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Liu S, Sun X, Ren Q, Chen Y, Dai T, Yang Y, Gong G, Li W, Zhao Y, Meng X, Lin P, Yan C. Glymphatic dysfunction in patients with early-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain 2024; 147:100-108. [PMID: 37584389 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, an astrocytic aquaporin 4-dependent drainage system, that is, the glymphatic system, has been identified in the live murine and human brain. Growing evidence suggests that glymphatic function is impaired in patients with several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. As the third most common neurodegenerative disease, although animal studies have indicated that early glymphatic dysfunction is likely an important pathological mechanism underpinning amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), no available study has been conducted to thoroughly assess glymphatic function in vivo in ALS patients to date, particularly in patients with early-stage ALS. Thus, using diffusion tensor imaging analysis along the perivascular space (ALPS) index, an approximate measure of glymphatic function in vivo, we aimed to explore whether glymphatic function is impaired in patients with patients with early-stage ALS, and the diagnostic performance of the ALPS index in distinguishing between patients with early-stage ALS and healthy subjects. We also aimed to identify the relationships between glymphatic dysfunction and clinical disabilities and sleep problems in patients with early-stage ALS. In this retrospective study, King's Stage 1 ALS patients were defined as patients with early-stage ALS. We enrolled 56 patients with early-stage ALS and 32 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. All participants completed clinical screening, sleep assessment and ALPS index analysis. For the sleep assessment, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and polysomnography were used. Compared with healthy control subjects, patients with early-stage ALS had a significantly lower ALPS index after family-wise error correction (P < 0.05). Moreover, receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the area under the curve for the ALPS index was 0.792 (95% confidence interval 0.700-0.884). Partial correlation analyses showed that the ALPS index was significantly correlated with clinical disability and sleep disturbances in patients with early-stage ALS. Multivariate analysis showed that sleep efficiency (r = 0.419, P = 0.002) and periodic limb movements in sleep index (r = -0.294, P = 0.017) were significant predictive factors of the ALPS index in patients with early-stage ALS. In conclusion, our study continues to support an important role for glymphatic dysfunction in ALS pathology, and we provide additional insights into the early diagnostic value of glymphatic dysfunction and its correlation with sleep disturbances in vivo in patients with early-stage ALS. Moreover, we suggest that early improvement of glymphatic function may be a promising strategy for slowing the neurodegenerative process in ALS. Future studies are needed to explore the diagnostic and therapeutic value of glymphatic dysfunction in individuals with presymptomatic-stage neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangwu Liu
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Research Institute of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao 266000, China
| | - Xiaohan Sun
- Research Institute of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Qingguo Ren
- Department of Radiology, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao 266000, China
| | - Yujing Chen
- Research Institute of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Tingjun Dai
- Research Institute of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Yiru Yang
- School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Gaolang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning &IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Wei Li
- Research Institute of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Yuying Zhao
- Research Institute of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Xiangshui Meng
- Department of Radiology, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao 266000, China
| | - Pengfei Lin
- Research Institute of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Chuanzhu Yan
- Research Institute of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Mitochondrial Medicine Laboratory, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266000, China
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Kim S, Kim SE, Lee DA, Lee H, Park KM. Anti-seizure medication response and the glymphatic system in patients with focal epilepsy. Eur J Neurol 2024; 31:e16097. [PMID: 37823697 PMCID: PMC11235655 DOI: 10.1111/ene.16097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We aimed to evaluate (i) glymphatic system function in patients with focal epilepsy in comparison with healthy controls, and (ii) the association between anti-seizure medication (ASM) response and glymphatic system function by using diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS). METHODS We retrospectively enrolled 100 patients with focal epilepsy who had normal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and classified them as "poor" or "good" ASM responders according to their seizure control at the time of brain MRI. We also included 79 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. All patients and healthy controls underwent conventional brain MRI and diffusion tensor imaging. The DTI-ALPS index was calculated using the DSI studio program. RESULTS Of the 100 patients with focal epilepsy, 38 and 62 were poor and good ASM responders, respectively. The DTI-ALPS index differed significantly between patients with focal epilepsy and healthy controls and was significantly lower in patients with focal epilepsy (1.55 vs. 1.70; p < 0.001). The DTI-ALPS index also differed significantly according to ASM response and was lower in poor ASM responders (1.48 vs. 1.59; p = 0.047). Furthermore, the DTI-ALPS index was negatively correlated with age (r = -0.234, p = 0.019) and duration of epilepsy (r = -0.240, p = 0.016) in patients with focal epilepsy. CONCLUSION Our study is the first to identify, in focal epilepsy patients, a greater reduction in glymphatic system function among poor ASM responders compared to good responders. To confirm our results, further prospective multicenter studies with large sample sizes are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung‐Tae Kim
- Department of NeurosugeryInje University Busan Paik HospitalBusanKorea
| | - Sung Eun Kim
- Department of Neurology, Haeundae Paik HospitalInje University College of MedicineBusanKorea
| | - Dong Ah Lee
- Department of Neurology, Haeundae Paik HospitalInje University College of MedicineBusanKorea
| | - Ho‐Joon Lee
- Department of Radiology, Haeundae Paik HospitalInje University College of MedicineBusanKorea
| | - Kang Min Park
- Department of Neurology, Haeundae Paik HospitalInje University College of MedicineBusanKorea
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Thakkar RN, Kioutchoukova IP, Griffin I, Foster DT, Sharma P, Valero EM, Lucke-Wold B. Mapping the Glymphatic Pathway Using Imaging Advances. J 2023; 6:477-491. [PMID: 37601813 PMCID: PMC10439810 DOI: 10.3390/j6030031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The glymphatic system is a newly discovered waste-clearing system that is analogous to the lymphatic system in our central nervous system. Furthermore, disruption in the glymphatic system has also been associated with many neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's disease), traumatic brain injury, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Thus, understanding the function and structure of this system can play a key role in researching the progression and prognoses of these diseases. In this review article, we discuss the current ways to map the glymphatic system and address the advances being made in preclinical mapping. As mentioned, the concept of the glymphatic system is relatively new, and thus, more research needs to be conducted in order to therapeutically intervene via this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajvi N. Thakkar
- College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | | | - Ian Griffin
- College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Devon T. Foster
- College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | | | | | - Brandon Lucke-Wold
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Rd., Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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Li L, Ding G, Zhang L, Luo H, Davoodi-Bojd E, Li Q, Chopp M, Zhang ZG, Jiang Q. Glymphatic transport is reduced in rats with spontaneous pituitary tumor. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1189614. [PMID: 37601793 PMCID: PMC10436560 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1189614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and objective Pituitary tumor in patients induces adverse alterations in the brain, accompanied by cognitive deficits. Dysfunction of glymphatic waste clearance results in accumulation of neurotoxic products within the brain, leading to cognitive impairment. However, the status of glymphatic function in the brain with pituitary tumor is unknown. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and an advanced mathematical modeling, we investigated the changes of glymphatic transport in the rats carrying spontaneous pituitary tumor. Methods Rats (22-24 months, female, Wistar) with and without pituitary tumor (n = 7/per group) underwent the identical experimental protocol. MRI measurements, including T2-weighted imaging and dynamic 3D T1-weighted imaging with intracisternal administration of contrast agent, were performed on each animal. The contrast-induced enhancement in the circle of Willis and in the glymphatic influx nodes were observed on the dynamic images and verified with time-signal-curves (TSCs). Model-derived parameters of infusion rate and clearance rate that characterize the kinetics of glymphatic tracer transport were evaluated in multiple representative brain regions. Results Our imaging data demonstrated a higher incidence of partially enhanced circle of Willis (86 vs. 14%; p < 0.033) and a lower incidence of enhancement in glymphatic influx nodes of pituitary (71 vs. 100%) and pineal (57 vs. 86%) recesses in the rats with pituitary tumor than in the rats with normal appearance of pituitary gland, indicating an intensification of impaired peri-vascular pathway and impeded glymphatic transport due to the presence of pituitary tumor. Consistently, our kinetic modeling and regional cerebral tissue quantification revealed significantly lower infusion and clearance rates in all examined regions in rats with spontaneous pituitary tumor than in non-tumor rats, representing a suppressed glymphatic transport in the brain with pituitary tumor. Conclusion Our study demonstrates the compromised glymphatic transport in the rat brain with spontaneous pituitary tumor. The reduced efficiency in cerebral waste clearance increases the risk for neurodegeneration in the brain that may underlie the cognitive impairment commonly seen in patients with pituitary tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Li
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Guangliang Ding
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Hao Luo
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, United States
| | | | - Qingjiang Li
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Michael Chopp
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, United States
- Department of Physics, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, United States
| | - Zheng Gang Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Quan Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Henry Ford Health, Detroit, MI, United States
- Department of Physics, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, United States
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