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Brown T, Kanel P, Carli G, Barr J, Bohnen NI, Albin RL. Cognitive and Cholinergic Systems Trajectories in Parkinson Disease. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.07.17.24310588. [PMID: 39072022 PMCID: PMC11275672 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.17.24310588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Objective Cognitive decline in Parkinson disease (PD) is a disabling and highly variable non-motor feature. While cholinergic systems degeneration is linked to cognitive impairments in PD, most prior research reported cross-sectional associations. We aimed to fill this gap by investigating whether baseline regional cerebral vesicular acetylcholine transporter ligand [ 18 F]-fluoroethoxybenzovesamicol ([ 18 F]-FEOBV) binding predicts longitudinal cognitive changes in mild to moderate, non-demented PD subjects. Methods Seventy-five non-demented, mild-moderate PD subjects received baseline standardized cognitive evaluations and [ 18 F]-FEOBV PET imaging with repeat cognitive evaluations 2 years later. Participants were classified into four cognitive classes based on stability or change in cognition: Persistent normal (no MCI at baseline and follow-up), Persistent MCI, MCI conversion, and MCI reversion. Whole-brain voxel comparisons with normal controls, and voxel-based and cluster volume-of-interest correlation analyses with longitudinal cognitive changes were performed. Results Whole-brain voxel comparisons of each class with a matched control group revealed unique bi-directional differences in baseline regional [ 18 F]-FEOBV binding. Increased regional [ 18 F]-FEOBV binding in predominantly anterior cortical and sub-cortical regions was found in the persistent normal and MCI reversion groups. Whole-brain voxel correlation analysis between baseline [ 18 F]-FEOBV binding and two-year longitudinal percent changes in cognition identified a specific regional pattern of reduced posterior cortical, limbic and paralimbic [ 18 F]-FEOBV binding predictive of global cognitive declines and across five cognitive domains at two-year follow-ups. Interpretation Cholinergic system changes correlate with varying cognitive trajectories in mild-moderate PD. Upregulation of cholinergic neurotransmission may be an important compensatory process in mild-moderate PD.
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Okkels N, Grothe MJ, Taylor JP, Hasselbalch SG, Fedorova TD, Knudsen K, van der Zee S, van Laar T, Bohnen NI, Borghammer P, Horsager J. Cholinergic changes in Lewy body disease: implications for presentation, progression and subtypes. Brain 2024; 147:2308-2324. [PMID: 38437860 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic degeneration is significant in Lewy body disease, including Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder. Extensive research has demonstrated cholinergic alterations in the CNS of these disorders. More recently, studies have revealed cholinergic denervation in organs that receive parasympathetic denervation. This enables a comprehensive review of cholinergic changes in Lewy body disease, encompassing both central and peripheral regions, various disease stages and diagnostic categories. Across studies, brain regions affected in Lewy body dementia show equal or greater levels of cholinergic impairment compared to the brain regions affected in Lewy body disease without dementia. This observation suggests a continuum of cholinergic alterations between these disorders. Patients without dementia exhibit relative sparing of limbic regions, whereas occipital and superior temporal regions appear to be affected to a similar extent in patients with and without dementia. This implies that posterior cholinergic cell groups in the basal forebrain are affected in the early stages of Lewy body disorders, while more anterior regions are typically affected later in the disease progression. The topographical changes observed in patients affected by comorbid Alzheimer pathology may reflect a combination of changes seen in pure forms of Lewy body disease and those seen in Alzheimer's disease. This suggests that Alzheimer co-pathology is important to understand cholinergic degeneration in Lewy body disease. Thalamic cholinergic innervation is more affected in Lewy body patients with dementia compared to those without dementia, and this may contribute to the distinct clinical presentations observed in these groups. In patients with Alzheimer's disease, the thalamus is variably affected, suggesting a different sequential involvement of cholinergic cell groups in Alzheimer's disease compared to Lewy body disease. Patients with isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder demonstrate cholinergic denervation in abdominal organs that receive parasympathetic innervation from the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, similar to patients who experienced this sleep disorder in their prodrome. This implies that REM sleep behaviour disorder is important for understanding peripheral cholinergic changes in both prodromal and manifest phases of Lewy body disease. In conclusion, cholinergic changes in Lewy body disease carry implications for understanding phenotypes and the influence of Alzheimer co-pathology, delineating subtypes and pathological spreading routes, and for developing tailored treatments targeting the cholinergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels Okkels
- Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Michel J Grothe
- Unidad de Trastornos del Movimiento, Servicio de Neurología y Neurofisiología Clínica, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, 41013 Seville, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Reina Sofia Alzheimer's Centre, CIEN Foundation-ISCIII, 28031 Madrid, Spain
| | - John-Paul Taylor
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Steen Gregers Hasselbalch
- Danish Dementia Research Center, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Tatyana D Fedorova
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Karoline Knudsen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Sygrid van der Zee
- Department of Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Teus van Laar
- Department of Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nicolaas I Bohnen
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Neurology Service and GRECC, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
- Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Parkinson's Foundation Research Center of Excellence, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Per Borghammer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Jacob Horsager
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET, Aarhus University Hospital, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
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Ryman SG, Vakhtin AA, Mayer AR, van der Horn HJ, Shaff NA, Nitschke SR, Julio KR, Tarawneh RM, Rosenberg GA, Diaz SV, Pirio Richardson SE, Lin HC. Abnormal Cerebrovascular Activity, Perfusion, and Glymphatic Clearance in Lewy Body Diseases. Mov Disord 2024. [PMID: 38817039 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Cerebrovascular activity is not only crucial to optimal cerebral perfusion, but also plays an important role in the glymphatic clearance of interstitial waste, including α-synuclein. This highlights a need to evaluate how cerebrovascular activity is altered in Lewy body diseases. This review begins by discussing how vascular risk factors and cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction may serve as upstream or direct influences on cerebrovascular activity. We then discuss how patients with Lewy body disease exhibit reduced and delayed cerebrovascular activity, hypoperfusion, and reductions in measures used to capture cerebrospinal fluid flow, suggestive of a reduced capacity for glymphatic clearance. Given the lack of an existing framework, we propose a model by which these processes may foster α-synuclein aggregation and neuroinflammation. Importantly, this review highlights several avenues for future research that may lead to treatments early in the disease course, prior to neurodegeneration. © 2024 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sephira G Ryman
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- Nene and Jamie Koch Comprehensive Movement Disorder Center, Department of Neurology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- Center for Memory and Aging, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Andrei A Vakhtin
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Andrew R Mayer
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Harm Jan van der Horn
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Nicholas A Shaff
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Stephanie R Nitschke
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Kayla R Julio
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Rawan M Tarawneh
- Center for Memory and Aging, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- Cognitive Neurology Section, Department of Neurology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Gary A Rosenberg
- Center for Memory and Aging, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Shanna V Diaz
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Sarah E Pirio Richardson
- Nene and Jamie Koch Comprehensive Movement Disorder Center, Department of Neurology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- New Mexico VA Health Care System, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Henry C Lin
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- New Mexico VA Health Care System, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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Faris P, Pischedda D, Palesi F, D’Angelo E. New clues for the role of cerebellum in schizophrenia and the associated cognitive impairment. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1386583. [PMID: 38799988 PMCID: PMC11116653 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1386583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder associated with severe cognitive dysfunction. Although research has mainly focused on forebrain abnormalities, emerging results support the involvement of the cerebellum in SZ physiopathology, particularly in Cognitive Impairment Associated with SZ (CIAS). Besides its role in motor learning and control, the cerebellum is implicated in cognition and emotion. Recent research suggests that structural and functional changes in the cerebellum are linked to deficits in various cognitive domains including attention, working memory, and decision-making. Moreover, cerebellar dysfunction is related to altered cerebellar circuit activities and connectivity with brain regions associated with cognitive processing. This review delves into the role of the cerebellum in CIAS. We initially consider the major forebrain alterations in CIAS, addressing impairments in neurotransmitter systems, synaptic plasticity, and connectivity. We then focus on recent findings showing that several mechanisms are also altered in the cerebellum and that cerebellar communication with the forebrain is impaired. This evidence implicates the cerebellum as a key component of circuits underpinning CIAS physiopathology. Further studies addressing cerebellar involvement in SZ and CIAS are warranted and might open new perspectives toward understanding the physiopathology and effective treatment of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pawan Faris
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Doris Pischedda
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fulvia Palesi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Egidio D’Angelo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Digital Neuroscience Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
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van der Horn HJ, Vakhtin AA, Julio K, Nitschke S, Shaff N, Dodd AB, Erhardt E, Phillips JP, Pirio Richardson S, Deligtisch A, Stewart M, Suarez Cedeno G, Meles SK, Mayer AR, Ryman SG. Parkinson's disease cerebrovascular reactivity pattern: A feasibility study. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2024:271678X241241895. [PMID: 38578669 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x241241895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
A mounting body of research points to cerebrovascular dysfunction as a fundamental element in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). In the current feasibility study, blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) MRI was used to measure cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) in response to hypercapnia in 26 PD patients and 16 healthy controls (HC), and aimed to find a multivariate pattern specific to PD. Whole-brain maps of CVR amplitude (i.e., magnitude of response to CO2) and latency (i.e., time to reach maximum amplitude) were computed, which were further analyzed using scaled sub-profile model principal component analysis (SSM-PCA) with leave-one-out cross-validation. A meaningful pattern based on CVR latency was identified, which was named the PD CVR pattern (PD-CVRP). This pattern was characterized by relatively increased latency in basal ganglia, sensorimotor cortex, supplementary motor area, thalamus and visual cortex, as well as decreased latency in the cerebral white matter, relative to HC. There were no significant associations with clinical measures, though sample size may have limited our ability to detect significant associations. In summary, the PD-CVRP highlights the importance of cerebrovascular dysfunction in PD, and may be a potential biomarker for future clinical research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harm Jan van der Horn
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Andrei A Vakhtin
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Kayla Julio
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Stephanie Nitschke
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Nicholas Shaff
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Andrew B Dodd
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Erik Erhardt
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - John P Phillips
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Sarah Pirio Richardson
- Nene and Jamie Koch Comprehensive Movement Disorder Center, Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- New Mexico VA Health Care System, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Amanda Deligtisch
- Nene and Jamie Koch Comprehensive Movement Disorder Center, Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Melanie Stewart
- Nene and Jamie Koch Comprehensive Movement Disorder Center, Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Gerson Suarez Cedeno
- Nene and Jamie Koch Comprehensive Movement Disorder Center, Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Sanne K Meles
- Department of Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew R Mayer
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Sephira G Ryman
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Nene and Jamie Koch Comprehensive Movement Disorder Center, Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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Ananth MR, Gardus JD, Huang C, Palekar N, Slifstein M, Zaborszky L, Parsey RV, Talmage DA, DeLorenzo C, Role LW. Loss of cholinergic input to the entorhinal cortex is an early indicator of cognitive impairment in natural aging of humans and mice. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3851086. [PMID: 38260541 PMCID: PMC10802688 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3851086/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
In a series of translational experiments using fully quantitative positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with a new tracer specific for the vesicular acetylcholine transporter ([18F]VAT) in vivo in humans, and genetically targeted cholinergic markers in mice, we evaluated whether changes to the cholinergic system were an early feature of age-related cognitive decline. We found that deficits in cholinergic innervation of the entorhinal cortex (EC) and decline in performance on behavioral tasks engaging the EC are, strikingly, early features of the aging process. In human studies, we recruited older adult volunteers that were physically healthy and without prior clinical diagnosis of cognitive impairment. Using [18F]VAT PET imaging, we demonstrate that there is measurable loss of cholinergic inputs to the EC that can serve as an early signature of decline in EC cognitive performance. These deficits are specific to the cholinergic circuit between the medial septum and vertical limb of the diagonal band (MS/vDB; CH1/2) to the EC. Using diffusion imaging, we further demonstrate impaired structural connectivity in the tracts between the MS/vDB and EC in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Experiments in mouse, designed to parallel and extend upon the human studies, used high resolution imaging to evaluate cholinergic terminal density and immediate early gene (IEG) activity of EC neurons in healthy aging mice and in mice with genetic susceptibility to accelerated accumulation amyloid beta plaques and hyperphosphorylated mouse tau. Across species and aging conditions, we find that the integrity of cholinergic projections to the EC directly correlates with the extent of EC activation and with performance on EC-related object recognition memory tasks. Silencing EC-projecting cholinergic neurons in young, healthy mice during the object-location memory task impairs object recognition performance, mimicking aging. Taken together we identify a role for acetylcholine in normal EC function and establish loss of cholinergic input to the EC as an early, conserved feature of age-related cognitive decline in both humans and rodents.
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Kanel P, Carli G, Vangel R, Roytman S, Bohnen NI. Challenges and innovations in brain PET analysis of neurodegenerative disorders: a mini-review on partial volume effects, small brain region studies, and reference region selection. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1293847. [PMID: 38099203 PMCID: PMC10720329 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1293847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) brain imaging is increasingly utilized in clinical and research settings due to its unique ability to study biological processes and subtle changes in living subjects. However, PET imaging is not without its limitations. Currently, bias introduced by partial volume effect (PVE) and poor signal-to-noise ratios of some radiotracers can hamper accurate quantification. Technological advancements like ultra-high-resolution scanners and improvements in radiochemistry are on the horizon to address these challenges. This will enable the study of smaller brain regions and may require more sophisticated methods (e.g., data-driven approaches like unsupervised clustering) for reference region selection and to improve quantification accuracy. This review delves into some of these critical aspects of PET molecular imaging and offers suggested strategies for improvement. This will be illustrated by showing examples for dopaminergic and cholinergic nerve terminal ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabesh Kanel
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Parkinson’s Foundation Research Center of Excellence, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Giulia Carli
- Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Robert Vangel
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Stiven Roytman
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Nicolaas I. Bohnen
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Parkinson’s Foundation Research Center of Excellence, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Neurology Service and GRECC, Veterans Administration Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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