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Skampardoni I, Nasrallah IM, Abdulkadir A, Wen J, Melhem R, Mamourian E, Erus G, Doshi J, Singh A, Yang Z, Cui Y, Hwang G, Ren Z, Pomponio R, Srinivasan D, Govindarajan ST, Parmpi P, Wittfeld K, Grabe HJ, Bülow R, Frenzel S, Tosun D, Bilgel M, An Y, Marcus DS, LaMontagne P, Heckbert SR, Austin TR, Launer LJ, Sotiras A, Espeland MA, Masters CL, Maruff P, Fripp J, Johnson SC, Morris JC, Albert MS, Bryan RN, Yaffe K, Völzke H, Ferrucci L, Benzinger TL, Ezzati A, Shinohara RT, Fan Y, Resnick SM, Habes M, Wolk D, Shou H, Nikita K, Davatzikos C. Genetic and Clinical Correlates of AI-Based Brain Aging Patterns in Cognitively Unimpaired Individuals. JAMA Psychiatry 2024; 81:456-467. [PMID: 38353984 PMCID: PMC10867779 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.5599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Importance Brain aging elicits complex neuroanatomical changes influenced by multiple age-related pathologies. Understanding the heterogeneity of structural brain changes in aging may provide insights into preclinical stages of neurodegenerative diseases. Objective To derive subgroups with common patterns of variation in participants without diagnosed cognitive impairment (WODCI) in a data-driven manner and relate them to genetics, biomedical measures, and cognitive decline trajectories. Design, Setting, and Participants Data acquisition for this cohort study was performed from 1999 to 2020. Data consolidation and harmonization were conducted from July 2017 to July 2021. Age-specific subgroups of structural brain measures were modeled in 4 decade-long intervals spanning ages 45 to 85 years using a deep learning, semisupervised clustering method leveraging generative adversarial networks. Data were analyzed from July 2021 to February 2023 and were drawn from the Imaging-Based Coordinate System for Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases (iSTAGING) international consortium. Individuals WODCI at baseline spanning ages 45 to 85 years were included, with greater than 50 000 data time points. Exposures Individuals WODCI at baseline scan. Main Outcomes and Measures Three subgroups, consistent across decades, were identified within the WODCI population. Associations with genetics, cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), amyloid β (Aβ), and future cognitive decline were assessed. Results In a sample of 27 402 individuals (mean [SD] age, 63.0 [8.3] years; 15 146 female [55%]) WODCI, 3 subgroups were identified in contrast with the reference group: a typical aging subgroup, A1, with a specific pattern of modest atrophy and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) load, and 2 accelerated aging subgroups, A2 and A3, with characteristics that were more distinct at age 65 years and older. A2 was associated with hypertension, WMH, and vascular disease-related genetic variants and was enriched for Aβ positivity (ages ≥65 years) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 carriers. A3 showed severe, widespread atrophy, moderate presence of CVRFs, and greater cognitive decline. Genetic variants associated with A1 were protective for WMH (rs7209235: mean [SD] B = -0.07 [0.01]; P value = 2.31 × 10-9) and Alzheimer disease (rs72932727: mean [SD] B = 0.1 [0.02]; P value = 6.49 × 10-9), whereas the converse was observed for A2 (rs7209235: mean [SD] B = 0.1 [0.01]; P value = 1.73 × 10-15 and rs72932727: mean [SD] B = -0.09 [0.02]; P value = 4.05 × 10-7, respectively); variants in A3 were associated with regional atrophy (rs167684: mean [SD] B = 0.08 [0.01]; P value = 7.22 × 10-12) and white matter integrity measures (rs1636250: mean [SD] B = 0.06 [0.01]; P value = 4.90 × 10-7). Conclusions and Relevance The 3 subgroups showed distinct associations with CVRFs, genetics, and subsequent cognitive decline. These subgroups likely reflect multiple underlying neuropathologic processes and affect susceptibility to Alzheimer disease, paving pathways toward patient stratification at early asymptomatic stages and promoting precision medicine in clinical trials and health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Skampardoni
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece
| | - Ilya M. Nasrallah
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Ahmed Abdulkadir
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Junhao Wen
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Laboratory of AI and Biomedical Science, Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Randa Melhem
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Elizabeth Mamourian
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Guray Erus
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Jimit Doshi
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Ashish Singh
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Zhijian Yang
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Yuhan Cui
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Gyujoon Hwang
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Zheng Ren
- Laboratory of AI and Biomedical Science, Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
| | - Raymond Pomponio
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Dhivya Srinivasan
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | | | - Paraskevi Parmpi
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Katharina Wittfeld
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Germany
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hans J. Grabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Germany
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Site Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Robin Bülow
- Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stefan Frenzel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Germany
| | - Duygu Tosun
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Murat Bilgel
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yang An
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Daniel S. Marcus
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Pamela LaMontagne
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Susan R. Heckbert
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Thomas R. Austin
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, University of Washington, Seattle
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Lenore J. Launer
- Neuroepidemiology Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Aristeidis Sotiras
- Department of Radiology and Institute of Informatics, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Mark A. Espeland
- Sticht Centre for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Colin L. Masters
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul Maruff
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jurgen Fripp
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Australian e-Health Research Centre CSIRO, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sterling C. Johnson
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison
| | - John C. Morris
- Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Centre, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Marilyn S. Albert
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - R. Nick Bryan
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Kristine Yaffe
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Henry Völzke
- Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Luigi Ferrucci
- Translational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Tammie L.S. Benzinger
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri
| | - Ali Ezzati
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine
| | - Russell T. Shinohara
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Penn Statistics in Imaging and Visualization Center, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, & Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Yong Fan
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Susan M. Resnick
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mohamad Habes
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Neuroimage Analytics Laboratory and the Biggs Institute Neuroimaging Core, Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio
| | - David Wolk
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Haochang Shou
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Penn Statistics in Imaging and Visualization Center, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, & Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Konstantina Nikita
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece
| | - Christos Davatzikos
- Centre for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
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Lyu X, Duong MT, Xie L, de Flores R, Richardson H, Hwang G, Wisse LEM, DiCalogero M, McMillan CT, Robinson JL, Xie SX, Lee EB, Irwin DJ, Dickerson BC, Davatzikos C, Nasrallah IM, Yushkevich PA, Wolk DA, Das SR. Tau-neurodegeneration mismatch reveals vulnerability and resilience to comorbidities in Alzheimer's continuum. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:1586-1600. [PMID: 38050662 PMCID: PMC10984442 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Variability in relationship of tau-based neurofibrillary tangles (T) and neurodegeneration (N) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) arises from non-specific nature of N, modulated by non-AD co-pathologies, age-related changes, and resilience factors. METHODS We used regional T-N residual patterns to partition 184 patients within the Alzheimer's continuum into data-driven groups. These were compared with groups from 159 non-AD (amyloid "negative") patients partitioned using cortical thickness, and groups in 98 patients with ante mortem MRI and post mortem tissue for measuring N and T, respectively. We applied the initial T-N residual model to classify 71 patients in an independent cohort into predefined groups. RESULTS AD groups displayed spatial T-N mismatch patterns resembling neurodegeneration patterns in non-AD groups, similarly associated with non-AD factors and diverging cognitive outcomes. In the autopsy cohort, limbic T-N mismatch correlated with TDP-43 co-pathology. DISCUSSION T-N mismatch may provide a personalized approach for determining non-AD factors associated with resilience/vulnerability in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Lyu
- Departments of BioengineeringUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Michael Tran Duong
- Departments of BioengineeringUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Long Xie
- Departments of RadiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - Hayley Richardson
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and InformaticsUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Gyujoon Hwang
- Departments of RadiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - Michael DiCalogero
- Departments of NeurologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Corey T. McMillan
- Departments of NeurologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - John L. Robinson
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Sharon X. Xie
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and InformaticsUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Edward B. Lee
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - David J. Irwin
- Departments of NeurologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - Christos Davatzikos
- Departments of BioengineeringUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Ilya M. Nasrallah
- Departments of RadiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Paul A. Yushkevich
- Departments of RadiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - David A. Wolk
- Departments of NeurologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Sandhitsu R. Das
- Departments of NeurologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
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Ma D, Stocks J, Rosen H, Kantarci K, Lockhart SN, Bateman JR, Craft S, Gurcan MN, Popuri K, Beg MF, Wang L. Differential diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia subtypes with explainable deep learning on structural MRI. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1331677. [PMID: 38384484 PMCID: PMC10879283 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1331677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) represents a collection of neurobehavioral and neurocognitive syndromes that are associated with a significant degree of clinical, pathological, and genetic heterogeneity. Such heterogeneity hinders the identification of effective biomarkers, preventing effective targeted recruitment of participants in clinical trials for developing potential interventions and treatments. In the present study, we aim to automatically differentiate patients with three clinical phenotypes of FTD, behavioral-variant FTD (bvFTD), semantic variant PPA (svPPA), and nonfluent variant PPA (nfvPPA), based on their structural MRI by training a deep neural network (DNN). Methods Data from 277 FTD patients (173 bvFTD, 63 nfvPPA, and 41 svPPA) recruited from two multi-site neuroimaging datasets: the Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration Neuroimaging Initiative and the ARTFL-LEFFTDS Longitudinal Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration databases. Raw T1-weighted MRI data were preprocessed and parcellated into patch-based ROIs, with cortical thickness and volume features extracted and harmonized to control the confounding effects of sex, age, total intracranial volume, cohort, and scanner difference. A multi-type parallel feature embedding framework was trained to classify three FTD subtypes with a weighted cross-entropy loss function used to account for unbalanced sample sizes. Feature visualization was achieved through post-hoc analysis using an integrated gradient approach. Results The proposed differential diagnosis framework achieved a mean balanced accuracy of 0.80 for bvFTD, 0.82 for nfvPPA, 0.89 for svPPA, and an overall balanced accuracy of 0.84. Feature importance maps showed more localized differential patterns among different FTD subtypes compared to groupwise statistical mapping. Conclusion In this study, we demonstrated the efficiency and effectiveness of using explainable deep-learning-based parallel feature embedding and visualization framework on MRI-derived multi-type structural patterns to differentiate three clinically defined subphenotypes of FTD: bvFTD, nfvPPA, and svPPA, which could help with the identification of at-risk populations for early and precise diagnosis for intervention planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Ma
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Jane Stocks
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Howard Rosen
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Kejal Kantarci
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Samuel N. Lockhart
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - James R. Bateman
- Department of Neurology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Suzanne Craft
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Metin N. Gurcan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Karteek Popuri
- Department of Computer Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Mirza Faisal Beg
- School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
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Dai Y, Hsu YC, Fernandes BS, Zhang K, Li X, Enduru N, Liu A, Manuel AM, Jiang X, Zhao Z. Disentangling Accelerated Cognitive Decline from the Normal Aging Process and Unraveling Its Genetic Components: A Neuroimaging-Based Deep Learning Approach. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 97:1807-1827. [PMID: 38306043 DOI: 10.3233/jad-231020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Background The progressive cognitive decline, an integral component of Alzheimer's disease (AD), unfolds in tandem with the natural aging process. Neuroimaging features have demonstrated the capacity to distinguish cognitive decline changes stemming from typical brain aging and AD between different chronological points. Objective To disentangle the normal aging effect from the AD-related accelerated cognitive decline and unravel its genetic components using a neuroimaging-based deep learning approach. Methods We developed a deep-learning framework based on a dual-loss Siamese ResNet network to extract fine-grained information from the longitudinal structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study. We then conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and post-GWAS analyses to reveal the genetic basis of AD-related accelerated cognitive decline. Results We used our model to process data from 1,313 individuals, training it on 414 cognitively normal people and predicting cognitive assessment for all participants. In our analysis of accelerated cognitive decline GWAS, we identified two genome-wide significant loci: APOE locus (chromosome 19 p13.32) and rs144614292 (chromosome 11 p15.1). Variant rs144614292 (G > T) has not been reported in previous AD GWA studies. It is within the intronic region of NELL1, which is expressed in neurons and plays a role in controlling cell growth and differentiation. The cell-type-specific enrichment analysis and functional enrichment of GWAS signals highlighted the microglia and immune-response pathways. Conclusions Our deep learning model effectively extracted relevant neuroimaging features and predicted individual cognitive decline. We reported a novel variant (rs144614292) within the NELL1 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Dai
- Center for Precision Health, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yu-Chun Hsu
- Center for Secure Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brisa S Fernandes
- Center for Precision Health, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kai Zhang
- Center for Secure Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Li
- Center for Precision Health, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nitesh Enduru
- Center for Precision Health, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andi Liu
- Center for Precision Health, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Astrid M Manuel
- Center for Precision Health, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiaoqian Jiang
- Center for Secure Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhongming Zhao
- Center for Precision Health, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Dai Y, Yu-Chun H, Fernandes BS, Zhang K, Xiaoyang L, Enduru N, Liu A, Manuel AM, Jiang X, Zhao Z. Disentangling accelerated cognitive decline from the normal aging process and unraveling its genetic components: A neuroimaging-based deep learning approach. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3328861. [PMID: 37720047 PMCID: PMC10503860 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3328861/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Background The progressive cognitive decline that is an integral component of AD unfolds in tandem with the natural aging process. Neuroimaging features have demonstrated the capacity to distinguish cognitive decline changes stemming from typical brain aging and Alzheimer's disease between different chronological points. Methods We developed a deep-learning framework based on dual-loss Siamese ResNet network to extract fine-grained information from the longitudinal structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study. We then conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and post-GWAS analyses to reveal the genetic basis of AD-related accelerated cognitive decline. Results We used our model to process data from 1,313 individuals, training it on 414 cognitively normal people and predicting cognitive assessment for all participants. In our analysis of accelerated cognitive decline GWAS, we identified two genome-wide significant loci: APOE locus (chromosome 19 p13.32) and rs144614292 (chromosome 11 p15.1). Variant rs144614292 (G>T) has not been reported in previous AD GWA studies. It is within the intronic region of NELL1, which is expressed in neuron and plays a role in controlling cell growth and differentiation. In addition, MUC7 and PROL1/OPRPNon chromosome 4 were significant at the gene level. The cell-type-specific enrichment analysis and functional enrichment of GWAS signals highlighted the microglia and immune-response pathways. Furthermore, we found that the cognitive decline slope GWAS was positively correlated with previous AD GWAS. Conclusion Our deep learning model was demonstrated effective on extracting relevant neuroimaging features and predicting individual cognitive decline. We reported a novel variant (rs144614292) within the NELL1 gene. Our approach has the potential to disentangle accelerated cognitive decline from the normal aging process and to determine its related genetic factors, leveraging opportunities for early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Dai
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Hsu Yu-Chun
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | | | - Kai Zhang
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Li Xiaoyang
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Nitesh Enduru
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Andi Liu
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | | | - Xiaoqian Jiang
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Zhongming Zhao
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
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Gao J, Liu J, Xu Y, Peng D, Wang Z. Brain age prediction using the graph neural network based on resting-state functional MRI in Alzheimer's disease. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1222751. [PMID: 37457008 PMCID: PMC10347411 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1222751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that significantly impacts the quality of life of patients and their families. Neuroimaging-driven brain age prediction has been proposed as a potential biomarker to detect mental disorders, such as AD, aiding in studying its effects on functional brain networks. Previous studies have shown that individuals with AD display impaired resting-state functional connections. However, most studies on brain age prediction have used structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with limited studies based on resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). Methods In this study, we applied a graph neural network (GNN) model on controls to predict brain ages using rs-fMRI in patients with AD. We compared the performance of the GNN model with traditional machine learning models. Finally, the post hoc model was also used to identify the critical brain regions in AD. Results The experimental results demonstrate that our GNN model can predict brain ages of normal controls using rs-fMRI data from the ADNI database. Moreover the differences between brain ages and chronological ages were more significant in AD patients than in normal controls. Our results also suggest that AD is associated with accelerated brain aging and that the GNN model based on resting-state functional connectivity is an effective tool for predicting brain age. Discussion Our study provides evidence that rs-fMRI is a promising modality for brain age prediction in AD research, and the GNN model proves to be effective in predicting brain age. Furthermore, the effects of the hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, and amygdala on brain age prediction are verified.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Zhengning Wang
- School of Information and Communication Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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7
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Lyu X, Duong MT, Xie L, de Flores R, Richardson H, Hwang G, Wisse LEM, DiCalogero M, McMillan CT, Robinson JL, Xie SX, Grossman M, Lee EB, Irwin DJ, Dickerson BC, Davatzikos C, Nasrallah IM, Yushkevich PA, Wolk DA, Das SR. Tau-Neurodegeneration mismatch reveals vulnerability and resilience to comorbidities in Alzheimer's continuum. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.02.12.23285594. [PMID: 36824762 PMCID: PMC9949174 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.12.23285594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Variability in the relationship of tau-based neurofibrillary tangles (T) and degree of neurodegeneration (N) in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is likely attributable to the non-specific nature of N, which is also modulated by such factors as other co-pathologies, age-related changes, and developmental differences. We studied this variability by partitioning patients within the Alzheimer's continuum into data-driven groups based on their regional T-N dissociation, which reflects the residuals after the effect of tau pathology is "removed". We found six groups displaying distinct spatial T-N mismatch and thickness patterns despite similar tau burden. Their T-N patterns resembled the neurodegeneration patterns of non-AD groups partitioned on the basis of z-scores of cortical thickness alone and were similarly associated with surrogates of non-AD factors. In an additional sample of individuals with antemortem imaging and autopsy, T-N mismatch was associated with TDP-43 co-pathology. Finally, T-N mismatch training was then applied to a separate cohort to determine the ability to classify individual patients within these groups. These findings suggest that T-N mismatch may provide a personalized approach for determining non-AD factors associated with resilience/vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease.
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Millar PR, Gordon BA, Luckett PH, Benzinger TLS, Cruchaga C, Fagan AM, Hassenstab JJ, Perrin RJ, Schindler SE, Allegri RF, Day GS, Farlow MR, Mori H, Nübling G, Bateman RJ, Morris JC, Ances BM. Multimodal brain age estimates relate to Alzheimer disease biomarkers and cognition in early stages: a cross-sectional observational study. eLife 2023; 12:e81869. [PMID: 36607335 PMCID: PMC9988262 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Estimates of 'brain-predicted age' quantify apparent brain age compared to normative trajectories of neuroimaging features. The brain age gap (BAG) between predicted and chronological age is elevated in symptomatic Alzheimer disease (AD) but has not been well explored in presymptomatic AD. Prior studies have typically modeled BAG with structural MRI, but more recently other modalities, including functional connectivity (FC) and multimodal MRI, have been explored. Methods We trained three models to predict age from FC, structural (S), or multimodal MRI (S+FC) in 390 amyloid-negative cognitively normal (CN/A-) participants (18-89 years old). In independent samples of 144 CN/A-, 154 CN/A+, and 154 cognitively impaired (CI; CDR > 0) participants, we tested relationships between BAG and AD biomarkers of amyloid and tau, as well as a global cognitive composite. Results All models predicted age in the control training set, with the multimodal model outperforming the unimodal models. All three BAG estimates were significantly elevated in CI compared to controls. FC-BAG was significantly reduced in CN/A+ participants compared to CN/A-. In CI participants only, elevated S-BAG and S+FC BAG were associated with more advanced AD pathology and lower cognitive performance. Conclusions Both FC-BAG and S-BAG are elevated in CI participants. However, FC and structural MRI also capture complementary signals. Specifically, FC-BAG may capture a unique biphasic response to presymptomatic AD pathology, while S-BAG may capture pathological progression and cognitive decline in the symptomatic stage. A multimodal age-prediction model improves sensitivity to healthy age differences. Funding This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (P01-AG026276, P01- AG03991, P30-AG066444, 5-R01-AG052550, 5-R01-AG057680, 1-R01-AG067505, 1S10RR022984-01A1, and U19-AG032438), the BrightFocus Foundation (A2022014F), and the Alzheimer's Association (SG-20-690363-DIAN).
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter R Millar
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
| | - Brian A Gordon
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
| | - Patrick H Luckett
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
| | - Tammie LS Benzinger
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
| | - Carlos Cruchaga
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
| | - Anne M Fagan
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
| | - Jason J Hassenstab
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
| | - Richard J Perrin
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
| | - Suzanne E Schindler
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
| | - Ricardo F Allegri
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, Institute for Neurological Research (FLENI)Buenos AiresArgentina
| | - Gregory S Day
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic FloridaJacksonvilleUnited States
| | - Martin R Farlow
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolisUnited States
| | - Hiroshi Mori
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Osaka Metropolitan University Medical School, Nagaoka Sutoku UniversityOsakaJapan
| | - Georg Nübling
- Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians UniversityMunichGermany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesMunichGermany
| | - Randall J Bateman
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
| | - John C Morris
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
| | - Beau M Ances
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
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