1
|
Vilor‐Tejedor N, Genius P, Rodríguez‐Fernández B, Minguillón C, Sadeghi I, González‐Escalante A, Crous‐Bou M, Suárez‐Calvet M, Grau‐Rivera O, Brugulat‐Serrat A, Sánchez‐Benavides G, Esteller M, Fauria K, Molinuevo JL, Navarro A, Gispert JD. Genetic characterization of the ALFA study: Uncovering genetic profiles in the Alzheimer's continuum. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:1703-1715. [PMID: 38088508 PMCID: PMC10984507 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13537] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In 2013, the ALzheimer's and FAmilies (ALFA) project was established to investigate pathophysiological changes in preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD), and to foster research on early detection and preventive interventions. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive genetic characterization of ALFA participants with respect to neurodegenerative/cerebrovascular diseases, AD biomarkers, brain endophenotypes, risk factors and aging biomarkers. We placed particular emphasis on amyloid/tau status and assessed gender differences. Multiple polygenic risk scores were computed to capture different aspects of genetic predisposition. We additionally compared AD risk in ALFA to that across the full disease spectrum from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). RESULTS Results show that the ALFA project has been successful at establishing a cohort of cognitively unimpaired individuals at high genetic predisposition of AD. DISCUSSION It is, therefore, well-suited to study early pathophysiological changes in the preclinical AD continuum. Highlights Prevalence of ε4 carriers in ALzheimer and FAmilies (ALFA) is higher than in the general European population The ALFA study is highly enriched in Alzheimer's disease (AD) genetic risk factors beyond APOE AD genetic profiles in ALFA are similar to clinical groups along the continuum ALFA has succeeded in establishing a cohort of cognitively unimpaired individuals at high genetic AD risk ALFA is well suited to study pathogenic events/early pathophysiological changes in AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Vilor‐Tejedor
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute for Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
- Department of Clinical GeneticsErasmus University Medical CenterRotterdamNetherlands
- Neurosciences Programme, IMIM ‐ Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelonaSpain
| | - Patricia Genius
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute for Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
- Neurosciences Programme, IMIM ‐ Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelonaSpain
| | - Blanca Rodríguez‐Fernández
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute for Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
- Neurosciences Programme, IMIM ‐ Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelonaSpain
| | - Carolina Minguillón
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Neurosciences Programme, IMIM ‐ Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBER‐FES)Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
| | - Iman Sadeghi
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute for Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
| | - Armand González‐Escalante
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Neurosciences Programme, IMIM ‐ Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelonaSpain
- Department of Medicine and Life SciencesUniversitat Pompeu FabraBarcelonaSpain
| | - Marta Crous‐Bou
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Department of EpidemiologyHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. School of Public Health 2BostonMassachusettsUSA
- Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO)‐Bellvitge Biomedical Research Center (IDIBELL)Hospital Duran i ReynalsBarcelonaSpain
| | - Marc Suárez‐Calvet
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Neurosciences Programme, IMIM ‐ Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBER‐FES)Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
- Servei de NeurologiaHospital del MarBarcelonaSpain
| | - Oriol Grau‐Rivera
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Neurosciences Programme, IMIM ‐ Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBER‐FES)Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
- Servei de NeurologiaHospital del MarBarcelonaSpain
| | - Anna Brugulat‐Serrat
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Neurosciences Programme, IMIM ‐ Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBER‐FES)Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
- Global Brain Health InstituteSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Gonzalo Sánchez‐Benavides
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Neurosciences Programme, IMIM ‐ Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBER‐FES)Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
| | - Manel Esteller
- Cancer Epigenetics, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC)BarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
- Integrated Pharmacology and Systems NeurosciencesIMIM‐Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelonaSpain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA)BarcelonaSpain
- Physiological Sciences DepartmentSchool of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversity of Barcelona (UB)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Karine Fauria
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBER‐FES)Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
| | - José Luis Molinuevo
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Experimental Medicine, H. Lundbeck A/SKøbenhavnDenmark
| | - Arcadi Navarro
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute for Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
- Department of Medicine and Life SciencesUniversitat Pompeu FabraBarcelonaSpain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA)BarcelonaSpain
- Department of Experimental and Health SciencesInstitute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC‐UPF)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Juan Domingo Gispert
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC)Pasqual Maragall FoundationBarcelonaSpain
- Neurosciences Programme, IMIM ‐ Hospital del Mar Medical Research InstituteBarcelonaSpain
- Department of Medicine and Life SciencesUniversitat Pompeu FabraBarcelonaSpain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red BioingenieríaBiomateriales y Nanomedicina. Instituto de Salud carlos IIIMadridSpain
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC)MadridSpain
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Shah SN, Dounavi ME, Malhotra PA, Lawlor B, Naci L, Koychev I, Ritchie CW, Ritchie K, O’Brien JT. Dementia risk and thalamic nuclei volumetry in healthy midlife adults: the PREVENT Dementia study. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae046. [PMID: 38444908 PMCID: PMC10914447 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
A reduction in the volume of the thalamus and its nuclei has been reported in Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment and asymptomatic individuals with risk factors for early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Some studies have reported thalamic atrophy to occur prior to hippocampal atrophy, suggesting thalamic pathology may be an early sign of cognitive decline. We aimed to investigate volumetric differences in thalamic nuclei in middle-aged, cognitively unimpaired people with respect to dementia family history and apolipoprotein ε4 allele carriership and the relationship with cognition. Seven hundred participants aged 40-59 years were recruited into the PREVENT Dementia study. Individuals were stratified according to dementia risk (approximately half with and without parental dementia history). The subnuclei of the thalamus of 645 participants were segmented on T1-weighted 3 T MRI scans using FreeSurfer 7.1.0. Thalamic nuclei were grouped into six regions: (i) anterior, (ii) lateral, (iii) ventral, (iv) intralaminar, (v) medial and (vi) posterior. Cognitive performance was evaluated using the computerized assessment of the information-processing battery. Robust linear regression was used to analyse differences in thalamic nuclei volumes and their association with cognitive performance, with age, sex, total intracranial volume and years of education as covariates and false discovery rate correction for multiple comparisons. We did not find significant volumetric differences in the thalamus or its subregions, which survived false discovery rate correction, with respect to first-degree family history of dementia or apolipoprotein ε4 allele status. Greater age was associated with smaller volumes of thalamic subregions, except for the medial thalamus, but only in those without a dementia family history. A larger volume of the mediodorsal medial nucleus (Pfalse discovery rate = 0.019) was associated with a faster processing speed in those without a dementia family history. Larger volumes of the thalamus (P = 0.016) and posterior thalamus (Pfalse discovery rate = 0.022) were associated with significantly worse performance in the immediate recall test in apolipoprotein ε4 allele carriers. We did not find significant volumetric differences in thalamic subregions in relation to dementia risk but did identify an interaction between dementia family history and age. Larger medial thalamic nuclei may exert a protective effect on cognitive performance in individuals without a dementia family history but have little effect on those with a dementia family history. Larger volumes of posterior thalamic nuclei were associated with worse recall in apolipoprotein ε4 carriers. Our results could represent initial dysregulation in the disease process; further study is needed with functional imaging and longitudinal analysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sita N Shah
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Maria-Eleni Dounavi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Paresh A Malhotra
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute Care Research and Technology Centre, Imperial College London and the University of Surrey, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Brian Lawlor
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 PX31, Ireland
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 X9W9, Ireland
| | - Lorina Naci
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 PX31, Ireland
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 X9W9, Ireland
| | - Ivan Koychev
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Craig W Ritchie
- Centre for Dementia Prevention, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Karen Ritchie
- Institute de Neurosciences de Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier 34093, France
| | - John T O’Brien
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kim H, Tian Y, Jung SM, Park S, Rhee HY, Ryu C, Jahng G. Predicting the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele carrier status based on gray matter volumes and cognitive function. Brain Behav 2024; 14:e3381. [PMID: 38376028 PMCID: PMC10772845 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3381] [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: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 carriers have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) and show brain atrophy and cognitive decline even before diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To predict ApoE ε4 status using gray matter volume (GMV) obtained from magnetic resonance imaging images and demographic data with machine learning (ML) methods. METHODS We recruited 74 participants (25 probable AD, 24 amnestic mild cognitive impairment, and 25 cognitively normal older people) with known ApoE genotype (22 ApoE ε4 carriers and 52 noncarriers) and scanned them with three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted (T1W) and 3D double inversion recovery (DIR) sequences. We extracted GMV from regions of interest related to AD pathology and used them as features along with age and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores to train different ML models. We performed both receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and the prediction analysis of the ApoE ε4 carrier with different ML models. RESULTS The best model of ML analyses was a cubic support vector machine (SVM3) that used age, the MMSE score, and DIR GMVs at the amygdala, hippocampus, and precuneus as features (AUC = .88). This model outperformed models using T1W GMV or demographic data alone. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that brain atrophy with DIR GMV and cognitive decline with aging can be useful biomarkers for predicting ApoE ε4 status and identifying individuals at risk of AD progression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyug‐Gi Kim
- Department of RadiologyKyung Hee University HospitalSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Yunan Tian
- Department of Medicine, Graduate SchoolKyung Hee University College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Sue Min Jung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Undergraduate School, College of Electronics and InformationKyung Hee UniversityYongin‐siGyeonggi‐doRepublic of Korea
| | - Soonchan Park
- Department of RadiologyKyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Hak Young Rhee
- Department of NeurologyKyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Chang‐Woo Ryu
- Department of RadiologyKyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Geon‐Ho Jahng
- Department of RadiologyKyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Palmer JM, Huentelman M, Ryan L. More than just risk for Alzheimer's disease: APOE ε4's impact on the aging brain. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:750-763. [PMID: 37460334 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
The apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE ε4) allele is most commonly associated with increased risk for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, recent longitudinal studies suggest that these risks are overestimated; most ε4 carriers will not develop dementia in their lifetime. In this article, we review new evidence regarding the impact of APOE ε4 on cognition among healthy older adults. We discuss emerging work from animal models suggesting that ε4 impacts brain structure and function in multiple ways that may lead to age-related cognitive impairment, independent from AD pathology. We discuss the importance of taking an individualized approach in future studies by incorporating biomarkers and neuroimaging methods that may better disentangle the phenotypic influences of APOE ε4 on the aging brain from prodromal AD pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin M Palmer
- The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
| | - Matthew Huentelman
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Lee Ryan
- The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Cho J, Jang H, Noh Y, Lee SK, Koh SB, Kim SY, Kim C. Associations of Particulate Matter Exposures With Brain Gray Matter Thickness and White Matter Hyperintensities: Effect Modification by Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation. J Korean Med Sci 2023; 38:e159. [PMID: 37096314 PMCID: PMC10125794 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e159] [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] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous studies have shown the effect of particulate matter exposure on brain imaging markers. However, little evidence exists about whether the effect differs by the level of low-grade chronic systemic inflammation. We investigated whether the level of c-reactive protein (CRP, a marker of systemic inflammation) modifies the associations of particulate matter exposures with brain cortical gray matter thickness and white matter hyperintensities (WMH). METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study of baseline data from a prospective cohort study including adults with no dementia or stroke. Long-term concentrations of particulate matter ≤ 10 µm in diameter (PM10) and ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) at each participant's home address were estimated. Global cortical thickness (n = 874) and WMH volumes (n = 397) were estimated from brain magnetic resonance images. We built linear and logistic regression models for cortical thickness and WMH volumes (higher versus lower than median), respectively. Significance of difference in the association between the CRP group (higher versus lower than median) was expressed as P for interaction. RESULTS Particulate matter exposures were significantly associated with a reduced global cortical thickness only in the higher CRP group among men (P for interaction = 0.015 for PM10 and 0.006 for PM2.5). A 10 μg/m3 increase in PM10 was associated with the higher volumes of total WMH (odds ratio, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-2.97) and periventricular WMH (2.00; 1.20-3.33). A 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with the higher volume of periventricular WMH (odds ratio, 1.66; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-2.56). These associations did not significantly differ by the level of high sensitivity CRP. CONCLUSION Particulate matter exposures were associated with a reduced global cortical thickness in men with a high level of chronic inflammation. Men with a high level of chronic inflammation may be susceptible to cortical atrophy attributable to particulate matter exposures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaelim Cho
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Institute of Human Complexity and Systems Science, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea
| | - Heeseon Jang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young Noh
- Department of Neurology, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea
| | - Seung-Koo Lee
- Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sang-Baek Koh
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Wonju Severance Christian Hospital, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea
| | - Sun-Young Kim
- Department of Cancer Control and Population Health, Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea
| | - Changsoo Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Institute for Environmental Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Institute of Human Complexity and Systems Science, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cacciaglia R, Operto G, Falcón C, de Echavarri-Gómez JMG, Sánchez-Benavides G, Brugulat-Serrat A, Milà-Alomà M, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Molinuevo JL, Suárez-Calvet M, Gispert JD. Genotypic effects of APOE-ε4 on resting-state connectivity in cognitively intact individuals support functional brain compensation. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:2748-2760. [PMID: 35753703 PMCID: PMC10016049 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The investigation of resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in asymptomatic individuals at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) enables discovering the earliest brain alterations in preclinical stages of the disease. The APOE-ε4 variant is the major genetic risk factor for AD, and previous studies have reported rsFC abnormalities in carriers of the ε4 allele. Yet, no study has assessed APOE-ε4 gene-dose effects on rsFC measures, and only a few studies included measures of cognitive performance to aid a clinical interpretation. We assessed the impact of APOE-ε4 on rsFC in a sample of 429 cognitively unimpaired individuals hosting a high number of ε4 homozygotes (n = 58), which enabled testing different models of genetic penetrance. We used independent component analysis and found a reduced rsFC as a function of the APOE-ε4 allelic load in the temporal default-mode and the medial temporal networks, while recessive effects were found in the extrastriate and limbic networks. Some of these results were replicated in a subsample with negative amyloid markers. Interaction with cognitive data suggests that such a network reorganization may support cognitive performance in the ε4-homozygotes. Our data indicate that APOE-ε4 shapes the functional architecture of the resting brain and favor the idea of a network-based functional compensation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Cacciaglia
- Corresponding author: Raffaele Cacciaglia and Juan Domingo Gispert López, Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center, Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Wellington 30, 08005 Barcelona, Spain. ;
| | - Grégory Operto
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Wellington 30, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), 28089 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carles Falcón
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Wellington 30, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBERBBN), 28089 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Maria González de Echavarri-Gómez
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Wellington 30, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), 28089 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Sánchez-Benavides
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Wellington 30, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), 28089 Madrid, Spain
| | - Anna Brugulat-Serrat
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Wellington 30, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), 28089 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Milà-Alomà
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Wellington 30, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), 28089 Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 41390 Mölndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41390 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 41390 Mölndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41390 Mölndal, Sweden
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, WC1E 6BT London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, WC1N 3BG London, United Kingdom
- Honk Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Marc Suárez-Calvet
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Wellington 30, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), 28089 Madrid, Spain
- Servei de Neurologia, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Domingo Gispert
- Corresponding author: Raffaele Cacciaglia and Juan Domingo Gispert López, Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center, Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Wellington 30, 08005 Barcelona, Spain. ;
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Franz CE, Gustavson DE, Elman JA, Fennema-Notestine C, Hagler DJ, Baraff A, Tu XM, Wu TC, DeAnda J, Beck A, Kaufman JD, Whitsel N, Finch CE, Chen JC, Lyons MJ, Kremen WS. Associations Between Ambient Air Pollution and Cognitive Abilities from Midlife to Early Old Age: Modification by APOE Genotype. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 93:193-209. [PMID: 36970897 PMCID: PMC10827529 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221054] [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] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) measures of ambient air pollution are associated with accelerated age-related cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). OBJECTIVE We examined associations between air pollution, four cognitive factors, and the moderating role of apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype in the understudied period of midlife. METHODS Participants were ∼1,100 men in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. Baseline cognitive assessments were from 2003 to 2007. Measures included past (1993-1999) and recent (3 years prior to baseline assessment) PM2.5 and NO2 exposure, in-person assessment of episodic memory, executive function, verbal fluency, and processing speed, and APOE genotype. Average baseline age was 56 years with a 12-year follow-up. Analyses adjusted for health and lifestyle covariates. RESULTS Performance in all cognitive domains declined from age 56 to 68. Higher PM2.5 exposures were associated with worse general verbal fluency. We found significant exposure-by-APOE genotype interactions for specific cognitive domains: PM2.5 with executive function and NO2 with episodic memory. Higher PM2.5 exposure was related to worse executive function in APOE ɛ4 carriers, but not in non-carriers. There were no associations with processing speed. CONCLUSION These results indicate negative effects of ambient air pollution exposure on fluency alongside intriguing differential modifications of cognitive performance by APOE genotype. APOE ɛ4 carriers appeared more sensitive to environmental differences. The process by which air pollution and its interaction with genetic risk for ADRD affects risk for later life cognitive decline or progression to dementia may begin in midlife.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carol E. Franz
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Daniel E. Gustavson
- Institute for Behavior Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Jeremy A. Elman
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Christine Fennema-Notestine
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Donald J. Hagler
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Aaron Baraff
- Vietnam Era Twin Registry, VA Puget Sound Health Care, Seattle, WA
| | - Xin M. Tu
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, CA
| | - Tsung-Chin Wu
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health & Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, CA
| | - Jaden DeAnda
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Asad Beck
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Joel D. Kaufman
- Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, and General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Nathan Whitsel
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Caleb E. Finch
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Michael J. Lyons
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA
| | - William S. Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
O’Shea DM, Galvin JE. Female APOE ɛ4 Carriers with Slow Rates of Biological Aging Have Better Memory Performances Compared to Female ɛ4 Carriers with Accelerated Aging. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 92:1269-1282. [PMID: 36872781 PMCID: PMC10535361 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221145] [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] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that APOE ɛ4 carriers have worse memory performances compared to APOE ɛ4 non-carriers and effects may vary by sex and age. Estimates of biological age, using DNA methylation may enhance understanding of the associations between sex and APOE ɛ4 on cognition. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether associations between APOE ɛ4 status and memory vary according to rates of biological aging, using a DNA methylation age biomarker, in older men and women without dementia. METHODS Data were obtained from 1,771 adults enrolled in the 2016 wave of the Health and Retirement Study. A series of ANCOVAs were used to test the interaction effects of APOE ɛ4 status and aging rates (defined as 1 standard deviation below (i.e., slow rate), or above (i.e., fast rate) their sex-specific mean rate of aging on a composite measure of verbal learning and memory. RESULTS APOE ɛ4 female carriers with slow rates of GrimAge had significantly better memory performances compared to fast and average aging APOE ɛ4 female carriers. There was no effect of aging group rate on memory in the female non-carriers and no significant differences in memory according to age rate in either male APOE ɛ4 carriers or non-carriers. CONCLUSION Slower rates of aging in female APOE ɛ4 carriers may buffer against the negative effects of the ɛ4 allele on memory. However, longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are needed to evaluate risk of dementia/memory impairment based on rates of aging in female APOE ɛ4 carriers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deirdre M. O’Shea
- Department of Neurology, Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - James E. Galvin
- Department of Neurology, Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Alruwais NM, Rusted JM, Tabet N, Dowell NG. Evidence of emerging BBB changes in mid-age apolipoprotein E epsilon-4 carriers. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e2806. [PMID: 36408825 PMCID: PMC9759141 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Studies have recognized that the loss of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity is a major structural biomarker where neurodegenerative disease potentially begins. Using a combination of high-quality neuroimaging techniques, we investigated potential subtle differences in BBB permeability in mid-age healthy people, comparing carriers of the apolipoprotein E epsilon-4 (APOEε4) genotype, the biggest risk factor for late onset, non-familial AD (LOAD) with APOEε3 carriers, the population norm. METHODS Forty-one cognitively healthy mid-age participants (42-59) were genotyped and pseudo-randomly selected to participate in the study by a third party. Blind to genotype, all participants had a structural brain scan acquisition including gadolinium-based dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging acquired using a T1-weighted 3D vibe sequence. A B1 map and T1 map were acquired as part of the multi-parametric mapping acquisition. RESULTS Non-significant, but subtle differences in blood-brain barrier permeability were identified between healthy mid-age APOEε4 and APOEε3 carriers, matched on age, education, and gender. DISCUSSION This study demonstrated a tendency toward BBB permeability in APOEε4 participants emerging from mid-age, with quantitative differences observable on a number of the measures. While the differences did not reach a statistical significance, the results from this study hint at early changes in ε4 carrier BBB that may help identify at-risk populations and facilitate the development of early interventions to change the trajectory of decline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nourah M Alruwais
- Health science department, College of Applied Studies and Community Services, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | | | - Naji Tabet
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), Brighton, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Macrostructural brain alterations at midlife are connected to cardiovascular and not inherited risk of future dementia: the PREVENT-Dementia study. J Neurol 2022; 269:4299-4309. [PMID: 35279756 PMCID: PMC9294019 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11061-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Macrostructural brain alterations in the form of brain atrophy or cortical thinning typically occur during the prodromal Alzheimer's disease stage. Mixed findings largely dependent on the age of the examined cohorts have been reported during the preclinical, asymptomatic disease stage. In the present study, our aim was to examine the association of midlife dementia risk with brain macrostructural alterations. METHODS Structural 3T MRI scans were acquired for 647 cognitively normal middle-aged (40-59 years old) participants in the PREVENT-Dementia study. Cortical thickness, volumes of subcortical structures, the hippocampus and hippocampal subfields were quantified using Freesurfer version 7.1. The clarity of the hippocampal molecular layer was evaluated based on T2-weighted hippocampal scans. Associations of structural measures with apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE4) genotype and dementia family history (FHD), were investigated using linear regression. Correlations between the CAIDE dementia risk score (incorporating information about blood pressure, cholesterol, physical activity, body mass index, education, age and sex) and structural measures were further investigated. RESULTS A higher CAIDE score was associated with thinner cortex and a larger hippocampal fissure. APOE4 genotype was associated with reduced molecular layer clarity. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that a higher CAIDE score is associated with widespread cortical thinning. Conversely, APOE4 carriers and participants with FHD do not demonstrate prominent macrostructural alterations at this age range. These findings indicate that cardiovascular and not inherited risk factors for dementia are associated with macrostructural brain alterations at midlife.
Collapse
|
11
|
Lai YLL, Chen K, Lee TW, Tso CW, Lin HH, Kuo LW, Chen CY, Liu HS. The Effect of the APOE-ε4 Allele on the Cholinergic Circuitry for Subjects With Different Levels of Cognitive Impairment. Front Neurol 2021; 12:651388. [PMID: 34721251 PMCID: PMC8548434 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.651388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Cholinergic deficiency has been suggested to associate with the abnormal accumulation of Aβ and tau for patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, no studies have investigated the effect of APOE-ε4 and group differences in modulating the cholinergic basal forebrain-amygdala network for subjects with different levels of cognitive impairment. We evaluated the effect of APOE-ε4 on the cholinergic structural association and the neurocognitive performance for subjects with different levels of cognitive impairment. Methods: We used the structural brain magnetic resonance imaging scans from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative dataset. The study included cognitively normal (CN, n = 167) subjects and subjects with significant memory concern (SMC, n = 96), early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI, n = 146), late cognitive impairment (LMCI, n = 138), and AD (n = 121). Subjects were further categorized according to the APOE-ε4 allele carrier status. The main effects of APOE-ε4 and group difference on the brain volumetric measurements were assessed. Regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the associations among cholinergic structural changes, APOE-ε4 status, and cognitive performance. Results: We found that APOE-ε4 carriers in the disease group showed higher brain atrophy than non-carriers in the cholinergic pathway, while there is no difference between carriers and non-carriers in the CN group. APOE-ε4 allele carriers in the disease groups also exhibited a stronger cholinergic structural correlation than non-carriers did, while there is no difference between the carriers and non-carriers in the CN subjects. Disease subjects exhibited a stronger structural correlation in the cholinergic pathway than CN subjects did. Moreover, APOE-ε4 allele carriers in the disease group exhibited a stronger correlation between the volumetric changes and cognitive performance than non-carriers did, while there is no difference between carriers and non-carriers in CN subjects. Disease subjects exhibited a stronger correlation between the volumetric changes and cognitive performance than CN subjects did. Conclusion: Our results confirmed the effect of APOE-ε4 on and group differences in the associations with the cholinergic structural changes that may reflect impaired brain function underlying neurocognitive degeneration in AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Liang Larry Lai
- Ph.D. Program for Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and National Health Research Institutes, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kuan Chen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Wei Lee
- School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Wei Tso
- School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Hsien Lin
- Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance (MR) Division, Rotary Trading Co., Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Li-Wei Kuo
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
- Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Yu Chen
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Imaging, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hua-Shan Liu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- International Ph.D. Program in Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Walhovd KB, Fjell AM, Sørensen Ø, Mowinckel AM, Reinbold CS, Idland AV, Watne LO, Franke A, Dobricic V, Kilpert F, Bertram L, Wang Y. Genetic risk for Alzheimer disease predicts hippocampal volume through the human lifespan. NEUROLOGY-GENETICS 2020; 6:e506. [PMID: 33134508 PMCID: PMC7577559 DOI: 10.1212/nxg.0000000000000506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Objective To test the hypothesis that genetic risk for Alzheimer disease (AD) may represent a stable influence on the brain from early in life, rather than being primarily age dependent, we investigated in a lifespan sample of 1,181 persons with a total of 2,690 brain scans, whether higher polygenic risk score (PGS) for AD and presence of APOE ε4 was associated with lower hippocampal volumes to begin with, as an offset effect, or possibly faster decline in older age. Methods Using general additive mixed models, we assessed the relations of PGS for AD, including variants in APOE with hippocampal volume and its change in a cognitively healthy longitudinal lifespan sample (age range: 4–95 years, mean visit age 39.7 years, SD 26.9 years), followed for up to 11 years. Results AD-PGS and APOE ε4 in isolation showed a significant negative effect on hippocampal volume. The effect of a 1 sample SD increase in AD-PGS on hippocampal volume was estimated to –36.4 mm3 (confidence interval [CI]: –71.8, –1.04) and the effect of carrying ε4 allele(s) –107.0 mm3 (CI: –182.0, –31.5). Offset effects of AD-PGS and APOE ε4 were present in hippocampal development, and interactions between age and genetic risk on volume change were not consistently observed. Conclusions Endophenotypic manifestation of polygenic risk for AD may be seen across the lifespan in cognitively healthy persons, not being confined to clinical populations or older age. This emphasizes that a broader population and age range may be relevant targets for attempts to prevent AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristine B Walhovd
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (K.B.W., A.M.F., Ø.S., A.M.M., C.S.R., A.-V.I., L.B., Y.W.), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo; Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (K.B.W., A.M.F.), Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet; Oslo Delirium Research Group (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), University of Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (A.F.), Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; and Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (V.D., F.K., L.B.), Institutes of Neurogenetics and Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Anders M Fjell
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (K.B.W., A.M.F., Ø.S., A.M.M., C.S.R., A.-V.I., L.B., Y.W.), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo; Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (K.B.W., A.M.F.), Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet; Oslo Delirium Research Group (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), University of Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (A.F.), Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; and Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (V.D., F.K., L.B.), Institutes of Neurogenetics and Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Øystein Sørensen
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (K.B.W., A.M.F., Ø.S., A.M.M., C.S.R., A.-V.I., L.B., Y.W.), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo; Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (K.B.W., A.M.F.), Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet; Oslo Delirium Research Group (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), University of Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (A.F.), Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; and Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (V.D., F.K., L.B.), Institutes of Neurogenetics and Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Athanasia Monika Mowinckel
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (K.B.W., A.M.F., Ø.S., A.M.M., C.S.R., A.-V.I., L.B., Y.W.), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo; Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (K.B.W., A.M.F.), Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet; Oslo Delirium Research Group (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), University of Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (A.F.), Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; and Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (V.D., F.K., L.B.), Institutes of Neurogenetics and Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Céline Sonja Reinbold
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (K.B.W., A.M.F., Ø.S., A.M.M., C.S.R., A.-V.I., L.B., Y.W.), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo; Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (K.B.W., A.M.F.), Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet; Oslo Delirium Research Group (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), University of Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (A.F.), Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; and Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (V.D., F.K., L.B.), Institutes of Neurogenetics and Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Ane-Victoria Idland
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (K.B.W., A.M.F., Ø.S., A.M.M., C.S.R., A.-V.I., L.B., Y.W.), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo; Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (K.B.W., A.M.F.), Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet; Oslo Delirium Research Group (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), University of Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (A.F.), Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; and Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (V.D., F.K., L.B.), Institutes of Neurogenetics and Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Leiv Otto Watne
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (K.B.W., A.M.F., Ø.S., A.M.M., C.S.R., A.-V.I., L.B., Y.W.), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo; Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (K.B.W., A.M.F.), Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet; Oslo Delirium Research Group (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), University of Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (A.F.), Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; and Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (V.D., F.K., L.B.), Institutes of Neurogenetics and Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Andre Franke
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (K.B.W., A.M.F., Ø.S., A.M.M., C.S.R., A.-V.I., L.B., Y.W.), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo; Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (K.B.W., A.M.F.), Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet; Oslo Delirium Research Group (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), University of Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (A.F.), Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; and Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (V.D., F.K., L.B.), Institutes of Neurogenetics and Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Valerija Dobricic
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (K.B.W., A.M.F., Ø.S., A.M.M., C.S.R., A.-V.I., L.B., Y.W.), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo; Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (K.B.W., A.M.F.), Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet; Oslo Delirium Research Group (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), University of Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (A.F.), Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; and Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (V.D., F.K., L.B.), Institutes of Neurogenetics and Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Fabian Kilpert
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (K.B.W., A.M.F., Ø.S., A.M.M., C.S.R., A.-V.I., L.B., Y.W.), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo; Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (K.B.W., A.M.F.), Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet; Oslo Delirium Research Group (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), University of Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (A.F.), Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; and Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (V.D., F.K., L.B.), Institutes of Neurogenetics and Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Lars Bertram
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (K.B.W., A.M.F., Ø.S., A.M.M., C.S.R., A.-V.I., L.B., Y.W.), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo; Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (K.B.W., A.M.F.), Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet; Oslo Delirium Research Group (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), University of Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (A.F.), Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; and Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (V.D., F.K., L.B.), Institutes of Neurogenetics and Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Yunpeng Wang
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (K.B.W., A.M.F., Ø.S., A.M.M., C.S.R., A.-V.I., L.B., Y.W.), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo; Division of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (K.B.W., A.M.F.), Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet; Oslo Delirium Research Group (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), Department of Geriatric Medicine, and Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (A.-V.I., L.O.W.), University of Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology (A.F.), Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel; and Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (V.D., F.K., L.B.), Institutes of Neurogenetics and Cardiogenetics, University of Lübeck, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Cacciaglia R, Molinuevo JL, Falcón C, Arenaza-Urquijo EM, Sánchez-Benavides G, Brugulat-Serrat A, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Gispert JD. APOE-ε4 Shapes the Cerebral Organization in Cognitively Intact Individuals as Reflected by Structural Gray Matter Networks. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:4110-4120. [PMID: 32163130 PMCID: PMC7264689 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gray matter networks (GMn) provide essential information on the intrinsic organization of the brain and appear to be disrupted in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Apolipoprotein E (APOE)-ε4 represents the major genetic risk factor for AD, yet the association between APOE-ε4 and GMn has remained unexplored. Here, we determine the impact of APOE-ε4 on GMn in a large sample of cognitively unimpaired individuals, which was enriched for the genetic risk of AD. We used independent component analysis to retrieve sources of structural covariance and analyzed APOE group differences within and between networks. Analyses were repeated in a subsample of amyloid-negative subjects. Compared with noncarriers and heterozygotes, APOE-ε4 homozygotes showed increased covariance in one network including primarily right-lateralized, parietal, inferior frontal, as well as inferior and middle temporal regions, which mirrored the formerly described AD-signature. This result was confirmed in a subsample of amyloid-negative individuals. APOE-ε4 carriers showed reduced covariance between two networks encompassing frontal and temporal regions, which constitute preferential target of amyloid deposition. Our data indicate that, in asymptomatic individuals, APOE-ε4 shapes the cerebral organization in a way that recapitulates focal morphometric alterations observed in AD patients, even in absence of amyloid pathology. This suggests that structural vulnerability in neuronal networks associated with APOE-ε4 may be an early event in AD pathogenesis, possibly upstream of amyloid deposition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Cacciaglia
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), 28089 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Luis Molinuevo
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), 28089 Madrid, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Falcón
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBERBBN), 28089 Madrid, Spain
| | - Eider M Arenaza-Urquijo
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), 28089 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Sánchez-Benavides
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), 28089 Madrid, Spain
| | - Anna Brugulat-Serrat
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), 28089 Madrid, Spain.,Global Brain Health Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 41390 Mölndal, Sweden.,Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41390 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 41390 Mölndal, Sweden.,Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 41390 Mölndal, Sweden.,UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, WC1E 6BT London, UK.,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, WC1N 3BG London, UK
| | - Juan Domingo Gispert
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08005 Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08002 Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBERBBN), 28089 Madrid, Spain
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Mid age APOE ε4 carriers show memory-related functional differences and disrupted structure-function relationships in hippocampal regions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3110. [PMID: 32080211 PMCID: PMC7033211 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59272-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Carriers of the APOE e4 allele are at higher risk of age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The underlying neural mechanisms are uncertain, but genotype differences in medial temporal lobe (MTL) functional activity and structure at mid-age might contribute. We tested 16 non-e4 and 16 e4 carriers (aged 45–55) on a subsequent memory task in conjunction with MRI to assess how hippocampal volume (from T1 structural) and microstructure (neurite orientation-dispersion, from NODDI) differs by genotype and in relation to memory encoding. No previous study has investigated APOE effects on hippocampal microstructure using NODDI. Recall performance did not differ by genotype. A genotype by condition interaction in left parahippocampus indicated that in e4 carriers activity did not differentiate subsequently remembered from forgotten words. Hippocampal volumes and microstructure also did not differ by genotype but hippocampal volumes correlated positively with recognition performance in non-e4 carriers only. Similarly, greater hippocampal neurite orientation-dispersion was linked to better recall but only in non-e4s. Thus, we suggest that mid-age e4 carriers show a breakdown of normal MTL activation and structure-performance relationships. This could reflect an inability to utilise compensatory mechanisms, and contribute to higher risk of cognitive decline and AD in later life.
Collapse
|