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Bielecki M, Tyburski E, Plichta P, Samochowiec J, Kucharska-Mazur J, Podwalski P, Rek-Owodziń K, Waszczuk K, Sagan L, Michalczyk A, Rudkowski K, Karabanowicz E, Świątkowska K, Misiak B, Bąba-Kubiś A, Mak M. Impulsivity and inhibitory control in deficit and non-deficit schizophrenia. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:473. [PMID: 38937731 PMCID: PMC11209995 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05918-6] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is conflicting evidence on impulsivity and its potential relationship with inhibitory control in schizophrenia. This study therefore aimed to identify differences in impulsivity and cognitive and motor inhibition between patients with deficit (DS) and non-deficit (NDS) schizophrenia and healthy controls (HC). We also explored the relationships between impulsivity and different dimensions of inhibitory control in all studied groups. METHODS The sample comprised 28 DS patients, 45 NDS patients, and 39 age-matched HC. A neuropsychological battery was used. RESULTS DS patients scored lower in venturesomeness, while those with NDS scored higher in impulsiveness compared to HC. In addition, both groups of patients scored higher on measures of cognitive and motor inhibition, including those relatively independent of information processing speed (although the results were slightly different after adjusting for IQ and/or years of education). Correlations between impulsivity and cognitive inhibition emerged in DS patients, while links between impulsivity and motor inhibition were observed in HC. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest the presence of deficits in experimentally assessed inhibitory control in schizophrenia patients, with predominant impulsivity in the NDS population. In addition, impulsivity may affect the cognitive control of inhibition in deficit schizophrenia. Nevertheless, due to the preliminary nature of these findings, they require further empirical verification in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksymilian Bielecki
- Department of Health Psychology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 str, Szczecin, 71-457, Poland
| | - Ernest Tyburski
- Department of Health Psychology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 str, Szczecin, 71-457, Poland.
| | - Piotr Plichta
- Department of Health Psychology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 str, Szczecin, 71-457, Poland
| | - Jerzy Samochowiec
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | | | - Piotr Podwalski
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Rek-Owodziń
- Department of Health Psychology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 str, Szczecin, 71-457, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Waszczuk
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Leszek Sagan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Anna Michalczyk
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Rudkowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Ewa Karabanowicz
- Institute of Psychology, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Świątkowska
- Department of Health Psychology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 str, Szczecin, 71-457, Poland
| | - Błażej Misiak
- Department of Consultation Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Agata Bąba-Kubiś
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Monika Mak
- Department of Health Psychology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 str, Szczecin, 71-457, Poland
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Geraci F, Passiatore R, Penzel N, Laudani S, Bertolino A, Blasi G, Graziano ACE, Kikidis GC, Mazza C, Parihar M, Rampino A, Sportelli L, Trevisan N, Drago F, Papaleo F, Sambataro F, Pergola G, Leggio GM. Sex dimorphism controls dysbindin-related cognitive dysfunctions in mice and humans with the contribution of COMT. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02527-3. [PMID: 38532008 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02527-3] [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: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunctions are core-enduring symptoms of schizophrenia, with important sex-related differences. Genetic variants of the DTBPN1 gene associated with reduced dysbindin-1 protein (Dys) expression negatively impact cognitive functions in schizophrenia through a functional epistatic interaction with Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). Dys is involved in the trafficking of dopaminergic receptors, crucial for prefrontal cortex (PFC) signaling regulation. Moreover, dopamine signaling is modulated by estrogens via inhibition of COMT expression. We hypothesized a sex dimorphism in Dys-related cognitive functions dependent on COMT and estrogen levels. Our multidisciplinary approach combined behavioral-molecular findings on genetically modified mice, human postmortem Dys expression data, and in vivo fMRI during a working memory task performance. We found cognitive impairments in male mice related to genetic variants characterized by reduced Dys protein expression (pBonferroni = 0.0001), as well as in male humans through a COMT/Dys functional epistatic interaction involving PFC brain activity during working memory (t(23) = -3.21; pFDR = 0.004). Dorsolateral PFC activity was associated with lower working memory performance in males only (p = 0.04). Also, male humans showed decreased Dys expression in dorsolateral PFC during adulthood (pFDR = 0.05). Female Dys mice showed preserved cognitive performances with deficits only with a lack of estrogen tested in an ovariectomy model (pBonferroni = 0.0001), suggesting that genetic variants reducing Dys protein expression could probably become functional in females when the protective effect of estrogens is attenuated, i.e., during menopause. Overall, our results show the differential impact of functional variants of the DTBPN1 gene interacting with COMT on cognitive functions across sexes in mice and humans, underlying the importance of considering sex as a target for patient stratification and precision medicine in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Geraci
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Roberta Passiatore
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nora Penzel
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Samuele Laudani
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bertolino
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Psychiatric Unit - University Hospital, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Blasi
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Psychiatric Unit - University Hospital, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Adriana C E Graziano
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Gianluca C Kikidis
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ciro Mazza
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Madhur Parihar
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Antonio Rampino
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Psychiatric Unit - University Hospital, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Leonardo Sportelli
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 GD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nicolò Trevisan
- Department of Neuroscience (DNS), University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy
| | - Filippo Drago
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Fabio Sambataro
- Department of Neuroscience (DNS), University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy
| | - Giulio Pergola
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gian Marco Leggio
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy.
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Li J, Xiao WH, Ye F, Tang XW, Jia QF, Zhang XB. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, sex hormones and cognitive decline in male patients with schizophrenia receiving continuous antipsychotic therapy. World J Psychiatry 2023; 13:995-1004. [PMID: 38186728 PMCID: PMC10768483 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v13.i12.995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are systematic differences in clinical features between women and men with schizophrenia (SCZ). The regulation of sex hormones may play a potential role in abnormal neurodevelopment in SCZ. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and sex hormones have complex interacting actions that contribute to the etiology of SCZ. AIM To investigate the influence of BDNF and sex hormones on cognition and clinical symptomatology in chronic antipsychotic-treated male SCZ patients. METHODS The serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), progesterone, testosterone (T), prolactin (PRL) and BDNF were compared between chronic antipsychotic-treated male (CATM) patients with SCZ (n = 120) and healthy controls (n = 120). The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale was used to quantify SCZ symptoms, while neuropsychological tests were used to assess cognition. Neuropsychological tests, such as the Digit Cancellation Test (DCT), Semantic Verbal Fluency (SVF), Spatial Span Test (SS), Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), Trail Making Task (TMT-A), and Block Design Test (BDT), were used to assess executive functions (BDT), attention (DCT, TMT-A), memory (SS, PASAT), and verbal proficiency (SVF). RESULTS Although E2 levels were significantly lower in the patient group compared to the healthy controls, T, PRL, and LH levels were all significantly higher. Additionally, the analysis revealed that across the entire sample, there were positive correlations between E2 Levels and BDNF levels as well as BDNF levels and the digital cancellation time. In CATM patients with SCZ, a significant correlation between the negative symptoms score and PRL levels was observed. CONCLUSION Sex hormones and BDNF levels may also be linked to cognitive function in patients with chronic SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Wen-Huan Xiao
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Wutaishan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Fei Ye
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Wutaishan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Wutaishan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225000, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qiu-Fang Jia
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiao-Bin Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu Province, China
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4
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Babaei P, Javer S, Abedinzade M. Therapeutic Effects Of Combined and Chronic Treatment of Tat-GluA23y and D-Serine on Cognitive Dysfunction in Postmenopausal Rats. Exp Aging Res 2023:1-19. [PMID: 37660354 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2023.2254660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in female gender compared with male has been addressed as a health concern, particularly in menopausal age. We here hypothesized that co-administration of NMDARs agonist (D-serine) and AMPARs endocytosis inhibitor (Tat-GluA23y) might be a potential target for alleviating memory impairment in sporadic Alzheimer model of rats. METHODS Forty-eight female Wistar rats weighing 200-220 randomly divided into six groups. One month later, ovariectomized rats underwent stereotaxic surgery and were cannulated into the brain lateral ventricles. Streptozotocin was injected (3 mg/kg), then animals received the related treatments until the day 51, which experienced acquisition of spatial memory in Morris Water Maze test. Finally, the level of phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) in the hippocampus was measured by Western blotting. RESULTS Co-administration of D-serine and GluA23y significantly enhanced the acquisition and retrieval of impaired spatial memory in ovariectomized rats with AD (p < .001). Compared to Glu-A 23, D-serine caused more improvement in the mentioned parameters above, however, these values for both groups were still significantly different from the control group (P < .05). CONCLUSION Simultaneous treatment with D-serine and GluA23y synergistically improved STZ induced spatial memory impairment in OVX rat, probably partly via increase in phosphorylated CREB protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parvin Babaei
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
- Cellular &Molecular Research Center, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
- Department of physiology, School of Medicine, Guilan university of medical science, Rasht, Iran
| | - Shirin Javer
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
- Cellular &Molecular Research Center, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
- Department of physiology, School of Medicine, Guilan university of medical science, Rasht, Iran
| | - Mahmood Abedinzade
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
- Department of physiology, School of Medicine, Guilan university of medical science, Rasht, Iran
- medical biotechnology research center, School of Paramedicine, Guilan university of medical sciences, Rasht, Iran
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5
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Sochocka M, Karska J, Pszczołowska M, Ochnik M, Fułek M, Fułek K, Kurpas D, Chojdak-Łukasiewicz J, Rosner-Tenerowicz A, Leszek J. Cognitive Decline in Early and Premature Menopause. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:6566. [PMID: 37047549 PMCID: PMC10095144 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Early and premature menopause, or premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), affects 1% of women under the age of 40 years. This paper reviews the main aspects of early and premature menopause and their impact on cognitive decline. Based on the literature, cognitive complaints are more common near menopause: a phase marked by a decrease in hormone levels, especially estrogen. A premature reduction in estrogen puts women at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, parkinsonism, depression, osteoporosis, hypertension, weight gain, midlife diabetes, as well as cognitive disorders and dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Experimental and epidemiological studies suggest that female sex hormones have long-lasting neuroprotective and anti-aging properties. Estrogens seem to prevent cognitive disorders arising from a cholinergic deficit in women and female animals in middle age premature menopause that affects the central nervous system (CNS) directly and indirectly, both transiently and in the long term, leads to cognitive impairment or even dementia, mainly due to the decrease in estrogen levels and comorbidity with cardiovascular risk factors, autoimmune diseases, and aging. Menopausal hormone therapy from menopause to the age of 60 years may provide a "window of opportunity" to reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD in later life. Women with earlier menopause should be taken care of by various specialists such as gynecologists, endocrinologists, neurologists, and psychiatrists in order to maintain their mental health at the highest possible level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Sochocka
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Julia Karska
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | - Michał Ochnik
- Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Michał Fułek
- Department of Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases, Hypertension and Clinical Oncology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Fułek
- Department and Clinic of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Donata Kurpas
- Department of Family Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 51-141 Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | - Anna Rosner-Tenerowicz
- 2nd Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy Leszek
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland
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Cognitive Dysfunctions Measured with the MCCB in Deficit and Non-Deficit Schizophrenia. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12062257. [PMID: 36983258 PMCID: PMC10053076 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12062257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
This study compared cognitive domains between deficit schizophrenia (DS) and non-deficit schizophrenia (NDS) patients and healthy controls (HC), analyzing relationships between psychopathological dimensions and cognitive domains. A total of 29 DS patients, 45 NDS patients, and 39 HC subjects participated. Cognitive domains were measured using the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia Battery. Psychopathological symptoms were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Clinical groups performed poorer than HC groups in regards to speed of processing, attention/vigilance, working memory, verbal and visual learning and memory, reasoning and problem solving, and social cognition. DS patients scored poorer than NDS patients in terms of all cognitive domains and the overall score, except for reasoning and problem solving. Positive, negative, disorganization, and resistance symptoms were related to cognitive functions only in NDS patients. Our findings suggest that the MCCB battery is sensitive to detecting cognitive dysfunctions in both deficit and non-deficit schizophrenia.
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7
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Executive Functions and Psychopathology Dimensions in Deficit and Non-Deficit Schizophrenia. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12051998. [PMID: 36902784 PMCID: PMC10003976 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12051998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This study: (a) compared executive functions between deficit (DS) and non-deficit schizophrenia (NDS) patients and healthy controls (HC), controlling premorbid IQ and level of education; (b) compared executive functions in DS and NDS patients, controlling premorbid IQ and psychopathological symptoms; and (c) estimated relationships between clinical factors, psychopathological symptoms, and executive functions using structural equation modelling. Participants were 29 DS patients, 44 NDS patients, and 39 HC. Executive functions were measured with the Mazes Subtest, Spatial Span Subtest, Letter Number Span Test, Color Trail Test, and Berg Card Sorting Test. Psychopathological symptoms were evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Brief Negative Symptom Scale, and Self-evaluation of Negative Symptoms. Compared to HC, both clinical groups performed poorer on cognitive flexibility, DS patients on verbal working memory, and NDS patients on planning. DS and NDS patients did not differ in executive functions, except planning, after controlling premorbid IQ and negative psychopathological symptoms. In DS patients, exacerbation had an effect on verbal working memory and cognitive planning; in NDS patients, positive symptoms had an effect on cognitive flexibility. Both DS and NDS patients presented deficits, affecting the former to a greater extent. Nonetheless, clinical variables appeared to significantly affect these deficits.
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8
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Is Hormone Replacement Therapy a Risk Factor or a Therapeutic Option for Alzheimer's Disease? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043205. [PMID: 36834617 PMCID: PMC9964432 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that accounts for more than half of all dementia cases in the elderly. Interestingly, the clinical manifestations of AD disproportionately affect women, comprising two thirds of all AD cases. Although the underlying mechanisms for these sex differences are not fully elucidated, evidence suggests a link between menopause and a higher risk of developing AD, highlighting the critical role of decreased estrogen levels in AD pathogenesis. The focus of this review is to evaluate clinical and observational studies in women, which have investigated the impact of estrogens on cognition or attempted to answer the prevailing question regarding the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a preventive or therapeutic option for AD. The articles were retrieved through a systematic review of the databases: OVID, SCOPUS, and PubMed (keywords "memory", "dementia," "cognition," "Alzheimer's disease", "estrogen", "estradiol", "hormone therapy" and "hormone replacement therapy" and by searching reference sections from identified studies and review articles). This review presents the relevant literature available on the topic and discusses the mechanisms, effects, and hypotheses that contribute to the conflicting findings of HRT in the prevention and treatment of age-related cognitive deficits and AD. The literature suggests that estrogens have a clear role in modulating dementia risk, with reliable evidence showing that HRT can have both a beneficial and a deleterious effect. Importantly, recommendation for the use of HRT should consider the age of initiation and baseline characteristics, such as genotype and cardiovascular health, as well as the dosage, formulation, and duration of treatment until the risk factors that modulate the effects of HRT can be more thoroughly investigated or progress in the development of alternative treatments can be made.
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9
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Orsini CA, Truckenbrod LM, Wheeler AR. Regulation of sex differences in risk-based decision making by gonadal hormones: Insights from rodent models. Behav Processes 2022; 200:104663. [PMID: 35661794 PMCID: PMC9893517 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Men and women differ in their ability to evaluate options that vary in their rewards and the risks that are associated with these outcomes. Most studies have shown that women are more risk averse than men and that gonadal hormones significantly contribute to this sex difference. Gonadal hormones can influence risk-based decision making (i.e., risk taking) by modulating the neurobiological substrates underlying this cognitive process. Indeed, estradiol, progesterone and testosterone modulate activity in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and nucleus accumbens associated with reward and risk-related information. The use of animal models of decision making has advanced our understanding of the intersection between the behavioral, neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying sex differences in risk taking. This review will outline the current state of this literature, identify the current gaps in knowledge and suggest the neurobiological mechanisms by which hormones regulate risky decision making. Collectively, this knowledge can be used to understand the potential consequences of significant hormonal changes, whether endogenously or exogenously induced, on risk-based decision making as well as the neuroendocrinological basis of neuropsychiatric diseases that are characterized by impaired risk taking, such as substance use disorder and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A. Orsini
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Correspondence to: Department of Psychology & Neurology, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, 108 E. Dean Keaton St., Stop A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA. (C.A. Orsini)
| | - Leah M. Truckenbrod
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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10
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Jett S, Schelbaum E, Jang G, Boneu Yepez C, Dyke JP, Pahlajani S, Diaz Brinton R, Mosconi L. Ovarian steroid hormones: A long overlooked but critical contributor to brain aging and Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:948219. [PMID: 35928995 PMCID: PMC9344010 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.948219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian hormones, particularly 17β-estradiol, are involved in numerous neurophysiological and neurochemical processes, including those subserving cognitive function. Estradiol plays a key role in the neurobiology of aging, in part due to extensive interconnectivity of the neural and endocrine system. This aspect of aging is fundamental for women's brains as all women experience a drop in circulating estradiol levels in midlife, after menopause. Given the importance of estradiol for brain function, it is not surprising that up to 80% of peri-menopausal and post-menopausal women report neurological symptoms including changes in thermoregulation (vasomotor symptoms), mood, sleep, and cognitive performance. Preclinical evidence for neuroprotective effects of 17β-estradiol also indicate associations between menopause, cognitive aging, and Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia affecting nearly twice more women than men. Brain imaging studies demonstrated that middle-aged women exhibit increased indicators of AD endophenotype as compared to men of the same age, with onset in perimenopause. Herein, we take a translational approach to illustrate the contribution of ovarian hormones in maintaining cognition in women, with evidence implicating menopause-related declines in 17β-estradiol in cognitive aging and AD risk. We will review research focused on the role of endogenous and exogenous estrogen exposure as a key underlying mechanism to neuropathological aging in women, with a focus on whether brain structure, function and neurochemistry respond to hormone treatment. While still in development, this research area offers a new sex-based perspective on brain aging and risk of AD, while also highlighting an urgent need for better integration between neurology, psychiatry, and women's health practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Jett
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eva Schelbaum
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Grace Jang
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Camila Boneu Yepez
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jonathan P. Dyke
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Silky Pahlajani
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Roberta Diaz Brinton
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Lisa Mosconi
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
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11
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Menopausal Hormone Therapy and the Mind: The Role of Hormone Replacement in the Prevention and Treatment of Cognitive Decline, Dementia, and Cognitive Dysfunction of Depression. Harv Rev Psychiatry 2022; 30:215-225. [PMID: 35616610 DOI: 10.1097/hrp.0000000000000339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
LEARNING OBJECTIVES After participating in this activity, learners should be better able to:• Outline the clinical recommendations for menopausal hormone treatment related to cognitive concerns• Debate and discuss the various research pieces on the use of menopausal hormone therapy cognitive decline, dysfunction, and dementia. ABSTRACT Menopause has been associated with subjective cognitive dysfunction and elevated rates of depression. While menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is Food and Drug Administration-approved for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms related to menopause, a potential role for MHT in treating and preventing cognitive decline, dysfunction, and dementia has remained unclear and a topic of continued interest and debate across decades of research. Increasing numbers of patients are seeking help for subjective cognitive decline, and those with poorer mental health are substantially more likely to perceive themselves to be at high risk of developing dementia; thus, mental health professionals are likely to encounter such patients and may be asked to provide advice concerning MHT, cognition, and indications for MHT use. Here, we synthesize the neurobiological effects of MHT, make recommendations for its use in current clinical practice in the contexts of cognitive dysfunction associated with major depressive disorder, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer's disease, and discuss the frontiers being explored by ongoing research on this topic. We conclude that MHT to improve cognitive functioning has only a few scenarios where it would be recommended and that particular caution may be warranted for carriers of the APOE ε4 allele.
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12
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Xu M, Chen D, Li H, Wang H, Yang LZ. The Cycling Brain in the Workplace: Does Workload Modulate the Menstrual Cycle Effect on Cognition? Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:856276. [PMID: 35722191 PMCID: PMC9201761 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.856276] [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: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent decades have witnessed increased research efforts to clarify how the menstrual cycle influence females’ cognitive and emotional functions. Despite noticeable progress, the research field faces the challenges of inconsistency and low generalizability of research findings. Females of reproductive ages are a heterogeneous population. Generalizing the results of female undergraduates to women in the workplace might be problematic. Furthermore, the critical cognitive processes for daily life and work deserve additional research efforts for improved ecological validity. Thus, this study investigates cognitive performance across the menstrual cycle using a sample of young nurses with similar duties. We developed a mini-computerized cognitive battery to assess four mental skills critical for nursing work: cognitive flexibility, divided attention, response inhibition, and working memory. Participants completed the cognitive battery at menses, late-follicular, and mid-luteal phases. In addition, they were classified into low- and high workload groups according to their subjective workload ratings. Our results demonstrate a general mid-luteal cognitive advantage. Besides, this study reveals preliminary evidence that workload modulates the menstrual cycle effect on cognition. Only females of low workload manifest the mid-luteal cognitive advantage on divided attention and response inhibition, implying that a suitable workload threshold might be necessary for regular neuro-steroid interactions. Thus, this study advocates the significance of research focusing on the cycling brain under workloads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Xu
- Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
| | - Dandan Chen
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
| | - Hai Li
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
| | - Hongzhi Wang
- Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
- *Correspondence: Hongzhi Wang,
| | - Li-Zhuang Yang
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Technology, Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
- Li-Zhuang Yang,
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13
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Phytoestrogen genistein modulates neuron-microglia signaling in a mouse model of chronic social defeat stress. Neuropharmacology 2022; 206:108941. [PMID: 34990615 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Microglia, resident immune cells in the brain, are shown to mediate the crosstalk between psychological stress and depression. Interestingly, increasing evidence indicates that sex hormones, particularly estrogen, are involved in the regulation of immune system. In this study, we aimed to understand the potential effects of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) and genistein (GEN), an estrogenic compound of the plant origin, on neuron-microglia interactions in the mouse hippocampus. The time spent in the avoidance zone in the social interaction test was increased by CSDS 1 day after the exposure, while the avoidance behavior returned to control levels 14 days after the CSDS exposure. Similar results were obtained from the elevated plus-maze test. However, the immobility time in the forced swim test was increased by CSDS 14 days after the exposure, and the depression-related behavior was in part alleviated by GEN. The numerical densities of microglia in the hippocampus were increased by CSDS, and they were decreased by GEN. The voxel densities of synaptic structures and synaptic puncta colocalized with microglia were decreased by CSDS, and they were increased by GEN. Neither CSDS nor GEN affected the gene expressions of major pro-inflammatory cytokines. Conversely, the expression levels of genes related to neurotrophic factors were decreased by CSDS, and they were partially reversed by GEN. These findings show that GEN may in part alleviate stress-related symptoms, and the effects of GEN may be associated with the modulation of neuron-microglia signaling via chemokines and neurotrophic factors in the hippocampus.
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14
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Zhang S, Fan W, Hu H, Wen L, Gong M, Liu B, Hu J, Li G, Zhang D. Subcortical Volume Changes in Early Menopausal Women and Correlation With Neuropsychological Tests. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:738679. [PMID: 34955807 PMCID: PMC8692945 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.738679] [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: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The aging process and declining estradiol levels are two important factors that cause structural brain alterations. Many prior studies have investigated these two elements and revealed controversial results in menopausal women. Here, a cross-sectional study was designed to individually evaluate estradiol-related structural changes in the brain. Methods: A total of 45 early menopausal women and 54 age-matched premenopausal controls were enrolled and subjected to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, blood biochemistry tests, and neuropsychological tests. MRI structural images were analyzed using FreeSurfer to detect changes in subcortical and cortical volumes as well as cortical thickness. Finally, structural brain data as well as clinical and neuropsychological data were used for Pearson's correlation analyses to individually determine estradiol-related structural and functional changes in the brains of early menopausal women. Results: Compared with the premenopausal controls, the early menopausal women showed significant subcortical volumetric loss in the left amygdala and right amygdala, higher serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, more recognizable climacteric and depressive symptoms, decreased quality of sleep, and decreased working memory and executive functions. Simultaneously, FSH levels were related to lower working memory accuracy and longer working memory reaction time. Decreased subcortical volume in the bilateral amygdala was also related to lower working memory accuracy and longer executive reaction time in early menopausal women. Conclusion: The data suggest that estradiol deficiency in early menopausal women can lead to subcortical volume and functional brain changes, which may contribute to further understanding the neurobiological role of declined estradiol levels in early menopausal women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Zhang
- Department of Radiology, XinQiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Weijie Fan
- Department of Radiology, XinQiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hao Hu
- Department of Radiology, XinQiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Li Wen
- Department of Radiology, XinQiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mingfu Gong
- Department of Radiology, XinQiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Radiology, XinQiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Junhao Hu
- Department of Radiology, XinQiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guanghui Li
- Department of Radiology, XinQiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dong Zhang
- Department of Radiology, XinQiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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15
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Doncheck EM, Anderson EM, Konrath CD, Liddiard GT, DeBaker MC, Urbanik LA, Hearing MC, Mantsch JR. Estradiol Regulation of the Prelimbic Cortex and the Reinstatement of Cocaine Seeking in Female Rats. J Neurosci 2021; 41:5303-5314. [PMID: 33879537 PMCID: PMC8211550 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3086-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Relapse susceptibility in women with substance use disorders (SUDs) has been linked to the estrogen, 17β-estradiol (E2). Our previous findings in female rats suggest that the influence of E2 on cocaine seeking can be localized to the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PrL-PFC). Here, we investigated the receptor mechanisms through which E2 regulates the reinstatement of extinguished cocaine seeking. Sexually mature female rats underwent intravenous cocaine self-administration (0.5 mg/inf; 14 × 2 h daily) and extinction, and then were ovariectomized before reinstatement testing. E2 (10 µg/kg, i.p.) alone did not reinstate cocaine seeking, but it potentiated reinstatement when combined with an otherwise subthreshold priming dose of cocaine. A similar effect was observed following intra-PrL-PFC microinfusions of E2 and by systemic or intra-PrL-PFC administration of the estrogen receptor (ER)β agonist, DPN, but not agonists at ERα or the G-protein-coupled ER1 (GPER1). By contrast, E2-potentiated reinstatement was prevented by intra-PrL-PFC microinfusions of the ERβ antagonist, MPP, or the GPER1 antagonist, G15, but not an ERα antagonist. Whole-cell recordings in PrL-PFC layer (L)5/6 pyramidal neurons revealed that E2 decreases the frequency, but not amplitude, of GABAA-dependent miniature IPSCs (mIPSC). As was the case with E2-potentiated reinstatement, E2 reductions in mIPSC frequency were prevented by ERβ and GPER1, but not ERα, antagonists and mimicked by ERβ, but not GPER1, agonists. Altogether, the findings suggest that E2 activates ERβ and GPER1 in the PrL-PFC to attenuate the GABA-mediated constraint of key outputs that mediate cocaine seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Doncheck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
| | - Eden M Anderson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
| | - Chaz D Konrath
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
| | - Gage T Liddiard
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
| | - Margot C DeBaker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
| | - Luke A Urbanik
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
| | - Matthew C Hearing
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
| | - John R Mantsch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
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16
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Prakapenka AV, Korol DL. Estradiol selectively regulates metabolic substrates across memory systems in models of menopause. Climacteric 2021; 24:366-372. [PMID: 33982614 DOI: 10.1080/13697137.2021.1917537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Estrogen loss at menopause is thought to contribute to specific memory problems commonly encountered by women who are transitioning through or who have experienced menopause. Work in preclinical models suggests that estrogens bidirectionally regulate cognition through direct actions on different neural systems called memory systems, enhancing some types of learning and memory while impairing others. The energy load in the brain during cognitive activity is notoriously high, requiring sufficient provisions of metabolic substrates such as glucose, lactate, or ketones for optimal cognition. Thus, it is possible that estrogens bidirectionally regulate energy substrate availability within each system to produce the improvements and impairments in learning and memory. Indeed, estradiol increases extracellular levels of glucose in the hippocampus, a shift that corresponds to the hormone's beneficial effects on hippocampus-sensitive cognition. In contrast, estradiol decreases levels of lactate and ketones in the striatum, a shift that corresponds to the impairing effects of estradiol on striatum-sensitive cognition. Menopause may thus be associated with both cognitive improvements and impairments depending on estradiol status and on the problem to be solved. We propose that regulation of neural metabolism is one likely mechanism for these bidirectional effects of estradiol on cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- A V Prakapenka
- Biology Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - D L Korol
- Biology Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA
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17
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Slagboom TNA, Deijen JB, Van Bunderen CC, Knoop HA, Drent ML. Impaired neuropsychological functioning in patients with hypopituitarism. Endocrinol Diabetes Metab 2021; 4:e00165. [PMID: 33532607 PMCID: PMC7831215 DOI: 10.1002/edm2.165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Treatment of pituitary pathology mostly does not result in complete recovery of impairment in cognitive functioning. The primary aim of the current study was to assess cognitive impairment in patients with stable replacement therapy for hypopituitarism during the last 6 months prior to inclusion. It was expected that patients showed subjective and objective subnormal scores on neuropsychological functioning. Methods Forty-two patients (40% men, 49 ± 15 years) treated for hypopituitarism conducted a neuropsychological test battery, including the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), 15-Word test (15-WT), Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) Motor Screening Task (MOT), Spatial Working Memory (SWM) and Affective Go/No-go (AGN). Results were compared to reference values of healthy norm groups. Results Male and female participants scored significantly worse on the CFQ (P < .01, d = 0.91-4.09) and AGN mean correct latency (P < .01, d = 1.66 and 1.29, respectively). Female participants scored significantly worse on 15-WT direct recall (P = .01, d = 0.66), 15-WT delayed recall (P = .01, d = 0.79), SWM total errors (P = .05, d = 0.41), SWM strategy (P = .04, d = 0.43), AGN errors of commission (P = .02, d = 0.56) and omission (P = .04, d = 0.41). Conclusion This study shows that subjective cognitive functioning is worse in patients treated for hypopituitarism compared to reference data. Also, female participants treated for hypopituitarism score worse on objective aspects of memory and executive functioning compared to reference data. Besides worse focus attention, this objective cognitive impairment was not found in male participants. It is recommended to conduct additional research, which focuses on the design and evaluation of a cognitive remediation therapy, aimed at compensation of impairments in different aspects of memory and executive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa N. A. Slagboom
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Jan Berend Deijen
- Hersencentrum Mental Health InstituteAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Section of Clinical NeuropsychologyDepartment of Clinical, Neuro‐ & Developmental PsychologyFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Christa C. Van Bunderen
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Hans A. Knoop
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical PsychologyAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Madeleine L. Drent
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Amsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Section of Clinical NeuropsychologyDepartment of Clinical, Neuro‐ & Developmental PsychologyFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
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18
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He L, Guo W, Qiu J, An X, Lu W. Altered Spontaneous Brain Activity in Women During Menopause Transition and Its Association With Cognitive Function and Serum Estradiol Level. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:652512. [PMID: 34046011 PMCID: PMC8146460 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.652512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Serum hormone deficiencies during menopause transition may affect spontaneous brain activity and global cognition. The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in spontaneous brain activity between premenopausal and perimenopausal women, and to investigate the associations between spontaneous brain activity, serum hormone levels and global cognition. METHODS Thirty-two premenopausal women (47.75 ± 1.55 years) and twenty-five perimenopausal women (51.60 ± 1.63 years) underwent resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) scan. Clinical information including Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), levels of estradiol (E2), free testosterone, progesterone, prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone were measured. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) was used to evaluate spontaneous brain activity alterations between perimenopausal and premenopausal women. Correlation analysis was used to investigate the associations between brain functional alterations and clinical measures in perimenopausal group. RESULTS The results demonstrated increased ReHo value in the right lingual gyrus (LG) and decreased ReHo value in the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG) in perimenopausal women compared with premenopausal women. In perimenopausal group, ReHo of the right LG showed a negative correlation with level of E2 (r = -0.586, p = 0.002), ReHo of the right SFG showed a positive correlation with level of E2 (r = 0.470, p = 0.018) and MMSE (r = 0.614, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrated that women approaching menopause suffered from altered functions in brain regions related to cognitive function, working memory, the results also revealed a direct association between levels of E2 and brain functions in perimenopausal women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lemin He
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Radiology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China
| | - Jianfeng Qiu
- Department of Radiology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
- Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Xingwei An
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Xingwei An, ; Weizhao Lu,
| | - Weizhao Lu
- Department of Radiology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
- Science and Technology Innovation Center, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Xingwei An, ; Weizhao Lu,
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19
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Boyle CP, Raji CA, Erickson KI, Lopez OL, Becker JT, Gach HM, Kuller LH, Longstreth W, Carmichael OT, Riedel BC, Thompson PM. Estrogen, brain structure, and cognition in postmenopausal women. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:24-35. [PMID: 32910516 PMCID: PMC7721237 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Declining estrogen levels before, during, and after menopause can affect memory and risk for Alzheimer's disease. Undesirable side effects of hormone variations emphasize a role for hormone therapy (HT) where possible benefits include a delay in the onset of dementia-yet findings are inconsistent. Effects of HT may be mediated by estrogen receptors found throughout the brain. Effects may also depend on lifestyle factors, timing of use, and genetic risk. We studied the impact of self-reported HT use on brain volume in 562 elderly women (71-94 years) with mixed cognitive status while adjusting for aforementioned factors. Covariate-adjusted voxelwise linear regression analyses using a model with 16 predictors showed HT use as positively associated with regional brain volumes, regardless of cognitive status. Examinations of other factors related to menopause, oophorectomy and hysterectomy status independently yielded positive effects on brain volume when added to our model. One interaction term, HTxBMI, out of several examined, revealed significant negative association with overall brain volume, suggesting a greater reduction in brain volume than BMI alone. Our main findings relating HT to regional brain volume were as hypothesized, but some exploratory analyses were not in line with existing hypotheses. Studies suggest lower levels of estrogen resulting from oophorectomy and hysterectomy affect brain volume negatively, and the addition of HT modifies the relation between BMI and brain volume positively. Effects of HT may depend on the age range assessed, motivating studies with a wider age range as well as a randomized design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina P. Boyle
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging & Informatics, Keck School of MedicineUniversity of Southern CaliforniaMarina del ReyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Cyrus A. Raji
- Mallinckrodt Institute of RadiologyWashington UniversitySt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Kirk I. Erickson
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Oscar L. Lopez
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - James T. Becker
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical CenterPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - H. Michael Gach
- Departments of Radiation Oncology, Radiology, and Biomedical EngineeringWashington UniversitySt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Lewis H. Kuller
- Department of EpidemiologyUniversity of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public HealthPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - William Longstreth
- Departments of Neurology and EpidemiologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | | | - Brandalyn C. Riedel
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging & Informatics, Keck School of MedicineUniversity of Southern CaliforniaMarina del ReyCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Radiology and Imaging SciencesIndiana University School of MedicineIndianapolisIndianaUSA
| | - Paul M. Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging & Informatics, Keck School of MedicineUniversity of Southern CaliforniaMarina del ReyCaliforniaUSA
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20
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Nobile B, Maimoun L, Jaussent ID, Seneque M, Dupuis-Maurin K, Lefebvre P, Courtet P, Renard E, Guillaume S. Effects of Hormonal Contraception Use on Cognitive Functions in Patients With Bulimia Nervosa. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:658182. [PMID: 34079484 PMCID: PMC8165222 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.658182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Growing evidences indicate that sex hormones have an effect on cognitive functions, and that Bulimia Nervosa (BN) is associated with cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hormonal contraception (HC) use on four cognitive functions that are impaired in patients with BN. Methods: This retrospective exploratory study included 103 women with a diagnosis of BN based on the DSM-5 criteria. Their age ranged from 15 to 45 years, and 46.6% were taking HC (oral, transdermal, or intrauterine). Cognition was assessed with the d2 test (attention), Iowa gambling task (IGT; decision making), Brixton spatial anticipation test (set shifting), and Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test (central coherence). Data were analyzed with logistic regression models to estimate the adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of HC effect on the neuropsychological test scores. Results: In the multivariate model, HC use was significantly associated with better scores for two d2 test indices: F-score [OR = 0.98, 95% CI = (0.95; 0.99)] and final total score ratio [OR = 0.87, 95% CI = (0.77; 0.99)]. HC was also associated with a better understanding of the IGT explicit rules. No difference between the two groups (HC and non-HC use) was detected for set shifting and central coherence. Conclusions: This exploratory study suggests that HC could have effects on the sustained attention and concentration in women with BN. More studies are needed to confirm these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedicte Nobile
- Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Post-Acute Care, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France.,FondaMental Foundation, Créteil, France
| | - Laurent Maimoun
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,INSERM U1046, UMR9214 CNRS, Physiology and Experimental Medicine of the Heart and Muscles, University of Montpellier, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Maude Seneque
- Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Post-Acute Care, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Kathlyne Dupuis-Maurin
- Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Post-Acute Care, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Patrick Lefebvre
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Phillippe Courtet
- Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Post-Acute Care, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France.,FondaMental Foundation, Créteil, France
| | - Eric Renard
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,UMR CNRS 5203, INSERM U1191, Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Sebastien Guillaume
- Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Post-Acute Care, CHRU Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France.,FondaMental Foundation, Créteil, France
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21
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Slow electroencephalographic oscillations and behavioral measures as predictors of high executive processing in early postmenopausal females: A discriminant analysis approach. Brain Cogn 2020; 145:105613. [PMID: 32911233 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Decline in cognitive function is frequent in early postmenopause. There are postmenopausal females who show high performance while others display low performance in executive function, modulated by the prefrontal cortex. These differences have led to confusing and inconclusive results, which have not been explained entirely by the decline in estrogens, which affect the prefrontal cortex functions. An analysis of brain function and the application of a discriminant analysis can help to clarify the deficits in executive function shown by some postmenopausal females. The objective was to examine electroencephalographic recording during the performance of an executive function test in early postmenopausal females, ten with a high level of performance and ten with a low level of performance. Absolute power of delta, theta, alpha1, alpha2, beta1 and beta2 and the numbers of completed categories, trials, perseverative errors and overall errors were submitted to stepwise discriminant analysis to identify predictor variables. Four predictors emerged as significant of group membership based on cognitive performance, with the high-performance group characterized by more completed categories, more delta power, less theta power and more alpha1 power. These findings suggest that postmenopausal females classified in the high-performance group displayed appropriate temporary activation in slow oscillations during executive processing.
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Pritschet L, Santander T, Taylor CM, Layher E, Yu S, Miller MB, Grafton ST, Jacobs EG. Functional reorganization of brain networks across the human menstrual cycle. Neuroimage 2020; 220:117091. [PMID: 32621974 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain is an endocrine organ, sensitive to the rhythmic changes in sex hormone production that occurs in most mammalian species. In rodents and nonhuman primates, estrogen and progesterone's impact on the brain is evident across a range of spatiotemporal scales. Yet, the influence of sex hormones on the functional architecture of the human brain is largely unknown. In this dense-sampling, deep phenotyping study, we examine the extent to which endogenous fluctuations in sex hormones alter intrinsic brain networks at rest in a woman who underwent brain imaging and venipuncture for 30 consecutive days. Standardized regression analyses illustrate estrogen and progesterone's widespread associations with functional connectivity. Time-lagged analyses examined the temporal directionality of these relationships and suggest that cortical network dynamics (particularly in the Default Mode and Dorsal Attention Networks, whose hubs are densely populated with estrogen receptors) are preceded-and perhaps driven-by hormonal fluctuations. A similar pattern of associations was observed in a follow-up study one year later. Together, these results reveal the rhythmic nature in which brain networks reorganize across the human menstrual cycle. Neuroimaging studies that densely sample the individual connectome have begun to transform our understanding of the brain's functional organization. As these results indicate, taking endocrine factors into account is critical for fully understanding the intrinsic dynamics of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Pritschet
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Tyler Santander
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Caitlin M Taylor
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Evan Layher
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Shuying Yu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Michael B Miller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Scott T Grafton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Emily G Jacobs
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
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Choe SA, Sung J. Trends of Premature and Early Menopause: a Comparative Study of the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. J Korean Med Sci 2020; 35:e97. [PMID: 32281314 PMCID: PMC7152531 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e97] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While evidence shows a tendency toward delays in menopause worldwide, whether prevalence of premature (< 40 years) or early menopause (40-44 years) is also reduced in different ethnic groups is uncertain. The aim of this study was to explore birth cohort effect in the prevalence of premature and early menopause in United States (US) and Korea. METHODS This is a retrospective study using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 1999-2014) and the Korea NHANES (KNHANES, 2007-2012). We analyzed prevalence of premature and early menopause in three ethnic groups of US and Korea. We restricted our analysis to women aged ≥ 45 years at the time of the survey born between 1920 and 1969. The data of both eligible 9,209 US women and 9,828 Korean was included in final analysis. We calculated odds ratios (OR) for each outcome adjusting for biological and socioeconomic factors, respectively. RESULTS Prevalence of premature menopause was 1.7% in US, 2.8% in Korean women. Early menopause occurred in 3.4% and 7.2% of US and Korean, respectively. In US women, prevalence of premature and early menopause did not change and did not differ across three ethnicities. Korean women showed highest and consistently decreasing prevalence (P < 0.001). When we adjusted for covariates, birth lower risk for premature menopause was evident in US Non-Hispanic black born in 1950s and in Korean born between 1940s and 1960s compared to those born in 1920s. In the analysis of early menopause, excluding premature menopause patients, lower risk of more recent generation (born in 1940s and later) was evident in Korean women. CONCLUSION The trend and birth cohort effect in occurrence of premature and early menopause among the US and Korea women are different. Prevalences of premature and early menopause decrease only in Korean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Ah Choe
- CHA Fertility Center, Seoul Station, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Joohon Sung
- Graduate School of Public Health, Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
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Beltz AM, Moser JS. Ovarian hormones: a long overlooked but critical contributor to cognitive brain structures and function. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2020; 1464:156-180. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adriene M. Beltz
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan
| | - Jason S. Moser
- Department of PsychologyMichigan State University East Lansing Michigan
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25
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Sex Hormones as Cognitive Enhancers? JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-019-00156-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
AbstractUnderstanding the differences in the way women and men think has made headway thanks to experiments showing how sex hormones influence cognitive capacities. Masculine and feminine sex hormones (androgens and estrogens, respectively) affect cognition in different ways and may account for some of the gender differences in cognitive abilities, allowing men and women to perform better in certain cognitive tests. In this opinion article, we discuss studies addressing differences in cognitive functions between males and females and the underlying neural substrates, as well as the effects of sex hormone supplementation. Even though some studies on patients receiving exogenous sex hormones showed gender differences that emerge at group levels on a few cognitive tasks, it is not yet clear whether these differences can be partially attributed to hormonal causes. Supplementation of female estrogen can enhance verbal skills, whereas masculine androgen can increase performance in mathematical and visuospatial tasks. Studies of the administration of exogenous sex hormones have allowed further insight into the use of sex hormones as possible cognitive enhancers.
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Sala A, Malpetti M, Ferrulli A, Gianolli L, Luzi L, Perani D. High body mass index, brain metabolism and connectivity: an unfavorable effect in elderly females. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:8573-8586. [PMID: 31600734 PMCID: PMC6814611 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
There are reported gender differences in brain connectivity associated with obesity. In the elderlies, the neural endophenotypes of obesity are yet to be elucidated. We aim at exploring the brain metabolic and connectivity correlates to different BMI levels in elderly individuals, taking into account gender as variable of interest.We evaluated the association between BMI, brain metabolism and connectivity, in elderly females and males, by retrospectively collecting a large cohort of healthy elderly subjects (N=222; age=74.03±5.88 [61.2-85.9] years; M/F=115/107; BMI=27.00±4.02 [19.21-38.79] kg/m2). Subjects underwent positron emission tomography with [18F]FDG. We found that, in females, high BMI was associated with increased brain metabolism in the orbitofrontal cortex (R=0.44; p<0.001). A significant BMI-by-gender interaction was present (F=7.024, p=0.009). We also revealed an altered connectivity seeding from these orbitofrontal regions, namely expressing as a decreased connectivity in crucial control/decision making circuits, and as an abnormally elevated connectivity in reward circuits, only in females. Our findings support a link between high BMI and altered brain metabolism and neural connectivity, only in elderly females. These findings indicate a strong gender effect of high BMI and obesity that brings to considerations for medical practice and health policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
| | - Maura Malpetti
- In vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Ferrulli
- Metabolism Research Center and Endocrinology and Metabolism Division, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Gianolli
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Livio Luzi
- Metabolism Research Center and Endocrinology and Metabolism Division, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Milan, Italy
- Università degli Studi di Milano, 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, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
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Taylor CM, Pritschet L, Yu S, Jacobs EG. Applying a Women's Health Lens to the Study of the Aging Brain. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:224. [PMID: 31333434 PMCID: PMC6625223 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A major challenge in neuroscience is to understand what happens to a brain as it ages. Such insights could make it possible to distinguish between individuals who will undergo typical aging and those at risk for neurodegenerative disease. Over the last quarter century, thousands of human brain imaging studies have probed the neural basis of age-related cognitive decline. "Aging" studies generally enroll adults over the age of 65, a historical precedent rooted in the average age of retirement. A consequence of this research tradition is that it overlooks one of the most significant neuroendocrine changes in a woman's life: the transition to menopause. The menopausal transition is marked by an overall decline in ovarian sex steroid production-up to 90% in the case of estradiol-a dramatic endocrine change that impacts multiple biological systems, including the brain. Despite sex differences in the risk for dementia, the influence that biological sex and sex hormones have on the aging brain is historically understudied, leaving a critical gap in our understanding of the aging process. In this Perspective article, we highlight the influence that endocrine factors have on the aging brain. We devote particular attention to the neural and cognitive changes that unfold in the middle decade of life, as a function of reproductive aging. We then consider emerging evidence from animal and human studies that other endocrine factors occurring earlier in life (e.g., pregnancy, hormonal birth control use) also shape the aging process. Applying a women's health lens to the study of the aging brain will advance knowledge of the neuroendocrine basis of cognitive aging and ensure that men and women get the full benefit of our research efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M. Taylor
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- The Sage Center for the Study of the Mind, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Laura Pritschet
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Shuying Yu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Emily G. Jacobs
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
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Moradi F, Jahanian Sadatmahalleh S, Ziaei S. The effect of hormone replacement therapy on cognitive function in postmenopausal women: An RCT. Int J Reprod Biomed 2019; 16. [PMID: 31417982 PMCID: PMC6600282 DOI: 10.18502/ijrm.v16i12.3682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background During the reproductive age, the human brain becomes a target for gonadal steroid hormones. Estrogens influence neural function through effects on neurons and affects indirectly the oxidative stress, inflammation, the cerebral vascular and the immune system. Objective To evaluate the effect of the traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the cognitive function in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods In this randomized clinical trial, 140 postmenopausal women, from November 2014 to February 2015, were included. Women were randomly divided into two groups. Each woman in the case group took traditional HRT (0.625mg conjugated equine estrogens+2.5mg medroxyprogesterone acetate daily) plus one Cal+D tablet (500 mg calcium+200 IU vitamin D) daily for four months. Women in the control group received only one Cal+D tablet (500 mg calcium+200 IU vitamin D) daily for four months period. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Green Climacteric Scale (GCS) questionnaires filled out after the intervention and compared between the two groups. Results The mean points of the MoCA after the intervention indicate that all MoCA domains except for the orientation improved in the case group. There was a significant difference in the memory domain after the treatment between the two groups. MoCA domains and GCS were negatively correlated after the intervention (r=-0.235,p=0.006). Conclusion The HRT has affected some of the MoCA factors. The effects of HRT on cognitive function should be studied in a large prospective study in a group of women in their early and late menopausal ages with periodic assessment of their cognitive function during these follow-up years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fereshteh Moradi
- Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Saeideh Ziaei
- Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
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Zhang S, Hu J, Fan W, Liu B, Wen L, Wang G, Gong M, Yang C, Zhang D. Aberrant Cerebral Activity in Early Postmenopausal Women: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:454. [PMID: 30534056 PMCID: PMC6275219 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Early postmenopausal women frequently suffer from cognitive impairments and emotional disorders, such as lack of attention, poor memory, deficits in executive function and depression. However, the underlying mechanisms of these impairments remain unclear. Method: Forty-three early postmenopausal women and forty-four age-matched premenopausal controls underwent serum sex hormone analysis, neuropsychological testing and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Degree centrality (DC) analysis was performed to confirm the peak points of the functionally abnormal brain areas as the centers of the seeds. Subsequently, the functional connectivity (FC) between these abnormal seeds and other voxels across the whole brain was calculated. Finally, the sex hormone levels, neuroimaging indices and neuropsychological data were combined to detect potential correlations. Results: Compared with the premenopausal controls, the early postmenopausal women exhibited significantly higher serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, more severe climacteric and depressive symptoms, worse sleep quality and more extensive cognitive impairments. Concurrently, the neuroimaging results showed elevated DC values in the left amygdala (AMYG.L), reduced DC values in the left middle occipital gyrus (MOG.L) and right middle occipital gyrus (MOG.R). When we used the AMYG.L as the seed point, FC with the left insula (INS.L), bilateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and right superior frontal gyrus (SFG.R) was increased; these regions are related to depressive states, poor sleep quality and decreased executive function. When bilateral MOG were used as the seed points, FC with left inferior parietal gyrus (IPG.L), this area closely associated with impaired memory, was decreased. Conclusion: These results illuminated the regional and network-level brain dysfunction in early postmenopausal women, which might provide information on the underlying mechanisms of the different cognitive impairments and emotional alterations observed in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Xinqiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Junhao Hu
- Department of Radiology, Xinqiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Weijie Fan
- Department of Radiology, Xinqiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Radiology, Xinqiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Li Wen
- Department of Radiology, Xinqiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guangxian Wang
- Department of Radiology, Xinqiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mingfu Gong
- Department of Radiology, Xinqiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chunyan Yang
- Department of Radiology, Xinqiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dong Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Xinqiao Hosptial, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Working memory (WM) is a key process that is integral to many complex cognitive tasks, and it declines significantly with advancing age. This review will survey recent evidence supporting the idea that the functioning of the WM system in women is modulated by circulating estrogens. RECENT FINDINGS In postmenopausal women, increased estrogen concentrations may be associated with improved WM function, which is evident on WM tasks that have a high cognitive load or significant manipulation demands. Experimental studies in rhesus monkeys and human neuroimaging studies support a prefrontal locus for these effects. Defining the basic neurochemical or cellular mechanisms that underlie the ability of estrogens to regulate WM is a topic of current research in both human and animal investigations. An emerging body of work suggests that frontal executive elements of the WM system are influenced by the circulating estrogen concentrations currently available to the CNS and that the effects are region-specific within the frontal cortex. These findings have implications for women's brain health and cognitive aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Hampson
- Department of Psychology, Social Sciences Center, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C2, Canada.
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31
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Mishra A, Brinton RD. Inflammation: Bridging Age, Menopause and APOEε4 Genotype to Alzheimer's Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:312. [PMID: 30356809 PMCID: PMC6189518 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuro-inflammatory processes that contribute to development of Alzheimer’s are evident early in the latent prodromal phase and worsen during the course of the disease. Despite substantial mechanistic and clinical evidence of inflammation, therapeutic approaches targeting inflammation have failed to alter the course of the disease. Disparate results from epidemiological and clinical trials targeting inflammation, highlight the complexity of the inflammatory process. Herein we review the dynamics of the inflammatory process across aging, midlife endocrine transitions, and the APOEε4 genotype and their contribution to progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We discuss the chronic inflammatory processes that are activated during midlife chronological and endocrine aging, which ultimately limit the clearance capacity of microglia and lead to immune senescence. Aging, menopause, and APOEε4 combine the three hits of a compromised bioenergetic system of menopause with the chronic low grade innate inflammation of aging with the APOEε4 dyslipidemia and adaptive immune response. The inflammatory immune response is the unifying factor that bridges across each of the risk factors for AD. Immune system regulators that are specific to stage of disease and inflammatory phenotype would provide a therapeutic strategy to disconnect the bridge that drives disease. Outcomes of this analysis provide plausible mechanisms underlying failed clinical trials of anti-inflammatory agents in Alzheimer’s patients. Further, they highlight the need for stratifying AD clinical trial cohorts based on inflammatory phenotype. Combination therapies that include targeted use of anti-inflammatory agent’s specific to the immune phenotype are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarti Mishra
- Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Center for Innovation in Brain Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Roberta D Brinton
- Center for Innovation in Brain Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States.,Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
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Jacobs EG, Goldstein JM. The Middle-Aged Brain: Biological sex and sex hormones shape memory circuitry. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2018; 23:84-91. [PMID: 30271832 PMCID: PMC6157917 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily G. Jacobs
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara
| | - Jill M. Goldstein
- Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Athinoula A. Martinos Brain Imaging Center, Massachusetts General Hospital
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Frizell B, Dumas JA. Examining the Relationship Between Neurosteroids, Cognition, and Menopause With Neuroimaging Methods. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2018; 20:96. [PMID: 30221332 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-018-0963-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Previous literature has shown inconsistent findings regarding the effects of neurosteroids on the brain in postmenopausal women. The goal of this paper is to examine how and whether advances in neuroimaging have helped elucidate the relationship between the withdrawal of and/or treatment with neurosteroids and cognition at menopause. RECENT FINDINGS Neuroimaging techniques such as structural and functional MRI have been used in recent studies to examine the relationship between neurosteroids and brain structure and functioning. However, the recent literature shows that different formulations of postmenopausal hormones given at different times, through different routes of administration, and in different combinations with progestins result in a variety of relationships with the brain outcomes. We suggest that still further research is needed to understand how the structural changes resulting from estrogen withdrawal or therapy at menopause can influence cognitive functioning. However, imaging studies are time-, resource-, and expertise-intensive. We believe that this information will help uncover the mechanisms and relationships that can aid in the explanation of the individual differences in the effects of menopause on the brain as well as how this menopause-related hormone change influences risk for pathological aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baillie Frizell
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Robert Larner M.D. College of Medicine, University of Vermont, 1 South Prospect St, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
| | - Julie A Dumas
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Robert Larner M.D. College of Medicine, University of Vermont, 1 South Prospect St, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA.
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McDonald AP, D'Arcy RCN, Song X. Functional MRI on executive functioning in aging and dementia: A scoping review of cognitive tasks. Aging Med (Milton) 2018; 1:209-219. [PMID: 31942499 PMCID: PMC6880681 DOI: 10.1002/agm2.12037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive decline with aging and dementia is especially poignant with regard to the executive functioning that is necessary for activities of daily independent living. The relationship between age-related neurodegeneration in the prefrontal cortex and executive functioning has been uniquely investigated using task-phase functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to detect brain activity in response to stimuli; however, a comprehensive list of task designs that have been implemented to task-phase fMRI is absent in the literature. The purpose of this review was to recognize what methods have been used to study executive functions with aging and dementia in fMRI tasks, and to describe and categorize them. The following cognitive subdomains were emphasized: cognitive flexibility, planning and decision-making, working memory, cognitive control/inhibition, semantic processing, attention and concentration, emotional functioning, and multitasking. Over 30 different task-phase fMRI designs were found to have been implemented in the literature, all adopted from standard neuropsychological assessments. Cognitive set-shifting and decision-making tasks were particularly well studied in regard to age-related neurodegeneration, while emotional functioning and multitasking designs were found to be the least utilized. Summarizing the information on which tasks have shown the greatest usability will assist in the future design and implementation of effective fMRI experiments targeting executive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P. McDonald
- Health Sciences and InnovationFraser Health AuthoritySurreyBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of MedicineUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Ryan C. N. D'Arcy
- Health Sciences and InnovationFraser Health AuthoritySurreyBritish ColumbiaCanada
- ImageTech LaboratorySimon Fraser UniversitySurreyBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Xiaowei Song
- Health Sciences and InnovationFraser Health AuthoritySurreyBritish ColumbiaCanada
- ImageTech LaboratorySimon Fraser UniversitySurreyBritish ColumbiaCanada
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Choline acetyltransferase and TrkA expression, as well as the improvement in cognition produced by E2 and P4 in ovariectomized rats, are blocked by ICI 182 780 and RU486. Behav Pharmacol 2018; 29:457-461. [DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Soria V, González-Rodríguez A, Huerta-Ramos E, Usall J, Cobo J, Bioque M, Barbero JD, García-Rizo C, Tost M, Monreal JA, Labad J. Targeting hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormones and sex steroids for improving cognition in major mood disorders and schizophrenia: a systematic review and narrative synthesis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 93:8-19. [PMID: 29680774 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive deficits are a core feature of serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) and are a common cause of functional disability. There is limited efficacy of pharmacological interventions for improving the cognitive deficits in these disorders. As pro-cognitive pharmacological treatments are lacking, hormones or drugs that target the endocrine system may become potential candidates for 'repurposing' trials aiming to improve cognition. We aimed to study whether treatment with drugs targeting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sex steroids can improve cognition in patients with schizophrenia, MDD or BD. A systematic search was performed using PubMed (Medline), PsychInfo and clinicaltrials.gov, and a narrative synthesis was included. The systematic review identified 12 studies dealing with HPA-related drugs (mifepristone [n = 3], cortisol synthesis inhibitors [ketoconazole, n = 2], dehydroepiandrosterone [n = 5], fludrocortisone [n = 2]) and 14 studies dealing with sex steroids (oestradiol [n = 2], selective oestrogen receptor modulators [raloxifene, n = 7], pregnenolone [n = 5]). Positive trials were found for BD (mifepristone), MDD (dehydroepiandrosterone and fludrocortisone) and schizophrenia (dehydroepiandrosterone, raloxifene and pregnenolone). A replication of positive findings by at least two clinical trials was found for mifepristone in BD and raloxifene and pregnenolone in schizophrenia. The use of drugs targeting hormones related to the HPA axis and sex steroids is a promising field of research that might help to improve the cognitive outcome of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Soria
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Universitat de Barcelona, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Neurosciences Group, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Spain
| | - Alexandre González-Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Spain; Department of Mental Health, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, I3PT, Sabadell, Barcerlona, Spain
| | - Elena Huerta-Ramos
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Spain; Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Judith Usall
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Spain; Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesús Cobo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Spain; Department of Mental Health, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, I3PT, Sabadell, Barcerlona, Spain
| | - Miquel Bioque
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut d'investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan David Barbero
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Spain; Department of Mental Health, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, I3PT, Sabadell, Barcerlona, Spain
| | - Clemente García-Rizo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut d'investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Meritxell Tost
- Department of Mental Health, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, I3PT, Sabadell, Barcerlona, Spain
| | - José Antonio Monreal
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Spain; Department of Mental Health, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, I3PT, Sabadell, Barcerlona, Spain
| | | | - Javier Labad
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Carlos III Health Institute, Spain; Department of Mental Health, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, I3PT, Sabadell, Barcerlona, Spain.
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Lejri I, Grimm A, Eckert A. Mitochondria, Estrogen and Female Brain Aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:124. [PMID: 29755342 PMCID: PMC5934418 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria play an essential role in the generation of steroid hormones including the female sex hormones. These hormones are, in turn, able to modulate mitochondrial activities. Mitochondria possess crucial roles in cell maintenance, survival and well-being, because they are the main source of energy as well as of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the cell. The impairment of these important organelles is one of the central features of aging. In women’s health, estrogen plays an important role during adulthood not only in the estrous cycle, but also in the brain via neuroprotective, neurotrophic and antioxidant modes of action. The hypestrogenic state in the peri- as well as in the prolonged postmenopause might increase the vulnerability of elderly women to brain degeneration and age-related pathologies. However, the underlying mechanisms that affect these processes are not well elucidated. Understanding the relationship between estrogen and mitochondria might therefore provide better insights into the female aging process. Thus, in this review, we first describe mitochondrial dysfunction in the aging brain. Second, we discuss the estrogen-dependent actions on the mitochondrial activity, including recent evidence of the estrogen—brain-derived neurotrophic factor and estrogen—sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) pathways, as well as their potential implications during female aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imane Lejri
- Neurobiology Lab for Brain Aging and Mental Health, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Psychiatric University Clinics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Amandine Grimm
- Neurobiology Lab for Brain Aging and Mental Health, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Psychiatric University Clinics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anne Eckert
- Neurobiology Lab for Brain Aging and Mental Health, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Psychiatric University Clinics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Xing FZ, Zhao YG, Zhang YY, He L, Zhao JK, Liu MY, Liu Y, Zhang JQ. Nuclear and membrane estrogen receptor antagonists induce similar mTORC2 activation-reversible changes in synaptic protein expression and actin polymerization in the mouse hippocampus. CNS Neurosci Ther 2018; 24:495-507. [PMID: 29352507 DOI: 10.1111/cns.12806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 12/23/2017] [Accepted: 12/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Estrogens play pivotal roles in hippocampal synaptic plasticity through nuclear receptors (nERs; including ERα and ERβ) and the membrane receptor (mER; also called GPR30), but the underlying mechanism and the contributions of nERs and mER remain unclear. Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) is involved in actin cytoskeleton polymerization and long-term memory, but whether mTORC2 is involved in the regulation of hippocampal synaptic plasticity by ERs is unclear. METHODS We treated animals with nER antagonists (MPP/PHTPP) or the mER antagonist (G15) alone or in combination with A-443654, an activator of mTORC2. Then, we examined the changes in hippocampal SRC-1 expression, mTORC2 signaling (rictor and phospho-AKTSer473), actin polymerization (phospho-cofilin and profilin-1), synaptic protein expression (GluR1, PSD95, spinophilin, and synaptophysin), CA1 spine density, and synapse density. RESULTS All of the examined parameters except synaptophysin expression were significantly decreased by MPP/PHTPP and G15 treatment. MPP/PHTPP and G15 induced a similar decrease in most parameters except p-cofilin, GluR1, and spinophilin expression. The ER antagonist-induced decreases in these parameters were significantly reversed by mTORC2 activation, except for the change in SRC-1, rictor, and synaptophysin expression. CONCLUSIONS nERs and mER contribute similarly to the changes in proteins and structures associated with synaptic plasticity, and mTORC2 may be a novel target of hippocampal-dependent dementia such as Alzheimer's disease as proposed by previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Zhou Xing
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan-Gang Zhao
- Department of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Li He
- School of Nursing, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ji-Kai Zhao
- Department of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Meng-Ying Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Aquatic Science of Chongqing, Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ji-Qiang Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Gervais NJ, Mong JA, Lacreuse A. Ovarian hormones, sleep and cognition across the adult female lifespan: An integrated perspective. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 47:134-153. [PMID: 28803147 PMCID: PMC7597864 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Loss of ovarian function in women is associated with sleep disturbances and cognitive decline, which suggest a key role for estrogens and/or progestins in modulating these symptoms. The effects of ovarian hormones on sleep and cognitive processes have been studied in separate research fields that seldom intersect. However, sleep has a considerable impact on cognitive function. Given the tight connections between sleep and cognition, ovarian hormones may influence selective aspects of cognition indirectly, via the modulation of sleep. In support of this hypothesis, a growing body of evidence indicates that the development of sleep disorders following menopause contributes to accelerated cognitive decline and dementia in older women. This paper draws from both the animal and human literature to present an integrated view of the effects of ovarian hormones on sleep and cognition across the adult female lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole J Gervais
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 135 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003, United States.
| | - Jessica A Mong
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Agnès Lacreuse
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 135 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
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