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Mather MA, Ho EH, Bedjeti K, Karpouzian-Rogers T, Rogalski EJ, Gershon R, Weintraub S. Measuring Multidimensional Aspects of Health in the Oldest Old Using the NIH Toolbox: Results From the ARMADA Study. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2024; 39:535-546. [PMID: 38216151 PMCID: PMC11269891 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acad105] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The percentage of older adults living into their 80s and beyond is expanding rapidly. Characterization of typical cognitive performance in this population is complicated by a dearth of normative data for the oldest old. Additionally, little attention has been paid to other aspects of health, such as motor, sensory, and emotional functioning, that may interact with cognitive changes to predict quality of life and well-being. The current study used the NIH Toolbox (NIHTB) to determine age group differences between persons aged 65-84 and 85+ with normal cognition. METHOD Participants were recruited in two age bands (i.e., 65-84 and 85+). All participants completed the NIHTB Cognition, Motor, Sensation, and Emotion modules. Independent-samples t-tests determined age group differences with post-hoc adjustments using Bonferroni corrections. All subtest and composite scores were then regressed on age and other demographic covariates. RESULTS The 65-84 group obtained significantly higher scores than the 85+ group across all cognitive measures except oral reading, all motor measures except gait speed, and all sensation measures except pain interference. Age remained a significant predictor after controlling for covariates. Age was not significantly associated with differences in emotion scores. CONCLUSIONS Results support the use of the NIHTB in persons over 85 with normal cognition. As expected, fluid reasoning abilities and certain motor and sensory functions decreased with age in the oldest old. Inclusion of motor and sensation batteries is warranted when studying trajectories of aging in the oldest old to allow for multidimensional characterization of health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly A Mather
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Emily H Ho
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Katy Bedjeti
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Tatiana Karpouzian-Rogers
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Emily J Rogalski
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Richard Gershon
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sandra Weintraub
- Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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Pádua MS, Guil-Guerrero JL, Lopes PA. Behaviour Hallmarks in Alzheimer's Disease 5xFAD Mouse Model. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6766. [PMID: 38928472 PMCID: PMC11204382 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126766] [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: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The 5xFAD transgenic mouse model widely used in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research recapitulates many AD-related phenotypes with a relatively early onset and aggressive age-dependent progression. Besides developing amyloid peptide deposits alongside neuroinflammation by the age of 2 months, as well as exhibiting neuronal decline by the age of 4 months that intensifies by the age of 9 months, these mice manifest a broad spectrum of behavioural impairments. In this review, we present the extensive repertoire of behavioural dysfunctions in 5xFAD mice, organised into four categories: motor skills, sensory function, learning and memory abilities, and neuropsychiatric-like symptoms. The motor problems, associated with agility and reflex movements, as well as balance and coordination, and skeletal muscle function, typically arise by the time mice reach 9 months of age. The sensory function (such as taste, smell, hearing, and vision) starts to deteriorate when amyloid peptide buildups and neuroinflammation spread into related anatomical structures. The cognitive functions, encompassing learning and memory abilities, such as visual recognition, associative, spatial working, reference learning, and memory show signs of decline from 4 to 6 months of age. Concerning neuropsychiatric-like symptoms, comprising apathy, anxiety and depression, and the willingness for exploratory behaviour, it is believed that motivational changes emerge by approximately 6 months of age. Unfortunately, numerous studies from different laboratories are often contradictory on the conclusions drawn and the identification of onset age, making preclinical studies in rodent models not easily translatable to humans. This variability is likely due to a range of factors associated with animals themselves, housing and husbandry conditions, and experimental settings. In the forthcoming studies, greater clarity in experimental details when conducting behavioural testing in 5xFAD transgenic mice could minimise the inconsistencies and could ensure the reliability and the reproducibility of the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mafalda Soares Pádua
- CIISA—Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal;
- Laboratório Associado para Ciência Animal e Veterinária (AL4AnimalS), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - José L. Guil-Guerrero
- Departamento de Tecnología de Alimentos, Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain;
| | - Paula Alexandra Lopes
- CIISA—Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal;
- Laboratório Associado para Ciência Animal e Veterinária (AL4AnimalS), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
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Bohn L, Drouin SM, McFall GP, Rolfson DB, Andrew MK, Dixon RA. Machine learning analyses identify multi-modal frailty factors that selectively discriminate four cohorts in the Alzheimer's disease spectrum: a COMPASS-ND study. BMC Geriatr 2023; 23:837. [PMID: 38082372 PMCID: PMC10714519 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04546-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Frailty indicators can operate in dynamic amalgamations of disease conditions, clinical symptoms, biomarkers, medical signals, cognitive characteristics, and even health beliefs and practices. This study is the first to evaluate which, among these multiple frailty-related indicators, are important and differential predictors of clinical cohorts that represent progression along an Alzheimer's disease (AD) spectrum. We applied machine-learning technology to such indicators in order to identify the leading predictors of three AD spectrum cohorts; viz., subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD. The common benchmark was a cohort of cognitively unimpaired (CU) older adults. METHODS The four cohorts were from the cross-sectional Comprehensive Assessment of Neurodegeneration and Dementia dataset. We used random forest analysis (Python 3.7) to simultaneously test the relative importance of 83 multi-modal frailty indicators in discriminating the cohorts. We performed an explainable artificial intelligence method (Tree Shapley Additive exPlanation values) for deep interpretation of prediction effects. RESULTS We observed strong concurrent prediction results, with clusters varying across cohorts. The SCI model demonstrated excellent prediction accuracy (AUC = 0.89). Three leading predictors were poorer quality of life ([QoL]; memory), abnormal lymphocyte count, and abnormal neutrophil count. The MCI model demonstrated a similarly high AUC (0.88). Five leading predictors were poorer QoL (memory, leisure), male sex, abnormal lymphocyte count, and poorer self-rated eyesight. The AD model demonstrated outstanding prediction accuracy (AUC = 0.98). Ten leading predictors were poorer QoL (memory), reduced olfaction, male sex, increased dependence in activities of daily living (n = 6), and poorer visual contrast. CONCLUSIONS Both convergent and cohort-specific frailty factors discriminated the AD spectrum cohorts. Convergence was observed as all cohorts were marked by lower quality of life (memory), supporting recent research and clinical attention to subjective experiences of memory aging and their potentially broad ramifications. Diversity was displayed in that, of the 14 leading predictors extracted across models, 11 were selectively sensitive to one cohort. A morbidity intensity trend was indicated by an increasing number and diversity of predictors corresponding to clinical severity, especially in AD. Knowledge of differential deficit predictors across AD clinical cohorts may promote precision interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linzy Bohn
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, P217 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada.
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, 2-132 Li Ka Shing Center for Health Research Innovation, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada.
| | - Shannon M Drouin
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, P217 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, 2-132 Li Ka Shing Center for Health Research Innovation, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - G Peggy McFall
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, P217 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, 2-132 Li Ka Shing Center for Health Research Innovation, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - Darryl B Rolfson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Alberta, 13-135 Clinical Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Melissa K Andrew
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Dalhousie University, 5955 Veterans' Memorial Lane, Halifax, NS, B3H 2E1, Canada
| | - Roger A Dixon
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, P217 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, 2-132 Li Ka Shing Center for Health Research Innovation, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada
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Oh M, Weaver DF. Alzheimer's disease as a fundamental disease of information processing systems: An information theory perspective. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1106623. [PMID: 36845437 PMCID: PMC9950401 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1106623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The human brain is a dynamic multiplex of information, both neural (neurotransmitter-to-neuron, involving 1.5×1015 action potentials per minute) and immunological (cytokine-to-microglia, providing continuous immune surveillance via 1.5×1010 immunocompetent cells). This conceptualization highlights the opportunity of exploiting "information" not only in the mechanistic understanding of brain pathology, but also as a potential therapeutic modality. Arising from its parallel yet interconnected proteopathic-immunopathic pathogeneses, Alzheimer's disease (AD) enables an exploration of the mechanistic and therapeutic contributions of information as a physical process central to brain disease progression. This review first considers the definition of information and its relevance to neurobiology and thermodynamics. Then we focus on the roles of information in AD using its two classical hallmarks. We assess the pathological contributions of β-amyloid peptides to synaptic dysfunction and reconsider this as a source of noise that disrupts information transfer between presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons. Also, we treat the triggers that activate cytokine-microglial brain processes as information-rich three-dimensional patterns, including pathogen-associated molecular patterns and damage-associated molecular patterns. There are structural and functional similarities between neural and immunological information with both fundamentally contributing to brain anatomy and pathology in health and disease. Finally, the role of information as a therapeutic for AD is introduced, particularly cognitive reserve as a prophylactic protective factor and cognitive therapy as a therapeutic contributor to the comprehensive management of ongoing dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myongin Oh
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Donald F. Weaver
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada,*Correspondence: Donald F. Weaver,
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Temporal Appearance of Enhanced Innate Anxiety in Alzheimer Model Mice. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020262. [PMID: 36830799 PMCID: PMC9953677 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of Alzheimer's disorder (AD) is increasing worldwide, and the co-morbid anxiety is an important, albeit often neglected problem, which might appear early during disease development. Animal models can be used to study this question. Mice, as prey animals, show an innate defensive response against a predator odor, providing a valuable tool for anxiety research. Our aim was to test whether the triple-transgenic mice model of AD shows signs of innate anxiety, with specific focus on the temporal appearance of the symptoms. We compared 3xTg-AD mice bearing human mutations of amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1, and tau with age-matched controls. First, separate age-groups (between 2 and 18 months) were tested for the avoidance of 2-methyl-2-thiazoline, a fox odor component. To test whether hypolocomotion is a general sign of innate anxiety, open-field behavior was subsequently followed monthly in both sexes. The 3xTg-AD mice showed more immobility, approached the fox odor container less often, and spent more time in the avoidance zone. This effect was detectable already in two-month-old animals irrespective of sex, not visible around six months of age, and was more pronounced in aged females than males. The 3xTg-AD animals moved generally less. They also spent less time in the center of the open-field, which was detectable mainly in females older than five months. In contrast to controls, the aged 3xTg-AD was not able to habituate to the arena during a 30-min observation period irrespective of their sex. Amyloid beta and phospho-Tau accumulated gradually in the hippocampus, amygdala, olfactory bulb, and piriform cortex. In conclusion, the early appearance of predator odor- and open space-induced innate anxiety detected already in two-month-old 3xTg-AD mice make this genetically predisposed strain a good model for testing anxiety both before the onset of AD-related symptoms as well as during the later phase. Synaptic dysfunction by protein deposits might contribute to these disturbances.
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Zhang M, Zhong L, Han X, Xiong G, Xu D, Zhang S, Cheng H, Chiu K, Xu Y. Brain and Retinal Abnormalities in the 5xFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease at Early Stages. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:681831. [PMID: 34366774 PMCID: PMC8343228 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.681831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the major challenges in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) is its early diagnosis. Increasing data from clinical and animal research indicate that the retina may facilitate an early diagnosis of AD. However, a previous study on the 5xFAD (a fast AD model), showing retinal changes before those in the brain, has been questioned because of the involvement of the retinal degeneration allele Pde6brd1. Here, we tested in parallel, at 4 and 6 months of age, both the retinal and the brain structure and function in a 5xFAD mouse line that carries no mutation of rd1. In the three tested regions of the 5xFAD brain (hippocampus, visual cortex, and olfactory bulb), the Aβ plaques were more numerous than in wild-type (WT) littermates already at 4 months, but deterioration in the cognitive behavioral test and long-term potentiation (LTP) lagged behind, showing significant deterioration only at 6 months. Similarly in the retina, structural changes preceded functional decay. At 4 months, the retina was generally normal except for a thicker outer nuclear layer in the middle region than WT. At 6 months, the visual behavior (as seen by an optomotor test) was clearly impaired. While the full-field and pattern electroretinogram (ERG) responses were relatively normal, the light responses of the retinal ganglion cells (measured with multielectrode-array recording) were decreased. Structurally, the retina became abnormally thick with few more Aβ plaques and activated glia cells. In conclusion, the timeline of the degenerative processes in the retina and the brain is similar, supporting the use of non-invasive methods to test the retinal structure and function to reflect changes in the brain for early AD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengrong Zhang
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of Central Nervous System Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liting Zhong
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of Central Nervous System Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiu Han
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of Central Nervous System Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guoyin Xiong
- Department of Ophthalmology, LKF Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Di Xu
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of Central Nervous System Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sensen Zhang
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of Central Nervous System Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haiyang Cheng
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of Central Nervous System Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kin Chiu
- Department of Ophthalmology, LKF Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of Central Nervous System Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Regeneration, Jinan University, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu, China
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Romano RR, Carter MA, Dietrich MS, Cowan RL, Bruehl SP, Monroe TB. Could Altered Evoked Pain Responsiveness Be a Phenotypic Biomarker for Alzheimer's Disease Risk? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Cognitively Healthy Individuals. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 79:1227-1233. [PMID: 33337380 PMCID: PMC7990440 DOI: 10.3233/jad-201293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study evaluated whether the apolipoprotein ɛ4 (APOE4) allele, a genetic marker associated with increased risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), was associated with differences in evoked pain responsiveness in cognitively healthy subjects. OBJECTIVE The aim was to determine whether individuals at increased risk of late-onset AD based on APOE allele genotype differ phenotypically in their response to experimentally-induced painful stimuli compared to those who do not have at least one copy of the ɛ4 allele. METHODS Forty-nine cognitively healthy subjects aged 30-89 years old with the APOE4 allele (n = 12) and without (n = 37) were assessed for group differences in pain thresholds and affective (unpleasantness) responses to experimentally-induced thermal pain stimuli. RESULTS Statistically significant main effects of APOE4 status were observed for both the temperature at which three different pain intensity percepts were reached (p = 0.040) and the level of unpleasantness associated with each (p = 0.014). APOE4 positive participants displayed lower overall pain sensitivity than those who were APOE4 negative and also greater overall levels of pain unpleasantness regardless of intensity level. CONCLUSION Cognitively healthy APOE4 carriers at increased risk of late-onset AD demonstrated reduced thermal pain sensitivity but greater unpleasantness to thermal pain stimuli relative to individuals at lower risk of late-onset AD. These results suggest that altered evoked pain perception could potentially be used as a phenotypic biomarker of late-onset AD risk prior to disease onset. Additional studies of this issue may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond R. Romano
- College of Graduate Health Sciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Michael A. Carter
- College of Nursing, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Mary S. Dietrich
- School of Medicine (Biostatistics, Psychiatry) and School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ronald L. Cowan
- Departments of Psychiatry and Anatomy and Neurobiology,College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Stephen P. Bruehl
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Todd B. Monroe
- College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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