area, locus coeruleus, and raphe nuclei as the main source of dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and serotoninergic fibres within the brainstem, respectively. Fourteen tracts of interest projecting from these brainstem nuclei were reconstructed using diffusion tractography, and compared by means of the product of fibre-density and cross-section (FDC). Finally, correlations of monoaminergic axonal damage with the modified fatigue impact scale scores were evaluated in MS. Fixel-based analysis revealed significant axonal damage - as measured by FDC reduction - within selective monoaminergic fibre-tracts projecting from brainstem nuclei in MS patients, in comparison to healthy controls; particularly within the dopaminergic-mesolimbic pathway, the noradrenergic-projections to prefrontal cortex, and serotoninergic-projections to cerebellum. Moreover, we observed significant correlations between severity of cognitive fatigue and axonal damage within the mesocorticolimbic tracts projecting from ventral tegmental area, as well as within the locus coeruleus projections to prefrontal cortex, suggesting a potential contribution of dopaminergic and noradrenergic pathways to central fatigue in MS. Our findings support the hypothesis that axonal damage along monoaminergic pathways contributes to the reduction/dysfunction of monoamines in MS and add new information on the mechanisms by which monoaminergic systems contribute to MS pathogenesis and fatigue. This supports the need for further research into monoamines as therapeutic targets aiming to combat and alleviate fatigue in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Carandini
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK; Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Matteo Mancini
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK; NeuroPoly Lab, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Canada; CUBRIC, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Iulia Bogdan
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK
| | | | - Andrew W Barritt
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK
| | - Arjun Sethi
- Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Neil Harrison
- Department of Psychology and Department of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | - Waqar Rashid
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK
| | - Elio Scarpini
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Dino Ferrari Center, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Galimberti
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Dino Ferrari Center, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Bozzali
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK; Rita Levi Montalcini Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Mara Cercignani
- Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, UK; Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
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Kent BA, Feldman HH, Nygaard HB. Sleep and its regulation: An emerging pathogenic and treatment frontier in Alzheimer's disease. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 197:101902. [PMID: 32877742 PMCID: PMC7855222 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A majority of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) experience some form of sleep disruption, including nocturnal sleep fragmentation, increased daytime napping, decreased slow-wave sleep (SWS, stage N3), and decreased rapid-eye-movement sleep (REM). Clinical studies are investigating whether such sleep disturbances are a consequence of the underlying disease, and whether they also contribute to the clinical and pathological manifestations of AD. Emerging research has provided a direct link between several of these sleep disruptions and AD pathophysiology, suggesting that treating sleep disorders in this population may target basic mechanisms of the disease. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of sleep disturbances associated with the spectrum of AD, ranging from the preclinical stages through dementia. We discuss how sleep interacts with AD pathophysiology and, critically, whether sleep impairments can be targeted to modify the disease course in a subgroup of affected AD patients. Ultimately, larger studies that fully utilize new diagnostic and experimental tools will be required to better define the most relevant sleep disturbance to target in AD, the interventions that best modulate this target symptom, and whether successful early intervention can modify AD risk and prevent dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianne A Kent
- Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA; Division of Neurology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - Howard H Feldman
- Division of Neurology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Haakon B Nygaard
- Division of Neurology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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47
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Autophagy status as a gateway for stress-induced catecholamine interplay in neurodegeneration. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 123:238-256. [PMID: 33497785 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The catecholamine-containing brainstem nuclei locus coeruleus (LC) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are critically involved in stress responses. Alterations of catecholamine systems during chronic stress may contribute to neurodegeneration, including cognitive decline. Stress-related catecholamine alterations, while contributing to anxiety and depression, might accelerate neuronal degeneration by increasing the formation of toxic dopamine and norepinephrine by-products. These, in turn, may impair proteostasis within a variety of cortical and subcortical areas. In particular, the molecular events governing neurotransmission, neuroplasticity, and proteostasis within LC and VTA affect a variety of brain areas. Therefore, we focus on alterations of autophagy machinery in these nuclei as a relevant trigger in this chain of events. In fact, these catecholamine-containing areas are mostly prone to autophagy-dependent neurodegeneration. Thus, we propose a dynamic hypothesis according to which stress-induced autophagy alterations within the LC-VTA network foster a cascade towards early neurodegeneration within these nuclei.
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48
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Reduced monoaminergic nuclei MRI signal detectable in pre-symptomatic older adults with future memory decline. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18707. [PMID: 33127923 PMCID: PMC7603335 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71368-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence from murine models and human post-mortem studies indicates that monoaminergic nuclei undergo degeneration at the pre-symptomatic stage of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Analysing 129 datasets from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and relying on the Clinical Dementia Rating as group-defining instrument, we hypothesised that the MRI signal of monoaminergic nuclei would be a statistically significant predictor of memory decline in participants initially recruited in ADNI as healthy adults. As opposed to a group of cognitively stable participants, participants developing memory decline had reduced signal in the ventral tegmental area at baseline, before any evidence of functional decline emerged. These findings indicate that monoaminergic degeneration predates the onset of memory decline in an AD-centred initiative, with a crucial involvement of very-early changes of a dopaminergic region. This translates into potential informative avenues for pharmacological treatment of pre-symptomatic AD.
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49
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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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50
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Bateman DR, Gill S, Hu S, Foster ED, Ruthirakuhan MT, Sellek AF, Mortby ME, Matušková V, Ng KP, Tarawneh RM, Freund-Levi Y, Kumar S, Gauthier S, Rosenberg PB, Ferreira de Oliveira F, Devanand DP, Ballard C, Ismail Z. Agitation and impulsivity in mid and late life as possible risk markers for incident dementia. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA (NEW YORK, N. Y.) 2020; 6:e12016. [PMID: 32995467 PMCID: PMC7507499 DOI: 10.1002/trc2.12016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
To identify knowledge gaps regarding new-onset agitation and impulsivity prior to onset of cognitive impairment or dementia the International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment Neuropsychiatric Syndromes (NPS) Professional Interest Area conducted a scoping review. Extending a series of reviews exploring the pre-dementia risk syndrome Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI), we focused on late-onset agitation and impulsivity (the MBI impulse dyscontrol domain) and risk of incident cognitive decline and dementia. This scoping review of agitation and impulsivity pre-dementia syndromes summarizes the current biomedical literature in terms of epidemiology, diagnosis and measurement, neurobiology, neuroimaging, biomarkers, course and prognosis, treatment, and ongoing clinical trials. Validations for pre-dementia scales such as the MBI Checklist, and incorporation into longitudinal and intervention trials, are needed to better understand impulse dyscontrol as a risk factor for mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Bateman
- Department of Psychiatry Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana
- Indiana University Center for Aging Research Regenstrief Institute Indianapolis Indiana
| | - Sascha Gill
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences; and the Ron and Rene Ward Centre for Healthy Brain Aging Research; Hotchkiss Brain Institute University of Calgary Calgary Alberta Canada
| | - Sophie Hu
- Community Health Sciences, and O'Brien Institute for Public Health University of Calgary Calgary Alberta Canada
| | - Erin D Foster
- Ruth Lilly Medical Library Indiana University School of Medicine Indianapolis Indiana
- University of California Berkeley Berkeley CA
| | - Myuri T Ruthirakuhan
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program Sunnybrook Research Institute Toronto Ontario Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology University of Toronto Ontario Canada
| | | | - Moyra E Mortby
- School of Psychology University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Neuroscience Research Australia University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Veronika Matušková
- International Clinical Research Center St. Anne's University Hospital Brno Brno Czech Republic
- Memory Disorders Clinic, Department of Neurology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine Charles University in Prague and Motol University Hospital Prague Czech Republic
| | - Kok Pin Ng
- Department of Neurology National Neuroscience Institute Singapore Singapore
| | - Rawan M Tarawneh
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA
| | - Yvonne Freund-Levi
- Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society Karolinska Institute Stockholm Sweden
- School of Medical Sciences Örebro University Örebro Sweden
| | - Sanjeev Kumar
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Toronto Ontario Canada
- Department of Psychiatry University of Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Serge Gauthier
- McGill Center for Studies in Aging McGill University Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Paul B Rosenberg
- Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral, Sciences Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland
| | - Fabricio Ferreira de Oliveira
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Escola Paulista de Medicina Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo São Paulo Brazil
| | - D P Devanand
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons Columbia University New York New York
| | - Clive Ballard
- College of Medicine and Health The University of Exeter Exeter UK
| | - Zahinoor Ismail
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences; and the Ron and Rene Ward Centre for Healthy Brain Aging Research; Hotchkiss Brain Institute University of Calgary Calgary Alberta Canada
- Community Health Sciences, and O'Brien Institute for Public Health University of Calgary Calgary Alberta Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, and the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary Calgary Alberta Canada
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