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Deng F, Dounavi ME, Plini ERG, Ritchie K, Muniz-Terrera G, Hutchinson S, Malhotra P, Ritchie CW, Lawlor B, Naci L. Cardiovascular risk of dementia is associated with brain-behaviour changes in cognitively healthy, middle-aged individuals. Neurobiol Aging 2024; 144:78-92. [PMID: 39293163 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) neuropathology start decades before clinical manifestations, but whether risk factors are associated with early cognitive and brain changes in midlife remains poorly understood. We examined whether AD risk factors were associated with cognition and functional connectivity (FC) between the Locus Coeruleus (LC) and hippocampus - two key brain structures in AD neuropathology - cross-sectionally and longitudinally in cognitively healthy midlife individuals. Neuropsychological assessments and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging were obtained at baseline (N=210), and two-years follow-up (N=188). Associations of cognition and FC with apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE ε4) genotype, family history of dementia, and the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) score were investigated. Cross-sectionally, higher CAIDE scores were associated with worse cognition. Menopausal status interacted with the CAIDE risk on cognition. Furthermore, the CAIDE score significantly moderated the relationship between cognition and LC-Hippocampus FC. Longitudinally, the LC-Hippocampus FC decreased significantly over 2 years. These results suggest that cardiovascular risk of dementia is associated with brain-behaviour changes in cognitively healthy, middle-aged individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Deng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Maria-Eleni Dounavi
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SP, UK
| | - Emanuele R G Plini
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Karen Ritchie
- U1061 Neuropsychiatry, INSERM, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Graciela Muniz-Terrera
- Edinburgh Dementia Prevention, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Department of Social medicine, Ohio University, USA
| | | | - Paresh Malhotra
- Department of Brain Science, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, UK
| | - Craig W Ritchie
- Edinburgh Dementia Prevention, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Brian Lawlor
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Lorina Naci
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
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Han R, Zhang X, Chen Y, Hou X, Bai F. Associations between differential connectivity patterns of executive control networks and APOE ɛ4 in the Alzheimer continuum. Brain Res 2024; 1846:149229. [PMID: 39255904 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 09/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
The APOE ɛ4 allele and age are risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and contribute to decreased executive function. However, the influence of APOE ɛ4 on the executive control network (ECN) in the AD continuum is still unclear. This study included 269 participants aged between 50 and 95 years old, based on ADNI data, including 104 cognitively normal (CN) individuals, 72 individuals with early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI), 55 individuals with late mild cognitive impairment (LMCI), and 38 AD patients. Within each disease group, participants were subdivided into APOE ɛ4 carriers and non-carriers. We explored brain regions within the ECN affected by the interactions between genes and disease states by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and voxel-based two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Subsequently, functional connectivity (FC) between seeds and peak clusters were extracted and correlated with the cognitive performance. We found that the damages of carrying APOE ɛ4 in ECNs mainly distributed in the fronto-parietal and parietal-temporal systems. Functional network intergroup differences indicated increased intrafrontal and fronto-parietal connectivity at the early stage of AD and increased connectivity between the parietal lobe and related regions at late disease in these APOE ɛ4 carriers. Our conclusion is that the functional connectivity in the ECN exhibits different distinguishably patterns of impairment in the AD continuum under the influence of the APOE ɛ4 allele. Patients with different genotypes showed heterogeneity in functional network changes in the early stages of disease, which may be a potential biomarker for early AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruichen Han
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Jiangsu University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Ya Chen
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Xinle Hou
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Feng Bai
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China; Geriatric Medicine Center, Taikang Xianlin Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China; Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China.
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Shi Y, Hu J, Liu W, Qiu WQ, He X, Zhang M, Gao Y, Zhang X, Fan Z. Female-Specific Association between the Apolipoprotein E E4 Allele and Age at Diagnosis of Glaucoma in UK Biobank. Ophthalmol Glaucoma 2024:S2589-4196(24)00138-8. [PMID: 39097094 DOI: 10.1016/j.ogla.2024.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 07/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the impact of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) E4 allele in the gender-specific aging process in glaucoma by illustrating the interaction between risk factors, including the APOE E4 allele, gender, and intraocular pressure (IOP), for age at diagnosis (AAD) of glaucoma. DESIGN A cross-sectional study included UK Biobank participants with complete data (2006-2010) for analysis. Data were analyzed in December 2023. PARTICIPANTS Two thousand two hundred thirty-six glaucoma patients and 103 232 controls. METHODS We evaluated multivariable-adjusted associations of AAD of glaucoma, APOE E4 allele (0: absence; 1: presence), and IOP using linear mixed model (LMM) analyses across groups stratified by AAD of mean age of menopause (50 years) and gender. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES Age at diagnosis of glaucoma, APOE E4 allele, and IOP. RESULTS Patients with glaucoma were older and had a higher percentage of males and a higher mean IOP compared to controls (all P < 0.001). Further stratifying the patients with glaucoma by AAD of 50 and gender, lower IOP (model 1 adjusted by age, βIOP = -0.096 ± 0.041, P = 0.019), and positive APOE E4 allele (model 2 adjusted by age and IOP, βe4 = 1.093 ± 0.488, P = 0.026) were associated with an older AAD in females with an AAD <50 years under univariate LMM. In multivariate LMM adjusted by age (model 3), the effect size of both factors increased in the multivariate model as the beta-value increased (βIOP = -0.111 ± 0.040, P = 0.007; βe4 = 1.235 ± 0.485, P = 0.012) (model 1 vs. model 3: P = 0.011). In females with an AAD ≥50 years, only positive APOE E4 allele (adjusted by age and IOP, βe4 = -1.121 ± 0.412, P = 0.007) was associated with a younger AAD. In males, only higher IOP was associated with an older AAD in those with an AAD ≥50 years (βIOP = 0.088 ± 0.032, P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS Apolipoprotein E E4 allele may initially delay and later accelerate the development of glaucoma in females around the transition period of 50 years, which is the mean age of menopause, and importantly, this is independent of IOP. Understanding the specific transition states and modifiable factors within each age phase is crucial for developing interventions or strategies that promote healthy aging. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Shi
- Beijing Tongren Eye Center Research Ward, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Departments of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | - Junming Hu
- Departments of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Wei Qiao Qiu
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Co-director of the Biomarker Core, Alzheimer's disease Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Xinyue He
- Beijing Tongren Eye Center Research Ward, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Miao Zhang
- Beijing Tongren Eye Center Research Ward, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Gao
- Beijing Tongren Eye Center Research Ward, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- Departments of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Zhigang Fan
- Beijing Tongren Eye Center Research Ward, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
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van Heuvelen MJG, van der Lei MB, Alferink PM, Roemers P, van der Zee EA. Cognitive deficits in human ApoE4 knock-in mice: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Behav Brain Res 2024; 471:115123. [PMID: 38972485 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Apolipoprotein-E4 (ApoE4) is an important genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. The development of targeted-replacement human ApoE knock-in mice facilitates research into mechanisms by which ApoE4 affects the brain. We performed meta-analyses and meta-regression analyses to examine differences in cognitive performance between ApoE4 and ApoE3 mice. We included 61 studies in which at least one of the following tests was assessed: Morris Water Maze (MWM), novel object location (NL), novel object recognition (NO) and Fear Conditioning (FC) test. ApoE4 vs. ApoE3 mice performed significantly worse on the MWM (several outcomes, 0.17 ≤ g ≤ 0.60), NO (exploration, g=0.33; index, g=0.44) and FC (contextual, g=0.49). ApoE4 vs. ApoE3 differences were not systematically related to sex or age. We conclude that ApoE4 knock-in mice in a non-AD condition show some, but limited cognitive deficits, regardless of sex and age. These effects suggest an intrinsic vulnerability in ApoE4 mice that may become more pronounced under additional brain load, as seen in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke J G van Heuvelen
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 1, Groningen 9713AV, the Netherlands.
| | - Mathijs B van der Lei
- Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Nijenborg 7, Groningen 9747 AG, the Netherlands; Center of Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Prins Boudewijnlaan 43, Edegem 2650, Belgium.
| | - Pien M Alferink
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 1, Groningen 9713AV, the Netherlands.
| | - Peter Roemers
- Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Nijenborg 7, Groningen 9747 AG, the Netherlands.
| | - Eddy A van der Zee
- Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Nijenborg 7, Groningen 9747 AG, the Netherlands.
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5
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Igloi K, Marin Bosch B, Kuenzi N, Thomas A, Lauer E, Bringard A, Schwartz S. Interactions between physical exercise, associative memory, and genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae205. [PMID: 38802684 PMCID: PMC11129939 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae205] [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: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The ε4 allele of the APOE gene heightens the risk of late onset Alzheimer's disease. ε4 carriers, may exhibit cognitive and neural changes early on. Given the known memory-enhancing effects of physical exercise, particularly through hippocampal plasticity via endocannabinoid signaling, here we aimed to test whether a single session of physical exercise may benefit memory and underlying neurophysiological processes in young ε3 carriers (ε3/ε4 heterozygotes, risk group) compared with a matched control group (homozygotes for ε3). Participants underwent fMRI while learning picture sequences, followed by cycling or rest before a memory test. Blood samples measured endocannabinoid levels. At the behavioral level, the risk group exhibited poorer associative memory performance, regardless of the exercising condition. At the brain level, the risk group showed increased medial temporal lobe activity during memory retrieval irrespective of exercise (suggesting neural compensatory effects even at baseline), whereas, in the control group, such increase was only detectable after physical exercise. Critically, an exercise-related endocannabinoid increase correlated with task-related hippocampal activation in the control group only. In conclusion, healthy young individuals carrying the ε4 allele may present suboptimal associative memory performance (when compared with homozygote ε3 carriers), together with reduced plasticity (and functional over-compensation) within medial temporal structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Igloi
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Blanca Marin Bosch
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Noémie Kuenzi
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aurélien Thomas
- Faculty Unit of Toxicology, CURML, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Unit of Forensic Toxicology and Chemistry, CURML, Lausanne and Geneva University Hospitals, Lausanne, CH-1011 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Estelle Lauer
- Unit of Forensic Toxicology and Chemistry, CURML, Lausanne and Geneva University Hospitals, Lausanne, CH-1011 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aurélien Bringard
- Department of Pneumology, Geneva University Hospitals, CH-1011 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sophie Schwartz
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Geneva Neuroscience Center, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
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6
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Bousiges O, Cretin B, Muller C, Botzung A, Sanna L, Anthony P, Philippi N, Demuynck C, Blanc F. Involvement of ApoE4 in dementia with Lewy bodies in the prodromal and demented stages: evaluation of the Strasbourg cohort. GeroScience 2024; 46:1527-1542. [PMID: 37653269 PMCID: PMC10828291 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00883-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
ApoE4 as a risk factor for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is still an issue. We sought to determine the involvement of ApoE4 according to different clinical parameters in our cohort of patients from Strasbourg, France. ApoE genotyping was performed on the AlphaLewyMA cohort. In this cohort, 197 patients were genotyped: 105 DLB patients, 37 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, 29 patients with AD/DLB comorbidity, and 26 control subjects (CS). The groups of patients were also classified according to the stage of evolution of the disease: prodromal or demented. We analyzed other parameters in relation to ApoE4 status, such as years of education (YOE) and Alzheimer CSF biomarkers. We observed a higher proportion of ApoE4 carriers in the AD (51.4%) and AD/DLB (72.4%) groups compared to the DLB (25.7%) and CS (11.5%) groups (p < 0.0001). We found a correlation between age at disease onset and YOE in the AD group (p = 0.039) but not in the DLB group (p = 0.056). Interestingly, in the DLB group, the subgroup of patients with high YOE (≥ 11) had significantly more patients with ApoE4 than the subgroup with low YOE (< 11). AD biomarkers did not seem to be impacted by the presence of ApoE4, except for Aβ42: DLB ApoE4-positive demented patients showed a more marked Aβ42 decrease. ApoE4 does not appear to be a risk factor for "pure" DLB patients. These results suggest a strong link between ApoE4 and amyloidopathy and consequently with AD. Trial registration: AlphaLewyMa, Identifier: NCT01876459, date of registration: June 12, 2013.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Bousiges
- ICube Laboratory UMR 7357 and FMTS (Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg), IMIS Team and IMAGeS Team, University of Strasbourg and CNRS, Strasbourg, France.
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Benjamin Cretin
- ICube Laboratory UMR 7357 and FMTS (Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg), IMIS Team and IMAGeS Team, University of Strasbourg and CNRS, Strasbourg, France
- CM2R (Research and Resources Memory Center), Geriatrics Department, Geriatric Day Hospital, Neurogeriatric Service, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Candice Muller
- CM2R (Research and Resources Memory Center), Geriatrics Department, Geriatric Day Hospital, Neurogeriatric Service, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Botzung
- ICube Laboratory UMR 7357 and FMTS (Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg), IMIS Team and IMAGeS Team, University of Strasbourg and CNRS, Strasbourg, France
- CM2R (Research and Resources Memory Center), Geriatrics Department, Geriatric Day Hospital, Neurogeriatric Service, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Lea Sanna
- CM2R (Research and Resources Memory Center), Geriatrics Department, Geriatric Day Hospital, Neurogeriatric Service, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre Anthony
- CM2R, Neuropsychology Unit, Head and Neck Department, Neurology Department, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- CM2R, Geriatrics Department and Neurology Department, Colmar General Hospital, Colmar, France
| | - Nathalie Philippi
- ICube Laboratory UMR 7357 and FMTS (Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg), IMIS Team and IMAGeS Team, University of Strasbourg and CNRS, Strasbourg, France
- CM2R, Neuropsychology Unit, Head and Neck Department, Neurology Department, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Catherine Demuynck
- CM2R (Research and Resources Memory Center), Geriatrics Department, Geriatric Day Hospital, Neurogeriatric Service, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Frédéric Blanc
- ICube Laboratory UMR 7357 and FMTS (Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg), IMIS Team and IMAGeS Team, University of Strasbourg and CNRS, Strasbourg, France
- CM2R (Research and Resources Memory Center), Geriatrics Department, Geriatric Day Hospital, Neurogeriatric Service, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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7
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Palmer JM, Huentelman M, Ryan L. More than just risk for Alzheimer's disease: APOE ε4's impact on the aging brain. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:750-763. [PMID: 37460334 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
The apolipoprotein ε4 (APOE ε4) allele is most commonly associated with increased risk for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, recent longitudinal studies suggest that these risks are overestimated; most ε4 carriers will not develop dementia in their lifetime. In this article, we review new evidence regarding the impact of APOE ε4 on cognition among healthy older adults. We discuss emerging work from animal models suggesting that ε4 impacts brain structure and function in multiple ways that may lead to age-related cognitive impairment, independent from AD pathology. We discuss the importance of taking an individualized approach in future studies by incorporating biomarkers and neuroimaging methods that may better disentangle the phenotypic influences of APOE ε4 on the aging brain from prodromal AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M Palmer
- The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
| | - Matthew Huentelman
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Lee Ryan
- The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
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8
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Trumble BC, Charifson M, Kraft T, Garcia AR, Cummings DK, Hooper P, Lea AJ, Eid Rodriguez D, Koebele SV, Buetow K, Beheim B, Minocher R, Gutierrez M, Thomas GS, Gatz M, Stieglitz J, Finch CE, Kaplan H, Gurven M. Apolipoprotein-ε 4 is associated with higher fecundity in a natural fertility population. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade9797. [PMID: 37556539 PMCID: PMC10411886 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade9797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
In many populations, the apolipoprotein-ε4 (APOE-ε4) allele increases the risk for several chronic diseases of aging, including dementia and cardiovascular disease; despite these harmful effects at later ages, the APOE-ε4 allele remains prevalent. We assess the impact of APOE-ε4 on fertility and its proximate determinants (age at first reproduction, interbirth interval) among the Tsimane, a natural fertility population of forager-horticulturalists. Among 795 women aged 13 to 90 (20% APOE-ε4 carriers), those with at least one APOE-ε4 allele had 0.3 to 0.5 more children than (ε3/ε3) homozygotes, while those with two APOE-ε4 alleles gave birth to 1.4 to 2.1 more children. APOE-ε4 carriers achieve higher fertility by beginning reproduction 0.8 years earlier and having a 0.23-year shorter interbirth interval. Our findings add to a growing body of literature suggesting a need for studies of populations living in ancestrally relevant environments to assess how alleles that are deleterious in sedentary urban environments may have been maintained by selection throughout human evolutionary history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C. Trumble
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Mia Charifson
- Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Tom Kraft
- Anthropology Department, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Angela R. Garcia
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Scientific Research Core, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Department of Child Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Daniel K. Cummings
- Department of Health Economics and Anthropology, Economic Science Institute, Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Paul Hooper
- Department of Health Economics and Anthropology, Economic Science Institute, Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Amanda J. Lea
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | | | - Kenneth Buetow
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Bret Beheim
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Riana Minocher
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Gregory S. Thomas
- MemorialCare Health System, Fountain Valley, CA, USA
- University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Margaret Gatz
- Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, Toulouse, France
| | - Caleb E. Finch
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and Dornsife College, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Department of Health Economics and Anthropology, Economic Science Institute, Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Michael Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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9
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Brenowitz WD, Fornage M, Launer LJ, Habes M, Davatzikos C, Yaffe K. Alzheimer's Disease Genetic Risk, Cognition, and Brain Aging in Midlife. Ann Neurol 2023; 93:629-634. [PMID: 36511390 PMCID: PMC9974745 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We examined associations of an Alzheimer's disease (AD) Genetic Risk Score (AD-GRS) and midlife cognitive and neuroimaging outcomes in 1,252 middle-aged participants (311 with brain MRI). A higher AD-GRS based on 25 previously identified loci (excluding apolipoprotein E [APOE]) was associated with worse Montreal Cognitive Assessment (-0.14 standard deviation [SD] [95% confidence interval {CI}: -0.26, -0.02]), older machine learning predicted brain age (2.35 years[95%CI: 0.01, 4.69]), and white matter hyperintensity volume (0.35 SD [95% CI: 0.00, 0.71]), but not with a composite cognitive outcome, total brain, or hippocampal volume. APOE ε4 allele was not associated with any outcomes. AD risk genes beyond APOE may contribute to subclinical differences in cognition and brain health in midlife. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:629-634.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willa D Brenowitz
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Myriam Fornage
- The University of Texas, Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Lenore J Launer
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Science, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Mohamad Habes
- Neuroimage Analytics Laboratory and Biggs Institute Neuroimaging Core, Glenn Biggs Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Christos Davatzikos
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kristine Yaffe
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA
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10
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Liu JY, Ma LZ, Wang J, Cui XJ, Sheng ZH, Fu Y, Li M, Ou YN, Yu JT, Tan L, Lian Y. Age-Related Association Between APOE ɛ4 and Cognitive Progression in de novo Parkinson's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 91:1121-1132. [PMID: 36565124 DOI: 10.3233/jad-220976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND APOE ɛ4 genotype was correlated with exacerbation of pathology and higher risk of dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD). Meanwhile, the differential influence of APOE ɛ4 on cognition in young and old individuals interpreted as antagonistic pleiotropy. OBJECTIVE To examine whether the effect of APOE ɛ4 on cognitive progression in de novo PD is age dependent. METHODS In this study, 613 de novo PD patients were recruited from Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). To examine the age-dependent relationship between APOE ɛ4 and cognitive changes, we added 3-way interaction of APOE ɛ4*baseline age*time to the linear mixed-effect (LME) models and evaluated the specific roles of APOE ɛ4 in the middle age group and elderly group separately. Cox regression was utilized to examine the progression of cognition in age-stratified PD participants. RESULTS Age significantly modified relationship between APOE ɛ4 and cognitive changes in most cognitive domains (pinteraction <0.05). In the elderly group, APOE ɛ4 carriers showed steeper decline in global cognition (p = 0.001) as well as in most cognitive domains, and they had a greater risk of cognitive progression (adjusted HR 1.625, 95% CI 1.143-2.310, p = 0.007), compared with non-carriers. However, in the middle age group, no significant relationships between APOE ɛ4 and cognitive decline can be detected. CONCLUSION Our results indicated that the APOE ɛ4 allele has an age-dependent effect on cognitive decline in PD patients. The underlying mechanisms need to be investigated in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Yao Liu
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ling-Zhi Ma
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Ageing and Brain Diseases, Chongqing, China.,Department of Neurology and Center for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xin-Jing Cui
- Department of Outpatient, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Ze-Hu Sheng
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yan Fu
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Meng Li
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ya-Nan Ou
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jin-Tai Yu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lan Tan
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yan Lian
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Ageing and Brain Diseases, Chongqing, China.,Department of Prevention and Health Care, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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11
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Anderson C, Carmichael J, Hicks AJ, Burke R, Ponsford J. Interaction between APOE ɛ4 and Age Is Associated with Emotional Distress One Year after Moderate-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurotrauma 2023; 40:326-336. [PMID: 35996348 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotional distress is common following moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and is associated with poorer post-injury outcomes. Previously investigated sociodemographic, psychological, and injury-related factors account for only a small proportion of variance in post-TBI emotional distress, highlighting a need to consider other factors such as genetic factors. The apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) has been commonly studied in the TBI literature, with the ɛ4 allele linked to worse neuronal repair and recovery. Few studies have investigated the potential relationship between APOE ɛ4 and emotional distress after moderate-severe TBI, and results have been varied. We examined whether APOE ɛ4 was associated with emotional distress 1 year following moderate-severe TBI, and whether this relationship was moderated by age, sex, and TBI severity (as indexed by the duration of post-traumatic amnesia [PTA]). Moderate-severe TBI survivors provided saliva samples following inpatient admission to a TBI rehabilitation hospital. They completed a self-report measure of emotional distress, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), at a follow-up interview ∼1 year post-injury. Complete genetic and follow-up data were available for 441 moderate-severe TBI survivors (mean age = 39.42 years; 75% male). We constructed a linear regression model that included APOE ɛ4 carriage status (carrier vs. non-carrier) and interactions with age, sex, and TBI severity (APOE × age, APOE × sex, APOE × age × sex, and APOE × PTA duration) to predict total score on the HADS, while covarying for the main effects of age, sex, PTA duration, and previous head injury. There was a significant main effect of APOE ɛ4, whereby ɛ4 carriers reported less emotional distress than non-carriers (p = 0.04). However, we also found a significant interaction with age such that APOE ɛ4 carriers reported increasingly greater emotional distress with older age compared with non-carriers (p = 0.01). A sensitivity analysis (n = 306) suggested that the APOE × age interaction, and main effects of age and previous head injury, were not unique to individuals with pre-injury mental health problems (n = 136). However, the main effect of APOE ɛ4 was no longer significant when individuals with pre-injury mental health problems were removed. Our findings highlight the importance of considering moderation of genetic associations, suggesting that APOE ɛ4 may be a risk factor for emotional distress specifically among older survivors of moderate-severe TBI. If these findings can be independently replicated, APOE ɛ4 carriage status, interpreted in the context of age, could be incorporated into risk prediction models of emotional distress after moderate-severe TBI, enhancing targeted early detection and intervention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Anderson
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institutes for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jai Carmichael
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institutes for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amelia J Hicks
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institutes for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Richard Burke
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jennie Ponsford
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institutes for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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12
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Saleh RNM, Hornberger M, Ritchie CW, Minihane AM. Hormone replacement therapy is associated with improved cognition and larger brain volumes in at-risk APOE4 women: results from the European Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease (EPAD) cohort. Alzheimers Res Ther 2023; 15:10. [PMID: 36624497 PMCID: PMC9830747 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-022-01121-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The risk of dementia is higher in women than men. The metabolic consequences of estrogen decline during menopause accelerate neuropathology in women. The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the prevention of cognitive decline has shown conflicting results. Here we investigate the modulating role of APOE genotype and age at HRT initiation on the heterogeneity in cognitive response to HRT. METHODS The analysis used baseline data from participants in the European Prevention of Alzheimer's Dementia (EPAD) cohort (total n= 1906, women= 1178, 61.8%). Analysis of covariate (ANCOVA) models were employed to test the independent and interactive impact of APOE genotype and HRT on select cognitive tests, such as MMSE, RBANS, dot counting, Four Mountain Test (FMT), and the supermarket trolley test (SMT), together with volumes of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) regions by MRI. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the impact of age of HRT initiation according to APOE4 carrier status on these cognitive and MRI outcomes. RESULTS APOE4 HRT users had the highest RBANS delayed memory index score (P-APOE*HRT interaction = 0.009) compared to APOE4 non-users and to non-APOE4 carriers, with 6-10% larger entorhinal (left) and amygdala (right and left) volumes (P-interaction= 0.002, 0.003, and 0.005 respectively). Earlier introduction of HRT was associated with larger right (standardized β= -0.555, p=0.035) and left hippocampal volumes (standardized β= -0.577, p=0.028) only in APOE4 carriers. CONCLUSION HRT introduction is associated with improved delayed memory and larger entorhinal and amygdala volumes in APOE4 carriers only. This may represent an effective targeted strategy to mitigate the higher life-time risk of AD in this large at-risk population subgroup. Confirmation of findings in a fit for purpose RCT with prospective recruitment based on APOE genotype is needed to establish causality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasha N M Saleh
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
| | | | - Craig W Ritchie
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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13
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Essers E, Binter AC, Neumann A, White T, Alemany S, Guxens M. Air pollution exposure during pregnancy and childhood, APOE ε4 status and Alzheimer polygenic risk score, and brain structural morphology in preadolescents. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 216:114595. [PMID: 36257450 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution exposure is associated with impaired neurodevelopment, altered structural brain morphology in children, and neurodegenerative disorders. Differential susceptibility to air pollution may be influenced by genetic features. OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype or the polygenic risk score (PRS) for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) modify the association between air pollution exposure during pregnancy and childhood and structural brain morphology in preadolescents. METHODS We included 1186 children from the Generation R Study. Concentrations of fourteen air pollutants were calculated at participants' home addresses during pregnancy and childhood using land-use-regression models. Structural brain images were collected at age 9-12 years to assess cortical and subcortical brain volumes. APOE status and PRS for AD were examined as genetic modifiers. Linear regression models were used to conduct single-pollutant and multi-pollutant (using the Deletion/Substitution/Addition algorithm) analyses with a two-way interaction between air pollution and each genetic modifier. RESULTS Higher pregnancy coarse particulate matter (PMcoarse) and childhood polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure was differentially associated with larger cerebral white matter volume in APOE ε4 carriers compared to non-carriers (29,485 mm3 (95% CI 6,189; 52,781) and 18,663 mm3 (469; 36,856), respectively). Higher pregnancy PMcoarse exposure was differentially associated with larger cortical grey matter volume in children with higher compared to lower PRS for AD (19436 mm3 (825, 38,046)). DISCUSSION APOE status and PRS for AD possibly modify the association between air pollution exposure and brain structural morphology in preadolescents. Higher air pollution exposure is associated with larger cortical volumes in APOE ε4 carriers and children with a high PRS for AD. This is in line with typical brain development, suggesting an antagonistic pleiotropic effect of these genetic features (i.e., protective effect in early-life, but neurodegenerative effect in adulthood). However, we cannot discard chance findings. Future studies should evaluate trajectorial brain development using a longitudinal design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmée Essers
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Anne-Claire Binter
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Alexander Neumann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Complex Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease Group, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Silvia Alemany
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health, and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Mònica Guxens
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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14
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Watts A, Haneline S, Welsh-Bohmer KA, Wu J, Alexander R, Swerdlow RH, Burns DK, Saunders AM. TOMM40 '523 Genotype Distinguishes Patterns of Cognitive Improvement for Executive Function in APOEɛ3 Homozygotes. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 95:1697-1707. [PMID: 37718796 PMCID: PMC10578241 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND TOMM40 '523 has been associated with cognitive performance and risk for developing Alzheimer's disease independent of the effect of APOE genotype. Few studies have considered the longitudinal effect of this genotype on change in cognition over time. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between TOMM40 genotype status and change in cognitive performance in the TOMMORROW study, which was designed to prospectively evaluate an algorithm that includes TOMM40 '523 for genetic risk for conversion to mild cognitive impairment. METHODS We used latent growth curve models to estimate the effect of TOMM40 allele carrier (short, very long) status on the intercept and slope of change in cognitive performance in four broad cognitive domains (attention, memory, executive function, and language) and a combined overall cognitive score over 30 months. RESULTS TOMM40 very long allele carriers had significantly lower baseline performance for the combined overall cognitive function score (B = -0.088, p = 0.034) and for the executive function domain score (B = -0.143, p = 0.013). Slopes for TOMM40 very long carriers had significantly greater increases over time for the executive function domain score only. In sensitivity analyses, the results for executive function were observed in participants who remained clinically stable, but not in those who progressed clinically over the study duration. CONCLUSIONS Our results add to the growing body of evidence that TOMM40, in the absence of APOEɛ4, may contribute to cognitive changes with aging and dementia and support the view that mitochondrial function is an important contributor to Alzheimer's disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Watts
- University of Kansas, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Fairway, KS, USA
| | - Stephen Haneline
- Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals, Research Triangle Park, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Jingtao Wu
- Takeda Development Center Americas, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Daniel K. Burns
- Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals, Research Triangle Park, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ann M. Saunders
- Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals, Research Triangle Park, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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15
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The impact of context on pattern separation for objects among younger and older apolipoprotein ϵ4 carriers and noncarriers. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2022; 29:439-449. [PMID: 36416211 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617722000455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE On continuous recognition tasks, changing the context objects are embedded in impairs memory. Older adults are worse on pattern separation tasks requiring identification of similar objects compared to younger adults. However, how contexts impact pattern separation in aging is unclear. The apolipoprotein (APOE) ϵ4 allele may exacerbate possible age-related changes due to early, elevated neuropathology. The goal of this study is to determine how context and APOE status affect pattern separation among younger and older adults. METHOD Older and younger ϵ4 carriers and noncarriers were given a continuous object recognition task. Participants indicated if objects on a Repeated White background, Repeated Scene, or a Novel Scene were old, similar, or new. The proportions of correct responses and the types of errors made were calculated. RESULTS Novel scenes lowered recognition scores compared to all other contexts for everyone. Younger adults outperformed older adults on identifying similar objects. Older adults misidentified similar objects as old more than new, and the repeated scene exacerbated this error. APOE status interacted with scene and age such that in repeated scenes, younger carriers produced less false alarms, and this trend switched for older adults where carriers made more false alarms. CONCLUSIONS Context impacted recognition memory in the same way for both age groups. Older adults underutilized details and over relied on holistic information during pattern separation compared to younger adults. The triple interaction in false alarms may indicate an even greater reliance on holistic information among older adults with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease.
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16
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Mulugeta A, Navale SS, Lumsden AL, Llewellyn DJ, Hyppönen E. Healthy Lifestyle, Genetic Risk and Brain Health: A Gene-Environment Interaction Study in the UK Biobank. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14193907. [PMID: 36235559 PMCID: PMC9570683 DOI: 10.3390/nu14193907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic susceptibility and lifestyle affect the risk of dementia but there is little direct evidence for their associations with preclinical changes in brain structure. We investigated the association of genetic dementia risk and healthy lifestyle with brain morphometry, and whether effects from elevated genetic risk are modified by lifestyle changes. We used prospective data from up to 25,894 UK Biobank participants (median follow-up of 8.8 years), and defined healthy lifestyle according to American Heart Association criteria as BMI < 30, no smoking, healthy diet and regular physical activity). Higher genetic risk was associated with lower hippocampal volume (beta −0.16 cm3, 95% CI −0.22, −0.11) and total brain volume (−4.34 cm3, 95% CI −7.68, −1.01) in participants aged ≥60 years but not <60 years. Healthy lifestyle was associated with higher total brain, grey matter and hippocampal volumes, and lower volume of white matter hyperintensities, with no effect modification by age or genetic risk. In conclusion, adverse effects of high genetic risk on brain health were only found in older participants, while adhering to healthy lifestyle recommendations is beneficial regardless of age or genetic risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anwar Mulugeta
- Australian Centre for Precision Health, Unit of Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, College of Health Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 9086, Ethiopia
| | - Shreeya S. Navale
- Australian Centre for Precision Health, Unit of Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Amanda L. Lumsden
- Australian Centre for Precision Health, Unit of Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - David J. Llewellyn
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Devon EX1 2LU, UK
- Alan Turing Institute, London NW1 2DB, UK
| | - Elina Hyppönen
- Australian Centre for Precision Health, Unit of Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-(08)-83022518
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17
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Kim H, Devanand DP, Carlson S, Goldberg TE. Apolipoprotein E Genotype e2: Neuroprotection and Its Limits. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:919712. [PMID: 35912085 PMCID: PMC9329577 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.919712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we comprehensively, qualitatively, and critically synthesized several features of APOE-e2, a known APOE protective variant, including its associations with longevity, cognition, and neuroimaging, and neuropathology, all in humans. If e2’s protective effects—and their limits—could be elucidated, it could offer therapeutic windows for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) prevention or amelioration. Literature examining e2 within the years 1994–2021 were considered for this review. Studies on human subjects were selectively reviewed and were excluded if observation of e2 was not specified. Effects of e2 were compared with e3 and e4, separately and as a combined non-e2 group. Our examination of existing literature indicated that the most robust protective role of e2 is in longevity and AD neuropathologies, but e2’s effect on cognition and other AD imaging markers (brain structure, function, and metabolism) were inconsistent, thus inconclusive. Notably, e2 was associated with greater risk of non-AD proteinopathies and a disadvantageous cerebrovascular profile. We identified multiple methodological shortcomings of the literature on brain function and cognition that could have contributed to inconsistent and potentially misleading findings. We make careful interpretations of existing findings and provide directions for research strategies that could effectively examine the independent and unbiased effect of e2 on AD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Davangere P. Devanand
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Scott Carlson
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Terry E. Goldberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Terry E. Goldberg,
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18
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Wang YL, Sun M, Wang FZ, Wang X, Jia Z, Zhang Y, Li R, Jiang J, Wang L, Li W, Sun Y, Chen J, Zhang C, Shi B, Liu J, Liu X, Xu J. Mediation of the APOE Associations With Cognition Through Cerebral Blood Flow: The CIBL Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:928925. [PMID: 35847686 PMCID: PMC9279129 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.928925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is a strong genetic risk factor for aging-related cognitive decline. However, the causal connection between ε4 alleles and cognition is not well understood. The objective of this study was to identify the roles of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in cognitive-related brain areas in mediating the associations of APOE with cognition. Methods The multiple linear regression analyses were conducted on 369 subjects (mean age of 68.8 years; 62.9% of women; 29.3% of APOE ε4 allele carriers). Causal mediation analyses with 5,000 bootstrapped iterations were conducted to explore the mediation effects. Result APOE ε4 allele was negatively associated with cognition (P < 0.05) and CBF in the amygdala, hippocampus, middle temporal gyrus, posterior cingulate, and precuneus (all P < 0.05). The effect of the APOE genotype on cognition was partly mediated by the above CBF (all P < 0.05). Conclusion CBF partially mediates the potential links between APOE genotype and cognition. Overall, the APOE ε4 allele may lead to a dysregulation of the vascular structure and function with reduced cerebral perfusion, which in turn leads to cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Li Wang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengfan Sun
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Fang-Ze Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Weifang People’s Hospital, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Ziyan Jia
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Runzhi Li
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiwei Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Linlin Wang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenyi Li
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongan Sun
- Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinglong Chen
- Division of Neurology, Department of Geriatrics, National Clinical Key Specialty, Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cuicui Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Baolin Shi
- Department of Neurology, Weifang People’s Hospital, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Jianjian Liu
- Department of Neurology, Fuxing Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangrong Liu
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jun Xu,
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19
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Diaz JR, Martá-Ariza M, Khodadadi-Jamayran A, Heguy A, Tsirigos A, Pankiewicz JE, Sullivan PM, Sadowski MJ. Apolipoprotein E4 Effects a Distinct Transcriptomic Profile and Dendritic Arbor Characteristics in Hippocampal Neurons Cultured in vitro. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:845291. [PMID: 35572125 PMCID: PMC9099260 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.845291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The APOE gene is diversified by three alleles ε2, ε3, and ε4 encoding corresponding apolipoprotein (apo) E isoforms. Possession of the ε4 allele is signified by increased risks of age-related cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and the rate of AD dementia progression. ApoE is secreted by astrocytes as high-density lipoprotein-like particles and these are internalized by neurons upon binding to neuron-expressed apoE receptors. ApoE isoforms differentially engage neuronal plasticity through poorly understood mechanisms. We examined here the effects of native apoE lipoproteins produced by immortalized astrocytes homozygous for ε2, ε3, and ε4 alleles on the maturation and the transcriptomic profile of primary hippocampal neurons. Control neurons were grown in the presence of conditioned media from Apoe -/- astrocytes. ApoE2 and apoE3 significantly increase the dendritic arbor branching, the combined neurite length, and the total arbor surface of the hippocampal neurons, while apoE4 fails to produce similar effects and even significantly reduces the combined neurite length compared to the control. ApoE lipoproteins show no systemic effect on dendritic spine density, yet apoE2 and apoE3 increase the mature spines fraction, while apoE4 increases the immature spine fraction. This is associated with opposing effects of apoE2 or apoE3 and apoE4 on the expression of NR1 NMDA receptor subunit and PSD95. There are 1,062 genes differentially expressed across neurons cultured in the presence of apoE lipoproteins compared to the control. KEGG enrichment and gene ontology analyses show apoE2 and apoE3 commonly activate expression of genes involved in neurite branching, and synaptic signaling. In contrast, apoE4 cultured neurons show upregulation of genes related to the glycolipid metabolism, which are involved in dendritic spine turnover, and those which are usually silent in neurons and are related to cell cycle and DNA repair. In conclusion, our work reveals that lipoprotein particles comprised of various apoE isoforms differentially regulate various neuronal arbor characteristics through interaction with neuronal transcriptome. ApoE4 produces a functionally distinct transcriptomic profile, which is associated with attenuated neuronal development. Differential regulation of neuronal transcriptome by apoE isoforms is a newly identified biological mechanism, which has both implication in the development and aging of the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny R. Diaz
- Department of Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mitchell Martá-Ariza
- Department of Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Adriana Heguy
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Aristotelis Tsirigos
- Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Joanna E. Pankiewicz
- Department of Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Patrick M. Sullivan
- Department of Medicine (Geriatrics), Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
- Durham VA Medical Center’s, Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Martin J. Sadowski
- Department of Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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20
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Regy M, Dugravot A, Sabia S, Fayosse A, Mangin JF, Chupin M, Fischer C, Bouteloup V, Dufouil C, Chêne G, Paquet C, Hanseeuw B, Singh-Manoux A, Dumurgier J. Association of APOE ε4 with cerebral gray matter volumes in non-demented older adults: the MEMENTO cohort study. Neuroimage 2022; 250:118966. [PMID: 35122970 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.118966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Data on 2,045 non-demented individuals with memory complaints were drawn from the Memento cohort study to examine the association between Apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (APOE4) and regional brain gray matter volumes. Linear regression was used to examine the association of APOE4 and measures of regional gray matter volumes in cross-sectional analysis and change therein using longitudinal analyses based on two brain MRI performed at baseline and at two-year follow-up. Overall, in analyses adjusted for age, sex, and intracranial volume, the presence of APOE4 was associated with lower total gray matter volume at baseline and with a higher atrophy rate over the follow-up. The hippocampus and entorhinal cortex were the two gray matter regions most associated with APOE4. Further adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors had little impact on these associations. There was an interaction between age, APOE4 status and total brain volume atrophy rate, with evidence of an earlier age at onset of atrophy in hippocampal volume in APOE4 carriers compared to non-carriers. Those results are in accordance with the role of medial temporal structures in the greater risk of dementia observed in people carrying the APOE4 allele.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Regy
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative diseases, Paris, France; Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain, Belgium.
| | - Aline Dugravot
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative diseases, Paris, France
| | - Séverine Sabia
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative diseases, Paris, France; University College London, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aurore Fayosse
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative diseases, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Francois Mangin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, CATI, NeuroSpin, Baobab, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Marie Chupin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, CATI, NeuroSpin, Baobab, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Clara Fischer
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, CATI, NeuroSpin, Baobab, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Vincent Bouteloup
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Pôle de Santé publique Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux, Inserm, UMR 1219, Inserm, CIC1401-EC, Bordeaux, France
| | - Carole Dufouil
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Pôle de Santé publique Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux, Inserm, UMR 1219, Inserm, CIC1401-EC, Bordeaux, France
| | - Geneviève Chêne
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Pôle de Santé publique Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux, Inserm, UMR 1219, Inserm, CIC1401-EC, Bordeaux, France
| | - Claire Paquet
- GHU APHP Nord Université de Paris Lariboisiere - Fernand Widal Paris, France; Université de Paris, INSERMU1144, Paris France
| | - Bernard Hanseeuw
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain, Belgium; Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Archana Singh-Manoux
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative diseases, Paris, France; University College London, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Julien Dumurgier
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative diseases, Paris, France; GHU APHP Nord Université de Paris Lariboisiere - Fernand Widal Paris, France
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21
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Wang G, Zhou W, Kong D, Qu Z, Ba M, Hao J, Yao T, Dong Q, Su Y, Reiman EM, Caselli RJ, Chen K, Wang Y. Studying APOE ɛ4 Allele Dose Effects with a Univariate Morphometry Biomarker. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 85:1233-1250. [PMID: 34924383 PMCID: PMC10498787 DOI: 10.3233/jad-215149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A univariate neurodegeneration biomarker (UNB) based on MRI with strong statistical discrimination power would be highly desirable for studying hippocampal surface morphological changes associated with APOE ɛ4 genetic risk for AD in the cognitively unimpaired (CU) population. However, existing UNB work either fails to model large group variances or does not capture AD induced changes. OBJECTIVE We proposed a subspace decomposition method capable of exploiting a UNB to represent the hippocampal morphological changes related to the APOE ɛ4 dose effects among the longitudinal APOE ɛ4 homozygotes (HM, N = 30), heterozygotes (HT, N = 49) and non-carriers (NC, N = 61). METHODS Rank minimization mechanism combined with sparse constraint considering the local continuity of the hippocampal atrophy regions is used to extract group common structures. Based on the group common structures of amyloid-β (Aβ) positive AD patients and Aβ negative CU subjects, we identified the regions-of-interest (ROI), which reflect significant morphometry changes caused by the AD development. Then univariate morphometry index (UMI) is constructed from these ROIs. RESULTS The proposed UMI demonstrates a more substantial statistical discrimination power to distinguish the longitudinal groups with different APOE ɛ4 genotypes than the hippocampal volume measurements. And different APOE ɛ4 allele load affects the shrinkage rate of the hippocampus, i.e., HM genotype will cause the largest atrophy rate, followed by HT, and the smallest is NC. CONCLUSION The UMIs may capture the APOE ɛ4 risk allele-induced brain morphometry abnormalities and reveal the dose effects of APOE ɛ4 on the hippocampal morphology in cognitively normal individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wang
- School of Ulsan Ship and Ocean College, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Wenju Zhou
- School of Mechatronic Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Deping Kong
- School of Information and Electrical Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Zongshuai Qu
- School of Information and Electrical Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Maowen Ba
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai, China
| | - Jinguang Hao
- School of Information and Electrical Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Tao Yao
- School of Information and Electrical Engineering, Ludong University, Yantai, China
| | - Qunxi Dong
- Institute of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
- School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Yi Su
- Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, 100 Washtenaw Avenue, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Eric M Reiman
- Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, 100 Washtenaw Avenue, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | | | - Kewei Chen
- Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, 100 Washtenaw Avenue, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Yalin Wang
- School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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22
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Carmichael J, Hicks AJ, Spitz G, Gould KR, Ponsford J. Moderators of gene-outcome associations following traumatic brain injury. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:107-124. [PMID: 34411558 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The field of genomics is the principal avenue in the ongoing development of precision/personalised medicine for a variety of health conditions. However, relating genes to outcomes is notoriously complex, especially when considering that other variables can change, or moderate, gene-outcome associations. Here, we comprehensively discuss moderation of gene-outcome associations in the context of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a common, chronically debilitating, and costly neurological condition that is under complex polygenic influence. We focus our narrative review on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of three of the most studied genes (apolipoprotein E, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and catechol-O-methyltransferase) and on three demographic variables believed to moderate associations between these SNPs and TBI outcomes (age, biological sex, and ethnicity). We speculate on the mechanisms which may underlie these moderating effects, drawing widely from biomolecular and behavioural research (n = 175 scientific reports) within the TBI population (n = 72) and other neurological, healthy, ageing, and psychiatric populations (n = 103). We conclude with methodological recommendations for improved exploration of moderators in future genetics research in TBI and other populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jai Carmichael
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.
| | - Amelia J Hicks
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Gershon Spitz
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Kate Rachel Gould
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Jennie Ponsford
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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23
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Zhang H, Chiu PW, Ip I, Liu T, Wong GHY, Song YQ, Wong SWH, Herrup K, Mak HKF. Asymmetric left-right hippocampal glutamatergic modulation of cognitive control in ApoE-isoform subjects is unrelated to neuroinflammation. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:5310-5326. [PMID: 34309092 PMCID: PMC9290961 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The glutamatergic cycle is essential in modulating memory processing by the hippocampal circuitry. Our combined proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H‐MRS) and task‐based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study (using face‐name paired‐associates encoding and retrieval task) of a cognitively normal cohort of 67 healthy adults (18 ApoE4 carriers and 49 non‐ApoE4 carriers) found altered patterns of relationships between glutamatergic‐modulated synaptic signalling and neuronal activity or functional hyperaemia in the ApoE4 isoforms. Our study highlighted the asymmetric left–right hippocampal glutamatergic system in modulating neuronal activities in ApoE4 carriers versus non‐carriers. Such brain differentiation might be developmental cognitive advantages or compensatory due to impaired synaptic integrity and plasticity in ApoE4 carriers. As there was no difference in myoinositol levels measured by MRS between the ApoE4 and non‐ApoE4 subgroups, the mechanism is unlikely to be a response to neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Alzheimer's Disease Research Network, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Pui Wai Chiu
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Isaac Ip
- Department of Educational Psychology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Tianyin Liu
- Department of Social Work and Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Gloria Hoi Yan Wong
- Department of Social Work and Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - You-Qiang Song
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Savio Wai Ho Wong
- Department of Educational Psychology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Karl Herrup
- Alzheimer Disease Research Centre, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Henry Ka Fung Mak
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Alzheimer's Disease Research Network, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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24
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Mentink LJ, Guimarães JPOFT, Faber M, Sprooten E, Olde Rikkert MGM, Haak KV, Beckmann CF. Functional co-activation of the default mode network in APOE ε4-carriers: A replication study. Neuroimage 2021; 240:118304. [PMID: 34329959 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural and functional alterations of the brain in persons genetically at-risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are crucial in unravelling AD development. Filippini et al. found that the default mode network (DMN) is already affected in young APOE ε4-carriers, with increased co-activation of the DMN during rest and increased hippocampal task activation. We aimed to replicate the early findings of Filippini et al, using the APOE gene, still the principal AD risk gene, and extended this with a polygenic risk score (PRS) analysis for AD, using the Human Connectome Project dataset (HCP). We included participants from the HCP S1200 dataset (age range: 22-36 years). We studied morphometric features, functional DMN co-activation and functional task activation of recollection performance. Permutation Analysis of Linear Models (PALM) was used to test for group differences between APOE ε4-carriers and non-carriers, and to test the association with PRS. PALM controls for biases induced by the family structure of the HCP sample. Results were family-wise error rate corrected at p < 0.05. Our primary analysis did not replicate the early findings of Filippini et al. (2009). However, compared with non-carriers, APOE ε4-carriers showed increased functional activation during the encoding of subsequently recollected items in areas related to facial recognition (p<0.05, t>756.11). This increased functional activation was also positively associated with PRS (APOE variants included) (p<0.05, t>647.55). Our results are supportive for none to limited genetic effects on brain structure and function in young adults. Taking the methodological considerations of replication studies into account, the true effect of APOE ε4-carriership is likely smaller than indicated in the Filippini paper. However, it still holds that we may not yet be able to detect already present measurable effects decades before a clinical expression of AD. Since the mechanistic pathway of AD is likely to encompass many different factors, further research should be focused on the interactions of genetic risk, biomarkers, aging and lifestyle factors over the life course. Sensitive functional neuroimaging as used here may help disentangling these complex interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara J Mentink
- Department of Geriatrics, Radboudumc Alzheimer Centre, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - João P O F T Guimarães
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Myrthe Faber
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Communication and Cognition, Tilburg Center for Cognition and Communication, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
| | - Emma Sprooten
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Marcel G M Olde Rikkert
- Department of Geriatrics, Radboudumc Alzheimer Centre, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Koen V Haak
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Christian F Beckmann
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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25
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Coppens R, Rabinovich NE, Kanneganti R, Diggs HA, Wiggs K, Healey T, Huggenvik J, Rose GM, Gilbert DG. APOE genotype influences P3b amplitude and response to smoking abstinence in young adults. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:1171-1181. [PMID: 33506304 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05763-5] [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: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE There is strong evidence that nicotine can enhance cognitive functions and growing evidence that this effect may be larger in young healthy APOE ε4 carriers. However, the moderating effects of the APOE ε4 allele on cognitive impairments caused by nicotine deprivation in chronic smokers have not yet been studied with brain indices. OBJECTIVE We sought to determine whether young female carriers of the APOE ε4 allele, relative to noncarriers, would exhibit larger abstinence-induced decreases in P3b amplitude during a two-stimulus auditory oddball task. METHODS We compared parietal P3bs in female chronic smokers with either APOE ε3/ε3 (n = 54) or ε3/ε4 (n = 20) genotype under nicotine-sated conditions and after 12-17-h nicotine deprivation. RESULTS Nicotine deprivation significantly reduced P3b amplitudes in APOE ε4 carriers, but not in APOE-ε3/ε3 individuals, such that the difference seen prior to nicotine deprivation was eliminated. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that subjects with the APOE ε4 allele are more sensitive to nicotine, which could influence smoking patterns, the risk for nicotine dependence, and the cognitive effects of nicotine use in these individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Coppens
- Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
- Center for Integrated Research in Cognitive & Neural Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Norka E Rabinovich
- Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | | | - Herman A Diggs
- Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
- Center for Integrated Research in Cognitive & Neural Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Kristin Wiggs
- Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Travis Healey
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, USA
| | - Jodi Huggenvik
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, USA
| | - Gregory M Rose
- Center for Integrated Research in Cognitive & Neural Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, USA
| | - David G Gilbert
- Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA.
- Center for Integrated Research in Cognitive & Neural Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA.
- School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Mail Code 6502, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA.
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26
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Elverman KH, Paitel ER, Figueroa CM, McKindles RJ, Nielson KA. Event-Related Potentials, Inhibition, and Risk for Alzheimer's Disease Among Cognitively Intact Elders. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 80:1413-1428. [PMID: 33682720 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite advances in understanding Alzheimer's disease (AD), prediction of AD prior to symptom onset remains severely limited, even when primary risk factors such as the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 allele are known. OBJECTIVE Although executive dysfunction is highly prevalent and is a primary contributor to loss of independence in those with AD, few studies have examined neural differences underlying executive functioning as indicators of risk for AD prior to symptom onset, when intervention might be effective. METHODS This study examined event-related potential (ERP) differences during inhibitory control in 44 cognitively intact older adults (20 ɛ4+, 24 ɛ4-), relative to 41 young adults. All participants completed go/no-go and stop-signal tasks. RESULTS Overall, both older adult groups exhibited slower reaction times and longer ERP latencies compared to young adults. Older adults also had generally smaller N200 and P300 amplitudes, except at frontal electrodes and for N200 stop-signal amplitudes, which were larger in older adults. Considered with intact task accuracy, these findings suggest age-related neural compensation. Although ɛ4 did not distinguish elders during go or no-go tasks, this study uniquely showed that the more demanding stop-signal task was sensitive to ɛ4 differences, despite comparable task and neuropsychological performance with non-carriers. Specifically, ɛ4+ elders had slower frontal N200 latency and larger N200 amplitude, which was most robust at frontal sites, compared with ɛ4-. CONCLUSION N200 during a stop-signal task is sensitive to AD risk, prior to any evidence of cognitive dysfunction, suggesting that stop-signal ERPs may be an important protocol addition to neuropsychological testing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ryan J McKindles
- Marquette University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Kristy A Nielson
- Marquette University, Department of Psychology, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Neurology, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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27
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Gharbi-Meliani A, Dugravot A, Sabia S, Regy M, Fayosse A, Schnitzler A, Kivimäki M, Singh-Manoux A, Dumurgier J. The association of APOE ε4 with cognitive function over the adult life course and incidence of dementia: 20 years follow-up of the Whitehall II study. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2021; 13:5. [PMID: 33397450 PMCID: PMC7784268 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-020-00740-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Approximately 25% of the general population carries at least one ε4 allele of the Apolipoprotein E (APOE ε4), the strongest genetic risk factor for late onset Alzheimer's disease. Beyond its association with late-onset dementia, the association between APOE ε4 and change in cognition over the adult life course remains uncertain. This study aims to examine whether the association between Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 zygosity and cognition function is modified between midlife and old age. METHODS A cohort study of 5561 participants (mean age 55.5 (SD = 5.9) years, 27.1% women) with APOE genotyping and repeated cognitive tests for reasoning, memory, and semantic and phonemic fluency, during a mean (SD) follow-up of 20.2 (2.8) years (the Whitehall II study). We used joint models to examine the association of APOE genotype with cognitive function trajectories between 45 and 85 years taking drop-out, dementia, and death into account and Fine and Gray models to examine associations with dementia. RESULTS Compared to non-carriers, heterozygote (prevalence 25%) and homozygote (prevalence 2%) APOE ε4 carriers had increased risk of dementia, sub-distribution hazard ratios 2.19 (95% CI 1.73, 2.77) and 5.97 (95% CI 3.85, 9.28) respectively. Using data spanning 45-85 years with non-ε4 carriers as the reference, ε4 homozygotes had poorer global cognitive score starting from 65 years; ε4 heterozygotes had better scores between 45 and 55 years, then no difference until poorer cognitive scores from 75 years onwards. In analysis of individual cognitive tests, better cognitive performance in the younger ε4 heterozygotes was primarily attributable to executive function. CONCLUSIONS Both heterozygous and homozygous ε4 carriers had poorer cognition and greater risk of dementia at older ages. Our findings show some support for a complex antagonist pleiotropic effect of APOE ε4 heterozygosity over the adult life course, characterized by cognitive advantage in midlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Gharbi-Meliani
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Paris, France
| | - Aline Dugravot
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Paris, France
| | - Séverine Sabia
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Paris, France
| | - Melina Regy
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Paris, France
| | - Aurore Fayosse
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Paris, France
| | - Alexis Schnitzler
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Paris, France
| | - Mika Kivimäki
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Archana Singh-Manoux
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Paris, France.,Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Julien Dumurgier
- Université de Paris, Inserm U1153, Epidemiology of Ageing and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Paris, France. .,Cognitive Neurology Center, Lariboisiere - Fernand Widal Hospital, AP-HP, Université de Paris, 200 rue du Faubourg Saint Denis, 75010, Paris, France.
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Genetic Alzheimer’s Disease Risk Affects the Neural Mechanisms of Pattern Separation in Hippocampal Subfields. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4201-4212.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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Henson RN, Suri S, Knights E, Rowe JB, Kievit RA, Lyall DM, Chan D, Eising E, Fisher SE. Effect of apolipoprotein E polymorphism on cognition and brain in the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience cohort. Brain Neurosci Adv 2020; 4:2398212820961704. [PMID: 33088920 PMCID: PMC7545750 DOI: 10.1177/2398212820961704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymorphisms in the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene have been associated with individual differences in cognition, brain structure and brain function. For example, the ε4 allele has been associated with cognitive and brain impairment in old age and increased risk of dementia, while the ε2 allele has been claimed to be neuroprotective. According to the ‘antagonistic pleiotropy’ hypothesis, these polymorphisms have different effects across the lifespan, with ε4, for example, postulated to confer benefits on cognitive and brain functions earlier in life. In this stage 2 of the Registered Report – https://osf.io/bufc4, we report the results from the cognitive and brain measures in the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience cohort (www.cam-can.org). We investigated the antagonistic pleiotropy hypothesis by testing for allele-by-age interactions in approximately 600 people across the adult lifespan (18–88 years), on six outcome variables related to cognition, brain structure and brain function (namely, fluid intelligence, verbal memory, hippocampal grey-matter volume, mean diffusion within white matter and resting-state connectivity measured by both functional magnetic resonance imaging and magnetoencephalography). We found no evidence to support the antagonistic pleiotropy hypothesis. Indeed, Bayes factors supported the null hypothesis in all cases, except for the (linear) interaction between age and possession of the ε4 allele on fluid intelligence, for which the evidence for faster decline in older ages was ambiguous. Overall, these pre-registered analyses question the antagonistic pleiotropy of APOE polymorphisms, at least in healthy adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard N Henson
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sana Suri
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ethan Knights
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rogier A Kievit
- MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Donald M Lyall
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Dennis Chan
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Else Eising
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Simon E Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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30
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Superior short-term memory in APOE ε2 carriers across the age range. Behav Brain Res 2020; 397:112918. [PMID: 32961217 PMCID: PMC7732594 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The Apolipoprotein-E (APOE) ε2 allele is known to be protective against Alzheimer’s disease. We tested the effect of this allele on cognitive performance, as measured by a sensitive short-term memory task. A large cohort of genotyped participants performed this task remotely. ε2 carriers demonstrated superior memory performance in young, middle-aged, and older participants.
The Apolipoprotein-E (APOE) gene is now known to be associated with individual differences in cognitive health in ageing. However, while the APOE ε4 allele confers significantly increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the APOE ε2 allele is hypothesized to be protective against the development of AD. This is in line with neuroimaging and pathological findings associated with ε2 APOE allele, which go in the opposite direction to those observed in AD-related pathology. However, the precise impact of this allele on cognition remains inconclusive, with some small-cohort studies raising the possibility of an advantageous memory performance in these individuals. Here, we tested short-term memory (STM) performance in a large cohort of individuals, 300 of which were ε2/ε3 carriers. Their performance was compared to 554 ε3/ε3 carriers. We included participants from a wide age range spanning young, middle-aged and elderly adults. All of them performed a STM task that has previously been shown to be sensitive to subtle changes in memory in various patient and at-risk cohorts. Individuals carrying the APOE-ε2 allele exhibited a significant memory advantage, regardless of STM task difficulty and across all ages. The observed memory advantage was present across the age range, suggestive of a phenotypical effect of this allele on cognition, possibly independent of any effects of this genetic allele that occur later life in these individuals.
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31
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McDonough IM, Festini SB, Wood MM. Risk for Alzheimer's disease: A review of long-term episodic memory encoding and retrieval fMRI studies. Ageing Res Rev 2020; 62:101133. [PMID: 32717407 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Many risk factors have been identified that predict future progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, clear links have yet to be made between these risk factors and how they affect brain functioning in early stages of AD. We conducted a narrative review and a quantitative analysis to better understand the relationship between nine categories of AD risk (i.e., brain pathology, genetics/family history, vascular health, head trauma, cognitive decline, engagement in daily life, late-life depression, sex/gender, and ethnoracial group) and task-evoked fMRI activity during episodic memory in cognitively-normal older adults. Our narrative review revealed widespread regional alterations of both greater and lower brain activity with AD risk. Nevertheless, our quantitative analysis revealed that a subset of studies converged on two patterns: AD risk was associated with (1) greater brain activity in frontal and parietal regions, but (2) reduced brain activity in hippocampal and occipital regions. The brain regions affected depended on the assessed memory stage (encoding or retrieval). Although the results clearly indicate that AD risks impact brain activity, we caution against using fMRI as a diagnostic tool for AD at the current time because the above consistencies were present among much variability, even among the same risk factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M McDonough
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, BOX 870348, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA.
| | - Sara B Festini
- Department of Psychology, University of Tampa, 401 W Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, FL 33606, USA
| | - Meagan M Wood
- Department of Psychology, Valdosta State University, 1500 N. Patterson Street, Valdosta, GA 31698, USA
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32
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Smith CJ, Ashford JW, Perfetti TA. Putative Survival Advantages in Young Apolipoprotein ɛ4 Carriers are Associated with Increased Neural Stress. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 68:885-923. [PMID: 30814349 PMCID: PMC6484250 DOI: 10.3233/jad-181089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Inheritance of a single copy of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 allele increases risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by 3-4-fold, with homozygosity associated with a 12-16-fold increase in risk, relative to ɛ3 allele homozygosity. There is a decreased risk associated with the APOE ɛ2 allele. The pathological consequence of APOE genotype has led to intense efforts to understand the mechanistic basis of the interplay between APOE status and loss of synapses. Numerous ɛ4 allele-related associations have been reported with the potential relevance of these associations to the pathogenesis of AD unknown at this time. In primarily young subjects, we have reviewed a representative body of literature on ɛ4 allele-associations related to the following: cardiovascular responses; impacts on reproduction and fetal development; co-morbidities; resistance to infectious disease; responses to head injury; biochemical differences possibly related to neural stress; and brain structure-function differences. In addition, the literature on the association between the ɛ4 allele and cognitive performance has been reviewed comprehensively. The weight-of-the-evidence supports the hypothesis that possession of the ancestral ɛ4 allele in youth is associated with improved fitness during fetal development, infancy, and youth relative to the more recently appearing ɛ3 allele, at the expense of decreased fitness in old age, which is substantially improved by the ɛ3 allele. However, possession of the ɛ4 allele is also associated with higher levels of synaptic macromolecular turnover, which likely stresses basic cellular neuroplasticity mechanisms. Clinical trials of potential AD therapeutics should consider APOE status as an enrollment criterion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carr J Smith
- Florida State University, Department of Nurse Anesthesia, Panama City, FL, USA
| | - J Wesson Ashford
- Stanford University and VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
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Smith JA, Zhao W, Yu M, Rumfelt KE, Moorjani P, Ganna A, Dey AB, Lee J, Kardia SLR. Association Between Episodic Memory and Genetic Risk Factors for Alzheimer's Disease in South Asians from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India-Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia (LASI-DAD). J Am Geriatr Soc 2020; 68 Suppl 3:S45-S53. [PMID: 32815605 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Genetic factors play an important role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cognitive aging. However, it is unclear whether risk loci identified in European ancestry (EA) populations have similar effects in other groups, such as South Asians. DESIGN We investigated the allelic distribution and cognitive associations of 56 known AD risk single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified from three EA genome-wide association studies (EA-GWASs) in a South Asian population. Single SNP and genetic risk score (GRS) associations with measures of episodic memory were assessed. SETTING The Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia for the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI-DAD). PARTICIPANTS A total of 906 LASI-DAD participants from diverse states in India. MEASUREMENTS Participants were genotyped using the Illumina Global Screening Array and imputed with 1000G Phase 3v5. Cognitive measures included total learning and delayed word recall. RESULTS Although only a few SNPs were significantly associated with memory scores (P < .05), effect estimates from the EA-GWAS and the LASI-DAD showed moderate correlation (0.35-0.88) in the expected direction. GRSs were also associated with memory scores, although percentage variation explained was small (0.1%-0.6%). CONCLUSIONS Discrepancies in allele frequencies and cognitive association results suggest that genetic factors found predominantly through EA-GWASs may play a limited role in South Asians. However, the extent of differences in the genetic architecture of AD and cognition in EA and South Asians remains uncertain. There is also a critical need to perform a more comprehensive assessment of the mutational spectrum of South Asia to identify novel genetic variants associated with AD and cognition in this population. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:S45-S53, 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Smith
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Wei Zhao
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Miao Yu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kalee E Rumfelt
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Priya Moorjani
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.,Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Andrea Ganna
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aparajit B Dey
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Jinkook Lee
- Department of Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Sharon L R Kardia
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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34
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McKiernan EF, Mak E, Dounavi ME, Wells K, Ritchie C, Williams G, Su L, O'Brien J. Regional hyperperfusion in cognitively normal APOE ε4 allele carriers in mid-life: analysis of ASL pilot data from the PREVENT-Dementia cohort. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2020; 91:861-866. [PMID: 32586852 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-322924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regional cerebral hypoperfusion is characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previous studies report conflicting findings in cognitively normal individuals at high risk of AD. Understanding early preclinical perfusion alterations may improve understanding of AD pathogenesis and lead to new biomarkers and treatment targets. METHODS 3T arterial spin labelling MRI scans from 162 participants in the PREVENT-Dementia cohort were analysed (cognitively normal participants aged 40-59, stratified by future dementia risk). Cerebral perfusion was compared vertex-wise according to APOE ε4 status and family history (FH). Correlations between individual perfusion, age and cognitive scores (COGNITO battery) were explored. RESULTS Regional hyperperfusion was found in APOE ε4+group (left cingulate and lateral frontal and parietal regions p<0.01, threshold-free cluster enhancement, TFCE) and in FH +group (left temporal and parietal regions p<0.01, TFCE). Perfusion did not correlate with cognitive test scores. CONCLUSIONS Regional cerebral hyperperfusion in individuals at increased risk of AD in mid-life may be a very early marker of functional brain change related to AD. Increased perfusion may reflect a functional 'compensation' mechanism, offsetting the effects of early neural damage or may itself be risk factor for accelerating spread of degenerative pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elijah Mak
- Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Katie Wells
- The Centre for Mental Health, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Craig Ritchie
- Centre for Dementia Prevention, University of Edinburgh Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Guy Williams
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Li Su
- Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John O'Brien
- Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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35
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Bierbrauer A, Kunz L, Gomes CA, Luhmann M, Deuker L, Getzmann S, Wascher E, Gajewski PD, Hengstler JG, Fernandez-Alvarez M, Atienza M, Cammisuli DM, Bonatti F, Pruneti C, Percesepe A, Bellaali Y, Hanseeuw B, Strange BA, Cantero JL, Axmacher N. Unmasking selective path integration deficits in Alzheimer's disease risk carriers. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaba1394. [PMID: 32923622 PMCID: PMC7455192 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba1394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) manifests with progressive memory loss and spatial disorientation. Neuropathological studies suggest early AD pathology in the entorhinal cortex (EC) of young adults at genetic risk for AD (APOE ε4-carriers). Because the EC harbors grid cells, a likely neural substrate of path integration (PI), we examined PI performance in APOE ε4-carriers during a virtual navigation task. We report a selective impairment in APOE ε4-carriers specifically when recruitment of compensatory navigational strategies via supportive spatial cues was disabled. A separate fMRI study revealed that PI performance was associated with the strength of entorhinal grid-like representations when no compensatory strategies were available, suggesting grid cell dysfunction as a mechanistic explanation for PI deficits in APOE ε4-carriers. Furthermore, posterior cingulate/retrosplenial cortex was involved in the recruitment of compensatory navigational strategies via supportive spatial cues. Our results provide evidence for selective PI deficits in AD risk carriers, decades before potential disease onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Bierbrauer
- Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
- Corresponding author. (A.B.); (L.K.); (N.A.)
| | - Lukas Kunz
- Epilepsy Center, Medical Center–University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Str. 64, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Corresponding author. (A.B.); (L.K.); (N.A.)
| | - Carlos A. Gomes
- Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Maike Luhmann
- Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Lorena Deuker
- Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Stephan Getzmann
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Edmund Wascher
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Patrick D. Gajewski
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jan G. Hengstler
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Marina Fernandez-Alvarez
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience, Pablo de Olavide University, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (CIBERNED), Seville, Spain
| | - Mercedes Atienza
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience, Pablo de Olavide University, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (CIBERNED), Seville, Spain
| | - Davide M. Cammisuli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Laboratory of Clinical Psychology, Clinical Psychophysiology and Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonatti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Medical Genetics, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Carlo Pruneti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Laboratory of Clinical Psychology, Clinical Psychophysiology and Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Antonio Percesepe
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Medical Genetics, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Youssef Bellaali
- Department of Neurology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bernard Hanseeuw
- Department of Neurology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bryan A. Strange
- Department of Neuroimaging, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centre, Reina Sofia–CIEN Foundation, Madrid, Spain
- Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose L. Cantero
- Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience, Pablo de Olavide University, Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (CIBERNED), Seville, Spain
| | - Nikolai Axmacher
- Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai Street 19, Beijing 100875, China
- Corresponding author. (A.B.); (L.K.); (N.A.)
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36
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Kulkarni P, Grant S, Morrison TR, Cai X, Iriah S, Kristal BS, Honeycutt J, Brenhouse H, Hartner JC, Madularu D, Ferris CF. Characterizing the human APOE epsilon 4 knock-in transgene in female and male rats with multimodal magnetic resonance imaging. Brain Res 2020; 1747:147030. [PMID: 32745658 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The APOE Ɛ4 genotype is the most prevalent genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Women carriers of Ɛ4 have higher risk for an early onset of AD than men. Human imaging studies suggest apolipoprotein Ɛ4 may affect brain structures associated with cognitive decline in AD many years before disease onset. It was hypothesized that female APOE Ɛ4 carriers would present with decreased cognitive function and neuroradiological evidence of early changes in brain structure and function as compared to male carriers. Six-month old wild-type (WT) and human APOE Ɛ4 knock-in (TGRA8960), male and female Sprague Dawley rats were studied for changes in brain structure using voxel-based morphometry, alteration in white and gray matter microarchitecture using diffusion weighted imaging with indices of anisotropy, and functional coupling using resting state BOLD functional connectivity. Images from each modality were registered to, and analyzed, using a 3D MRI rat atlas providing site-specific data on over 168 different brain areas. Quantitative volumetric analysis revealed areas involved in memory and arousal were significantly different between Ɛ4 and wild-type (WT) females, with few differences between male genotypes. Diffusion weighted imaging showed few differences between WT and Ɛ4 females, while male genotypes showed significant different measures in fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient. Resting state functional connectivity showed Ɛ4 females had greater connectivity between areas involved in cognition, emotion, and arousal compared to WT females, with male Ɛ4 showing few differences from controls. Interestingly, male Ɛ4 showed increased anxiety and decreased performance in spatial and episodic memory tasks compared to WT males, with female genotypes showing little difference across behavioral tests. The sex differences in behavior and diffusion weighted imaging suggest male carriers of the Ɛ4 allele may be more vulnerable to cognitive and emotional complications compared to female carriers early in life. Conversely, the data may also suggest that female carriers are more resilient to cognitive/emotional problems at this stage of life perhaps due to altered brain volumes and enhanced connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Praveen Kulkarni
- Northeastern Univ, Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Simone Grant
- Dept of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Univ California at Davis, United States
| | - Thomas R Morrison
- Northeastern Univ, Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xuezhu Cai
- Northeastern Univ, Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sade Iriah
- Northeastern Univ, Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Bruce S Kristal
- Dept Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Dan Madularu
- Northeastern Univ, Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Craig F Ferris
- Northeastern Univ, Center for Translational NeuroImaging, Boston, MA, United States; Northeastern Univ, Dept. Pharmaceutical Sciences, Boston, MA, United States.
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Norwitz NG, Querfurth H. mTOR Mysteries: Nuances and Questions About the Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin in Neurodegeneration. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:775. [PMID: 32903821 PMCID: PMC7438931 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanistic target of rapamycin protein complex, mTORC1, has received attention in recent years for its role in aging and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Numerous excellent reviews have been written on the pathways and drug targeting of this keystone regulator of metabolism. However, none have specifically highlighted several important nuances of mTOR regulation as relates to neurodegeneration. Herein, we focus on six such nuances/open questions: (1) "Antagonistic pleiotropy" - Should we weigh the beneficial anabolic functions of mTORC1 against its harmful inhibition of autophagy? (2) "Early/late-stage specificity" - Does the relative importance of these neuroprotective/neurotoxic actions change as a disease progresses? (3) "Regional specificity" - Does mTOR signaling respond differently to the same interventions in different brain regions? (4) "Disease specificity" - Could the same intervention to inhibit mTORC1 help in one disease and cause harm in another disease? (5) "Personalized therapy" - Might genetically-informed personalized therapies that inhibit particular nodes in the mTORC1 regulatory network be more effective than generalized therapies? (6) "Lifestyle interventions" - Could specific diets, micronutrients, or exercise alter mTORC1 signaling to prevent or improve the progression neurodegenerative diseases? This manuscript is devoted to discussing recent research findings that offer insights into these gaps in the literature, with the aim of inspiring further inquiry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas G. Norwitz
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Henry Querfurth
- Department of Neurology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
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38
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Zhang Q, Wu L, Du C, Xu K, Sun J, Zhang J, Li H, Li X. Effects of an APOE Promoter Polymorphism on Fronto-Parietal Functional Connectivity During Nondemented Aging. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:183. [PMID: 32694990 PMCID: PMC7338603 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The rs405509 polymorphism ofthe apolipoprotein E (APOE) promoter is related to Alzheimer'sdisease (AD). The T/T allele of rs405509 is known to decrease the transcription of the APOE gene and lead to impairments in specific brain structural networks with aging; thus, it is an important risk factor for AD. However, it remains unknown whether rs405509 affects brain functional connectivity (FC) in aging. Methods: We investigated the effect of the rs405509 genotype (T/T vs. G-allele) on age-related brain FC using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Forty-five elderly TT carriers and 45 elderly G-allele carriers were scanned during a working memory (WM) task. Results: We found that TT carriers showed an accelerated age-related increase in functional activation in the left postcentral gyrus compared with G-allele carriers. Furthermore, the FC between the left postcentral gyrus and some key regions during WM performance, including the right caudal and superior frontal sulcus (SFS), was differentially modulated by age across rs405509 genotype groups. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that the rs405509 T/T allele of APOE causes an age-related brain functional decline in nondemented elderly people, which may be beneficial for understanding the neural mechanisms of rs405509-related cognitive aging and AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qirui Zhang
- Institute of Criminology, People’s Public Security University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Lingli Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Du
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinping Sun
- The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Shandong, China
| | - Junying Zhang
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - He Li
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- BABRI Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Malykhin NV, Travis S, Fujiwara E, Huang Y, Camicioli R, Olsen F. The associations of the
BDNF
and
APOE
polymorphisms, hippocampal subfield volumes, and episodic memory performance across the lifespan. Hippocampus 2020; 30:1081-1097. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai V. Malykhin
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
- Department of Biomedical Engineering University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
- Department of Psychiatry University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Scott Travis
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Esther Fujiwara
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
- Department of Psychiatry University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Yushan Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | | | - Fraser Olsen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
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40
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Zokaei N, Grogan J, Fallon SJ, Slavkova E, Hadida J, Manohar S, Nobre AC, Husain M. Short-term memory advantage for brief durations in human APOE ε4 carriers. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9503. [PMID: 32528115 PMCID: PMC7289888 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66114-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Apolipoprotein-E (APOE) ε4 gene allele, the highest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, has paradoxically been well preserved in the human population. One possible explanation offered by evolutionary biology for survival of deleterious genes is antagonistic pleiotropy. This theory proposes that such genetic variants might confer an advantage, even earlier in life when humans are also reproductively fit. The results of some small-cohort studies have raised the possibility of such a pleiotropic effect for the ε4 allele in short-term memory (STM) but the findings have been inconsistent. Here, we tested STM performance in a large cohort of individuals (N = 1277); nine hundred and fifty-nine of which included carrier and non-carriers of the APOE ε4 gene, those at highest risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. We first confirm that this task is sensitive to subtle deterioration in memory performance across ageing. Importantly, individuals carrying the APOE ε4 gene actually exhibited a significant memory advantage across all ages, specifically for brief retention periods but crucially not for longer durations. Together, these findings present the strongest evidence to date for a gene having an antagonistic pleiotropy effect on human cognitive function across a wide age range, and hence provide an explanation for the survival of the APOE ε4 allele in the gene pool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahid Zokaei
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK.
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK.
| | - John Grogan
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Sean James Fallon
- National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol NHS foundation Trust and University of Bristol, Oxford, UK
| | - Ellie Slavkova
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Jonathan Hadida
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Sanjay Manohar
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Anna Christina Nobre
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
| | - Masud Husain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
- Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
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41
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Dzianok P, Kublik E. Commentary: Differential Signaling Mediated by ApoE2, ApoE3, and ApoE4 in Human Neurons Parallels Alzheimer's Disease Risk. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:127. [PMID: 32457598 PMCID: PMC7225266 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Dzianok
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewa Kublik
- Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Warsaw, Poland
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42
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Kapoulea EA, Murphy C. Older, non-demented apolipoprotein ε 4 carrier males show hyperactivation and structural differences in odor memory regions: a blood-oxygen-level-dependent and structural magnetic resonance imaging study. Neurobiol Aging 2020; 93:25-34. [PMID: 32447009 PMCID: PMC7605173 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2020.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The current study sought to examine the interaction of sex and Apolipoprotein ε4 status on olfactory recognition memory within non-demented, older individuals. We separated 39 participants into groups based on ε4 status and sex. Each participant completed an olfactory memory recognition task during 2 functional magnetic resonance imaging scans and 1 structural scan. The ε4 carriers had greater functional recruitment of memory regions during false positives relative to ε4 non-carriers. During hits, the male ε4 carriers showed greater functional recruitment compared to female ε4 carriers. The ε4 carriers had larger bilateral putamen volumes relative to ε4 non-carriers. Neuroimaging data were significantly associated with Dementia Rating Scale scores solely in males. Results suggest differential olfactory memory processing in relation to sex and ε4 status. Male ε4 carriers in particular, demonstrated hyperactivation during recognition memory, which we suspect reflects neuronal compensation to maintain functional performance. Future studies should consider examining underlying mechanisms that contribute to these sex differences within ε4 carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni A Kapoulea
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Claire Murphy
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
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43
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Mid age APOE ε4 carriers show memory-related functional differences and disrupted structure-function relationships in hippocampal regions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3110. [PMID: 32080211 PMCID: PMC7033211 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59272-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Carriers of the APOE e4 allele are at higher risk of age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The underlying neural mechanisms are uncertain, but genotype differences in medial temporal lobe (MTL) functional activity and structure at mid-age might contribute. We tested 16 non-e4 and 16 e4 carriers (aged 45–55) on a subsequent memory task in conjunction with MRI to assess how hippocampal volume (from T1 structural) and microstructure (neurite orientation-dispersion, from NODDI) differs by genotype and in relation to memory encoding. No previous study has investigated APOE effects on hippocampal microstructure using NODDI. Recall performance did not differ by genotype. A genotype by condition interaction in left parahippocampus indicated that in e4 carriers activity did not differentiate subsequently remembered from forgotten words. Hippocampal volumes and microstructure also did not differ by genotype but hippocampal volumes correlated positively with recognition performance in non-e4 carriers only. Similarly, greater hippocampal neurite orientation-dispersion was linked to better recall but only in non-e4s. Thus, we suggest that mid-age e4 carriers show a breakdown of normal MTL activation and structure-performance relationships. This could reflect an inability to utilise compensatory mechanisms, and contribute to higher risk of cognitive decline and AD in later life.
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44
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APOE in the normal brain. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 136:104724. [PMID: 31911114 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The APOE4 protein affects the primary neuropathological markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD): amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and gliosis. These interactions have been investigated to understand the strong effect of APOE genotype on risk of AD. However, APOE genotype has strong effects on processes in normal brains, in the absence of the hallmarks of AD. We propose that CNS APOE is involved in processes in the normal brains that in later years apply specifically to processes of AD pathogenesis. We review the differences of the APOE protein found in the CNS compared to the plasma, including post-translational modifications (glycosylation, lipidation, multimer formation), focusing on ways that the common APOE isoforms differ from each other. We also review structural and functional studies of young human brains and control APOE knock-in mouse brains. These approaches demonstrate the effects of APOE genotype on microscopic neuron structure, gross brain structure, and behavior, primarily related to the hippocampal areas. By focusing on the effects of APOE genotype on normal brain function, approaches can be pursued to identify biomarkers of APOE dysfunction, to promote normal functions of the APOE4 isoform, and to prevent the accumulation of the pathologic hallmarks of AD with aging.
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45
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Cook RL, Parker HM, Donges CE, O'Dwyer NJ, Cheng HL, Steinbeck KS, Cox EP, Franklin JL, Garg ML, O'Connor HT. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids status and cognitive function in young women. Lipids Health Dis 2019; 18:194. [PMID: 31694658 PMCID: PMC6836340 DOI: 10.1186/s12944-019-1143-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Research indicates that low omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) may be associated with decreased cognitive function. This study examined the association between n-3 PUFA status and cognitive function in young Australian women. Methods This was a secondary outcome analysis of a cross-sectional study that recruited 300 healthy women (18–35 y) of normal weight (NW: BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2) or obese weight (OB: BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2). Participants completed a computer-based cognition testing battery (IntegNeuro™) evaluating the domains of impulsivity, attention, information processing, memory and executive function. The Omega-3 Index (O3I) was used to determine n-3 PUFA status (percentage of EPA (20:5n-3) plus DHA (22:6n3) in the red cell membrane) and the participants were divided into O3I tertile groups: T1 < 5.47%, T2 = 5.47–6.75%, T3 > 6.75%. Potential confounding factors of BMI, inflammatory status (C-reactive Protein), physical activity (total MET-min/wk), alpha1-acid glycoprotein, serum ferritin and hemoglobin, were assessed. Data reported as z-scores (mean ± SD), analyses via ANOVA and ANCOVA. Results Two hundred ninety-nine women (26.9 ± 5.4 y) completed the study (O3I data, n = 288). The ANOVA showed no overall group differences but a significant group × cognition domain interaction (p < 0.01). Post hoc tests showed that participants in the low O3I tertile group scored significantly lower on attention than the middle group (p = 0.01; ES = 0.45 [0.15–0.74]), while the difference with the high group was borderline significant (p = 0.052; ES = 0.38 [0.09–0.68]). After confounder adjustments, the low group had lower attention scores than both the middle (p = 0.01) and high (p = 0.048) groups. These findings were supported by univariate analyses which found significant group differences for the attention domain only (p = 0.004). Conclusions Cognitive function in the attention domain was lower in women with lower O3I, but still within normal range. This reduced but normal level of cognition potentially provides a lower baseline from which cognition would decline with age. Further investigation of individuals with low n-3 PUFA status is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Cook
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, The University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW, 1825, Australia
| | - Helen M Parker
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, The University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW, 1825, Australia.,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Cheyne E Donges
- School of Exercise Science, Sport and Health, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicholas J O'Dwyer
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, The University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW, 1825, Australia.,School of Exercise Science, Sport and Health, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, Australia
| | - Hoi Lun Cheng
- Academic Department of Adolescent Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Medical School, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Katharine S Steinbeck
- Academic Department of Adolescent Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Medical School, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Eka P Cox
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, The University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW, 1825, Australia
| | - Janet L Franklin
- Metabolism and Obesity Services, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Manohar L Garg
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Helen T O'Connor
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, The University of Sydney, PO Box 170, Lidcombe, NSW, 1825, Australia. .,Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
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46
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Eich TS, Tsapanou A, Stern Y. When time's arrow doesn't bend: APOE-ε4 influences episodic memory before old age. Neuropsychologia 2019; 133:107180. [PMID: 31473197 PMCID: PMC6817416 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Episodic memory impairment is the hallmark symptom of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). However, episodic memory has also been shown to decline across the lifespan. Here, we investigated whether episodic memory is differentially affected relative to other cognitive abilities before old age, and whether being an Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 carrier -a genetic risk factor for developing AD-exacerbates any such impairments. We used general linear models to test for performance differences within 4 composite measures of cognition - episodic memory, semantic memory, speed of processing, and fluid reasoning-- as a function of age group (young, Mage = 30.21 vs. middle-aged, Mage = 50.84) and APOE-ε4 genotype status (ε4+ vs. ε4-). We replicated findings of age-related reductions in episodic memory, speed of processing, and fluid reasoning, and age-related increases in semantic memory. However, we also found that APOE genotype status moderated the age-related declines in episodic memory: APOE-ε4+ middle-aged adults exhibited impairments relative to both APOE-ε4- middle-aged participants, and APOE-ε4+ younger adults. These results suggest specific and dynamic alterations to episodic memory as a function of APOE allelic variation and age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teal S Eich
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, USA; Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and the Taub Institute, Columbia University, USA.
| | - Angeliki Tsapanou
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and the Taub Institute, Columbia University, USA
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and the Taub Institute, Columbia University, USA
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47
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Har-Paz I, Roisman N, Michaelson DM, Moran A. Extra-Hippocampal Learning Deficits in Young Apolipoprotein E4 Mice and Their Synaptic Underpinning. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 72:71-82. [PMID: 31561365 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The E4 allele of apolipoprotein (apoE4) is the primary genetic risk factor for late onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet the exact manner in which apoE4 leads to the development of AD is undetermined. Human and animal studies report that apoE4-related memory deficits appear earlier than the AD clinical manifestation, thus suggesting the existence of early, pre-pathological, apoE4 impairments that may later lead to AD onset. While current research regards the hippocampus as the initial and primary effected locus by apoE4, we presently investigate the possibility that apoE4 innately impairs any brain area that requires synaptic plasticity. To test this hypothesis, we trained young (3-4-month-old) target-replacement apoE3 and apoE4 mice in conditioned taste aversion (CTA) acquisition and extinction learnings- hippocampus-independent learnings that are easily performed at a young age. Synaptic vesicular markers analysis was conducted in the gustatory cortex (GC), basolateral amygdala (BLA), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and hippocampal CA3 to reveal underlying apoE4-related impairments. We have found that young apoE4 mice are severely impaired in CTA acquisition and extinction learning. CTA acquisition impairments were correlated with reduced vGat and vGlut levels in the BLA and GC, but not in the CA3. CTA extinction was correlated with lower synaptophysin and vGlut levels in the mPFC, a central region in CTA extinction. Our results support apoE4-related early-life plasticity impairments that precede the AD clinical manifestations and affect any brain area that depends on extensive plasticity; early impairments that may promote the development of AD pathologies later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Har-Paz
- Department of Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nicole Roisman
- Department of Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniel M Michaelson
- Department of Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Anan Moran
- Department of Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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48
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APOE modifies the interaction of entorhinal cerebral blood flow and cortical thickness on memory function in cognitively normal older adults. Neuroimage 2019; 202:116162. [PMID: 31493534 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene increases risk for cognitive decline in normal and pathologic aging. However, precisely how APOE ε4 exerts its negative impact on cognition is poorly understood. The present study aimed to determine whether APOE genotype (ε4+ vs. ε4-) modifies the interaction of medial temporal lobe (MTL) resting cerebral blood flow (CBF) and brain structure (cortical thickness [CT], volume [Vo]) on verbal memory performance. METHODS Multiple linear regression models were employed to investigate relationships between APOE genotype, arterial spin labeling MRI-measured CBF and FreeSurfer-based CT and Vo in four MTL regions of interest (left and right entorhinal cortex and hippocampus), and verbal memory performance among a sample of 117 cognitively normal older adults (41 ε4+, 76 ε4-) between the ages of 64 and 89 (mean age = 73). RESULTS Results indicated that APOE genotype modified the interaction of CBF and CT on memory in the left entorhinal cortex, such that the relationship between entorhinal CBF and memory was negative (lower CBF was associated with better memory) in non-carriers with higher entorhinal CT, positive (higher CBF was associated with better memory) in non-carriers with lower entorhinal CT, and negative (higher CBF was associated with worse memory) in ε4 carriers with lower entorhinal CT. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that older adult APOE ε4 carriers may experience vascular dysregulation and concomitant morphological alterations in the MTL that interact to negatively affect memory even in the absence overt clinical symptoms, providing potential insight into the mechanistic link between APOE ε4 and detriments in cognition. Moreover, findings suggest a distinct multimodal neural signature in ε4 carriers (higher CBF and lower CT in the entorhinal cortex) that could aid in the identification of candidates for future clinical trials aimed at preventing or slowing cognitive decline. Differential findings with respect to ε4 carriers and non-carriers are discussed in the context of neurovascular compensation.
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49
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Haeger A, Costa AS, Schulz JB, Reetz K. Cerebral changes improved by physical activity during cognitive decline: A systematic review on MRI studies. Neuroimage Clin 2019; 23:101933. [PMID: 31491837 PMCID: PMC6699421 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.101933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Current treatment in late-life cognitive impairment and dementia is still limited, and there is no cure for brain tissue degeneration or reversal of cognitive decline. Physical activity represents a promising non-pharmacological interventional approach in many diseases causing cognitive impairment, but its effect on brain integrity is still largely unknown. Especially research of cerebral alterations in disease state that goes beyond observations of clinical improvement is crucial to understand disease processes and possible effective treatments. In this systematic review, we address the question how physical activity and fitness in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) influences brain architecture compared to cognitively healthy elderly. We review both interventional studies comprising aerobic, coordinative and resistance exercises and observational studies on fitness and physical activity combined with Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI). Different MRI approaches were included such as volumetric and structural analyses, Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), functional MRI and Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF). We evaluate MRI results for different exercise modalities and performed a methodological evaluation of interventional studies in cognitive decline compared to normal aging. According to our results, among 12 interventions in AD/MCI, aerobic exercise is most frequently applied (9 studies). Interventions in AD/MCI altogether reveal a higher methodological quality compared to interventions in healthy elderly (8.33 ± 2.19 vs. 6.25 ± 2.36 out of 13 points), with most frequent missing aspects related to descriptions of complications, lack of intention-to-treat and statistical power analyses. Effects of aerobic exercise and fitness seem to mainly impact brain structures sensitive to neurodegeneration, which especially comprise frontal, temporal and parietal regions, such as the hippocampal/parahippocampal region, precuneus, anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex, which are reported by several studies. General fitness measured via an objective fitness assessment and questionnaires seems to have a more global cerebral effect, probably due to its long-term application, whereas distinct intervention effects of durations between 3 and 6 months seem to concentrate on more local brain regions as the hippocampus, which can also be influenced by region of interest analyses. There is still a lack of evidence on other or combined types of intervention modalities, such as resistance, coordinative as well as multicomponent exercise during cognitive decline, and complex interventions as dancing. Future research should examine their beneficial effect on brain integrity, since several non-MRI studies already point to their advantageous impact. As a further future prospect, combination and application of newly developed imaging methods such as metabolic imaging should be envisaged to understand physical activity and its cerebral influence under its many-sided facets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa Haeger
- RWTH Aachen University, Department of Neurology, Aachen, Germany; JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ana S Costa
- RWTH Aachen University, Department of Neurology, Aachen, Germany; JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jörg B Schulz
- RWTH Aachen University, Department of Neurology, Aachen, Germany; JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Kathrin Reetz
- RWTH Aachen University, Department of Neurology, Aachen, Germany; JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
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50
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Cognitive Performance in Young APOE ε4 Carriers: A Latent Variable Approach for Assessing the Genotype-Phenotype Relationship. Behav Genet 2019; 49:455-468. [PMID: 31177340 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-019-09961-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein (APOE) gene is a widely recognized genetic risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease in older age. However, it is controversial whether there is a positive impact of the APOE ε4 allele on human cognitive performance in young adulthood, possibly representing a case of antagonistic pleiotropy. Here we explored associations of the APOE ε4 allele with cognitive ability in young adulthood. In contrast to previous studies, we used structural equation modeling that allows a multivariate measurement of the cognitive phenotype. Results based on four independent samples (N1 = 245; N2 = 300; N3 = 244; N4 = 206) overall revealed a complex effect of the APOE ε4 genotype on cognitive ability in young adulthood: Whereas the ε4 allele tends to be negatively associated with cognitive performance in individuals with lower education levels, there might be a weak positive association in persons with higher education-a finding that is partly in line with the antagonistic pleiotropy view on APOE and cognitive ability. The education-related findings support protective effects of environmental factors.
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