1
|
Guo Y, Lv X, Zhang J, Li C, Wei L, Zhou N, Xu J, Tian Y, Wang K. Gray matter atrophy and corresponding impairments in connectivity in patients with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis. Brain Imaging Behav 2022; 16:2001-2010. [PMID: 35997922 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-022-00670-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a severe autoimmune disease that is commonly accompanied by cognitive impairment and various neurological and psychiatric symptoms, advanced image analyses help explore the pathogenesis of this disease. Therefore, this study aimed to explore specific structural and functional alterations and their relationship with the clinical symptoms of anti-NMDAR encephalitis. In this study, twenty-two patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis after the acute stage and 29 controls received cognitive assessments and magnetic resonance imaging. Grey matter atrophy was measured using voxel-based morphometry, and functional alterations in abnormal regions were subsequently investigated using resting state functional connectivity (RSFC). Finally, correlation analyses were performed to explore the associations between imaging alterations and cognitive assessments. The patients demonstrated significant gray matter atrophy in the bilateral triangle part of the inferior frontal gyrus (triIFG.L and triIFG.R) and right precuneus, decreased RSFC between triIFG.L and bilateral Heschl gyrus (HES), decreased RSFC between triIFG.R and HES.R, decreased RSFC between right precuneus and left cerebellum, and increased RSFC between triIFG.R and left superior frontal gyrus. Further correlation analyses showed that the gray matter volume in triIFG.R and decreased RSFC between triIFG.L and HES.R were associated with decreased memory scores, whereas decreased RSFC between triIFG.R and HES.R was marginally correlated with the disease course in patients. In conclusion, this study suggests that cognitive impairments in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis may be mainly associated with gray matter atrophy and abnormal RSFC in the triIFG. These findings provide new insights into anti-NMDAR encephalitis pathogenesis and help explore potential treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Guo
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Xinyi Lv
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - Juanjuan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Chenglong Li
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Ling Wei
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Nong Zhou
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Jinping Xu
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Yanghua Tian
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China. .,Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, 230088, China. .,Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, 230022, China.
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China.,Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, 230088, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Hefei, 230022, China.,The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen YC, Sudre G, Sharp W, Donovan F, Chandrasekharappa SC, Hansen N, Elnitski L, Shaw P. Neuroanatomic, epigenetic and genetic differences in monozygotic twins discordant for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:683-690. [PMID: 28322272 PMCID: PMC5914518 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The study of monozygotic twins discordant for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can elucidate mechanisms that contribute to the disorder, which affects ~7% of children. First, using in vivo neuroanatomic imaging on 14 pairs of monozygotic twins (mean age 9.7, s.d. 1.9 years), we found that discordance for the disorder is mirrored by differing dimensions of deep brain structures (the striatum and cerebellum), but not the cerebral cortex. Next, using whole-blood DNA from the same twins, we found a significant enrichment of epigenetic differences in genes expressed in these 'discordant' brain structures. Specifically, there is differential methylation of probes lying in the shore and shelf and enhancer regions of striatal and cerebellar genes. Notably, gene sets pertaining to the cerebral cortex (which did not differ in volume between affected and unaffected twins) were not enriched by differentially methylated probes. Genotypic differences between the twin pairs-such as copy number and rare, single-nucleotide variants-did not contribute to phenotypic discordance. Pathway analyses of the genes implicated by the most differentially methylated probes implicated γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitter systems. The study illustrates how neuroimaging can help guide the search for epigenomic mechanisms in neurodevelopmental disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Ching Chen
- Genomic Functional Analysis Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, NHGRI/NIH, Bethesda
| | - Gustavo Sudre
- Neurobehavioral Clinical Research Section, Social and Behavioral Research Branch, NHGRI/NIH, Bethesda
| | - Wendy Sharp
- Neurobehavioral Clinical Research Section, Social and Behavioral Research Branch, NHGRI/NIH, Bethesda
| | - Frank Donovan
- Genomics Core and Cancer Genomics Unit, Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch, NHGRI/NIH, Bethesda
| | | | | | - Laura Elnitski
- Genomic Functional Analysis Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, NHGRI/NIH, Bethesda
| | - Philip Shaw
- Neurobehavioral Clinical Research Section, Social and Behavioral Research Branch, NHGRI/NIH, Bethesda
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ribeiro LG, Busatto G. Voxel-based morphometry in Alzheimers disease and mild cognitive impairment: Systematic review of studies addressing the frontal lobe. Dement Neuropsychol 2016; 10:104-112. [PMID: 29213441 PMCID: PMC5642401 DOI: 10.1590/s1980-5764-2016dn1002006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is a useful approach for investigating neurostructural brain changes in dementia. We systematically reviewed VBM studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), specifically focusing on grey matter (GM) atrophy in the frontal lobe. Methods Two searches were performed on the Pubmed database. A set of exclusion criteria was applied to ensure the selection of only VBM studies that directly investigated GM volume abnormalities in AD and/or MCI patients compared to cognitively normal controls. Results From a total of 46 selected articles, 35 VBM studies reported GM volume reductions in the frontal lobe. The frontal subregions, where most of the volume reductions were reported, included the inferior, superior and middle frontal gyri, as well as the anterior cingulate gyrus. We also found studies in which reduced frontal GM was detected in MCI patients who converted to AD. In a minority of studies, correlations between frontal GM volumes and behavioural changes or cognitive deficits in AD patients were investigated, with variable findings. Conclusion Results of VBM studies indicate that the frontal lobe should be regarded as an important brain area when investigating GM volume deficits in association with AD. Frontal GM loss might not be a feature specific to late AD only. Future VBM studies involving large AD samples are warranted to further investigate correlations between frontal volume deficits and both cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luís Gustavo Ribeiro
- BSc, Molecular Sciences Program, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo SP, Brazil
| | - Geraldo Busatto
- PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|