1
|
Naveed K, Rashidi-Ranjbar N, Kumar S, Zomorrodi R, Blumberger DM, Fischer CE, Sanches M, Mulsant BH, Pollock BG, Voineskos AN, Rajji TK. Effect of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex structural measures on neuroplasticity and response to paired-associative stimulation in Alzheimer's dementia. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230233. [PMID: 38853564 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-term potentiation (LTP)-like activity can be induced by stimulation protocols such as paired associative stimulation (PAS). We aimed to determine whether PAS-induced LTP-like activity (PAS-LTP) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is associated with cortical thickness and other structural measures impaired in Alzheimer's dementia (AD). We also explored longitudinal relationships between these brain structures and PAS-LTP response after a repetitive PAS (rPAS) intervention. Mediation and regression analyses were conducted using data from randomized controlled trials with AD and healthy control participants. PAS-electroencephalography assessed DLPFC PAS-LTP. DLPFC thickness and surface area were acquired from T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity (MD) of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF)-a tract important to induce PAS-LTP-were measured with diffusion-weighted imaging. AD participants exhibited reduced DLPFC thickness and increased SLF MD. There was also some evidence that reduction in DLPFC thickness mediates DLPFC PAS-LTP impairment. Longitudinal analyses showed preliminary evidence that SLF MD, and to a lesser extent DLPFC thickness, is associated with DLPFC PAS-LTP response to active rPAS. This study expands our understanding of the relationships between brain structural changes and neuroplasticity. It provides promising evidence for a structural predictor to improving neuroplasticity in AD with neurostimulation. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Long-term potentiation: 50 years on'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Naveed
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Cir , Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Toronto Dementia Research Alliance, University of Toronto, 250 College Street , Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - N Rashidi-Ranjbar
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Cir , Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Toronto Dementia Research Alliance, University of Toronto, 250 College Street , Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, 209 Victoria Street , Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - S Kumar
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Cir , Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Toronto Dementia Research Alliance, University of Toronto, 250 College Street , Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, 479 Spadina Avenue , Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 250 College Street , Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - R Zomorrodi
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Cir , Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, 479 Spadina Avenue , Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1, Canada
| | - D M Blumberger
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Cir , Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, 479 Spadina Avenue , Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 250 College Street , Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - C E Fischer
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Cir , Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Toronto Dementia Research Alliance, University of Toronto, 250 College Street , Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, 209 Victoria Street , Toronto, Ontario M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - M Sanches
- Biostatistics Core, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 60 White Squirrel Way , Toronto, Ontario M6J 1H4, Canada
| | - B H Mulsant
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Cir , Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Toronto Dementia Research Alliance, University of Toronto, 250 College Street , Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, 479 Spadina Avenue , Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 250 College Street , Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - B G Pollock
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Cir , Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, 479 Spadina Avenue , Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 250 College Street , Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - A N Voineskos
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Cir , Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, 479 Spadina Avenue , Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 250 College Street , Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - T K Rajji
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Cir , Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Toronto Dementia Research Alliance, University of Toronto, 250 College Street , Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH, 479 Spadina Avenue , Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 250 College Street , Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pardo J, Montal V, Campabadal A, Oltra J, Uribe C, Roura I, Bargalló N, Martí MJ, Compta Y, Iranzo A, Fortea J, Junqué C, Segura B. Cortical Macro- and Microstructural Changes in Parkinson's Disease with Probable Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder. Mov Disord 2024; 39:814-824. [PMID: 38456361 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29761] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence regarding cortical atrophy patterns in Parkinson's disease (PD) with probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) (PD-pRBD) remains scarce. Cortical mean diffusivity (cMD), as a novel imaging biomarker highly sensitive to detecting cortical microstructural changes in different neurodegenerative diseases, has not been investigated in PD-pRBD yet. OBJECTIVES The aim was to investigate cMD as a sensitive measure to identify subtle cortical microstructural changes in PD-pRBD and its relationship with cortical thickness (CTh). METHODS Twenty-two PD-pRBD, 31 PD without probable RBD (PD-nonpRBD), and 28 healthy controls (HC) were assessed using 3D T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging on a 3-T scanner and neuropsychological testing. Measures of cortical brain changes were obtained through cMD and CTh. Two-class group comparisons of a general linear model were performed (P < 0.05). Cohen's d effect size for both approaches was computed. RESULTS PD-pRBD patients showed higher cMD than PD-nonpRBD patients in the left superior temporal, superior frontal, and precentral gyri, precuneus cortex, as well as in the right middle frontal and postcentral gyri and paracentral lobule (d > 0.8), whereas CTh did not detect significant differences. PD-pRBD patients also showed increased bilateral posterior cMD in comparison with HCs (d > 0.8). These results partially overlapped with CTh results (0.5 < d < 0.8). PD-nonpRBD patients showed no differences in cMD when compared with HCs but showed cortical thinning in the left fusiform gyrus and lateral occipital cortex bilaterally (d > 0.5). CONCLUSIONS cMD may be more sensitive than CTh displaying significant cortico-structural differences between PD subgroups, indicating this imaging biomarker's utility in studying early cortical changes in PD. © 2024 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Collapse
Grants
- PID2020-114640GB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad
- H2020-SC1-BHC-2018-2020/GA 965422 European Union's Horizon 2020, "MES-CoBraD"
- FI18/00275 Instituto de Salud Carlos III
- IIBSP-DOW-2020-151 Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Fundación Tatiana Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno
- PRE2018-086675 Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
- PI20/01473 Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitario, Carlos III Health Institute
- SGR 2021SGR00801 Generalitat de Catalunya
- 1R01AG056850-01A1 CIBERNED Program 1, National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants
- 3RF1AG056850-01S1 CIBERNED Program 1, National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants
- AG056850 CIBERNED Program 1, National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants
- R01AG061566 CIBERNED Program 1, National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants
- R21AG056974 CIBERNED Program 1, National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants
- 888692 H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- LCF/BQ/DR22/11950012 'la Caixa' Foundation
- PRE2021-099689 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
- CEX2021-001159-M María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence (Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona), Ministry of Science and Innovation
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jèssica Pardo
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Victor Montal
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Life Sciences, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Campabadal
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Neurology Service, Consorci Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí de Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Oltra
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carme Uribe
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ignacio Roura
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Bargalló
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Imaging Diagnostic Center (CDI), Hospital Clínic Universitari de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria J Martí
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Barcelona, Spain
- Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic Universitari de Barcelona, UBNeuro Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yaroslau Compta
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Barcelona, Spain
- Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic Universitari de Barcelona, UBNeuro Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alex Iranzo
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Barcelona, Spain
- Sleep Disorders Center, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic Universitari de Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Fortea
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Barcelona, Spain
- Barcelona Down Medical Center, Fundació Catalana de Síndrome de Down, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carme Junqué
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bàrbara Segura
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Reveley C, Ye FQ, Leopold DA. Diffusion kurtosis MRI tracks gray matter myelin content in the primate cerebral cortex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.08.584058. [PMID: 38496676 PMCID: PMC10942417 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.08.584058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) has been widely employed to model the trajectory of myelinated fiber bundles in white matter. Increasingly, dMRI is also used to assess local tissue properties throughout the brain. In the cerebral cortex, myelin content is a critical indicator of the maturation, regional variation, and disease related degeneration of gray matter tissue. Gray matter myelination can be measured and mapped using several non-diffusion MRI strategies; however, first order diffusion statistics such as fractional anisotropy (FA) show only weak spatial correlation with cortical myelin content. Here we show that a simple higher order diffusion parameter, the mean diffusion kurtosis (MK), is strongly correlated with the laminar and regional variation of myelin in the primate cerebral cortex. We carried out ultra-high resolution, multi-shelled dMRI in ex vivo marmoset monkey brains and compared dMRI parameters from a number of higher order models (diffusion kurtosis, NODDI and MAP MRI) to the distribution of myelin obtained using histological staining, and via Magnetization Transfer Ratio MRI (MTR), a non-diffusion MRI method. In contrast to FA, MK closely matched the myelin content assessed by histology and by MTR in the same sample. The parameter maps from MAP-MRI and NODDI also showed good correspondence with cortical myelin content. The results demonstrate that dMRI can be used to assess the variation of local myelin content in the primate cortical cortex, which may be of great value for assessing tissue integrity and tracking disease in living human patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Colin Reveley
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Centre for fMRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford, OX9 3DU, UK
| | - Frank Q Ye
- Neurophysiology Imaging Facility, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - David A Leopold
- Neurophysiology Imaging Facility, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
- Section on Cognitive Neurophysiology and Imaging, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Spotorno N, Strandberg O, Stomrud E, Janelidze S, Blennow K, Nilsson M, van Westen D, Hansson O. Diffusion MRI tracks cortical microstructural changes during the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Brain 2024; 147:961-969. [PMID: 38128551 PMCID: PMC10907088 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad428] [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: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
There is increased interest in developing markers reflecting microstructural changes that could serve as outcome measures in clinical trials. This is especially important after unexpected results in trials evaluating disease-modifying therapies targeting amyloid-β (Aβ), where morphological metrics from MRI showed increased volume loss despite promising clinical treatment effects. In this study, changes over time in cortical mean diffusivity, derived using diffusion tensor imaging, were investigated in a large cohort (n = 424) of non-demented participants from the Swedish BioFINDER study. Participants were stratified following the Aβ/tau (AT) framework. The results revealed a widespread increase in mean diffusivity over time, including both temporal and parietal cortical regions, in Aβ-positive but still tau-negative individuals. These increases were steeper in Aβ-positive and tau-positive individuals and robust to the inclusion of cortical thickness in the model. A steeper increase in mean diffusivity was also associated with both changes over time in fluid markers reflecting astrocytic activity (i.e. plasma level of glial fibrillary acidic protein and CSF levels of YKL-40) and worsening of cognitive performance (all P < 0.01). By tracking cortical microstructural changes over time and possibly reflecting variations related to the astrocytic response, cortical mean diffusivity emerges as a promising marker for tracking treatments-induced microstructural changes in clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Spotorno
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Olof Strandberg
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Erik Stomrud
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Memory Clinic, Skåne University Hospital, 214 28 Malmö, Sweden
| | - Shorena Janelidze
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 431 80 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Markus Nilsson
- Diagnostic Radiology, Institution for Clinical Sciences, Lund University, 221 85 Lund, Sweden
| | - Danielle van Westen
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Diagnostic Radiology, Institution for Clinical Sciences, Lund University, 221 85 Lund, Sweden
| | - Oskar Hansson
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Malmö, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
- Memory Clinic, Skåne University Hospital, 214 28 Malmö, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lee EY, Kim J, Prado-Rico JM, Du G, Lewis MM, Kong L, Yanosky JD, Eslinger P, Kim BG, Hong YS, Mailman RB, Huang X. Effects of mixed metal exposures on MRI diffusion features in the medial temporal lobe. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2023.07.18.23292828. [PMID: 37503124 PMCID: PMC10371112 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.18.23292828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Background Environmental exposure to metal mixtures is common and may be associated with increased risk for neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease. Objective This study examined associations of mixed metal exposures with medial temporal lobe (MTL) MRI structural metrics and neuropsychological performance. Methods Metal exposure history, whole blood metal, and neuropsychological tests were obtained from subjects with/without a history of mixed metal exposure from welding fumes (42 exposed subjects; 31 controls). MTL structures (hippocampus, entorhinal and parahippocampal cortices) were assessed by morphologic (volume, cortical thickness) and diffusion tensor imaging [mean (MD), axial (AD), radial diffusivity (RD), and fractional anisotropy (FA)] metrics. In exposed subjects, correlation, multiple linear, Bayesian kernel machine regression, and mediation analyses were employed to examine effects of single- or mixed-metal predictor(s) and their interactions on MTL structural and neuropsychological metrics; and on the path from metal exposure to neuropsychological consequences. Results Compared to controls, exposed subjects had higher blood Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Pb, Se, and Zn levels (p's<0.026) and poorer performance in processing/psychomotor speed, executive, and visuospatial domains (p's<0.046). Exposed subjects displayed higher MD, AD, and RD in all MTL ROIs (p's<0.040) and lower FA in entorhinal and parahippocampal cortices (p's<0.033), but not morphological differences. Long-term mixed-metal exposure history indirectly predicted lower processing speed performance via lower parahippocampal FA (p=0.023). Higher whole blood Mn and Cu predicted higher entorhinal diffusivity (p's<0.043) and lower Delayed Story Recall performance (p=0.007) without overall metal mixture or interaction effects. Discussion Mixed metal exposure predicted MTL structural and neuropsychological features that are similar to Alzheimer's disease at-risk populations. These data warrant follow-up as they may illuminate the path for environmental exposure to Alzheimer's disease-related health outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Young Lee
- Department of Health Care and Science, Dong-A University, Busan, South-Korea
| | - Juhee Kim
- Department of Health Care and Science, Dong-A University, Busan, South-Korea
| | - Janina Manzieri Prado-Rico
- Department of Neurology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
| | - Guangwei Du
- Department of Neurology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
| | - Mechelle M. Lewis
- Department of Neurology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
| | - Lan Kong
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
| | - Jeff D. Yanosky
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
| | - Paul Eslinger
- Department of Neurology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
| | - Byoung-Gwon Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Young-Seoub Hong
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Richard B. Mailman
- Department of Neurology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
| | - Xuemei Huang
- Department of Neurology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
- Department of Radiology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey PA 17033, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Tang R, Elman JA, Dale AM, Dorros SM, Eyler LT, Fennema-Notestine C, Gustavson DE, Hagler DJ, Lyons MJ, Panizzon MS, Puckett OK, Reynolds CA, Franz CE, Kremen WS. Childhood Disadvantage Moderates Late Midlife Default Mode Network Cortical Microstructure and Visual Memory Association. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2024; 79:glad114. [PMID: 37096346 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glad114] [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: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood disadvantage is a prominent risk factor for cognitive and brain aging. Childhood disadvantage is associated with poorer episodic memory in late midlife and functional and structural brain abnormalities in the default mode network (DMN). Although age-related changes in DMN are associated with episodic memory declines in older adults, it remains unclear if childhood disadvantage has an enduring impact on this later-life brain-cognition relationship earlier in the aging process. Here, within the DMN, we examined whether its cortical microstructural integrity-an early marker of structural vulnerability that increases the risk for future cognitive decline and neurodegeneration-is associated with episodic memory in adults at ages 56-66, and whether childhood disadvantage moderates this association. METHODS Cortical mean diffusivity (MD) obtained from diffusion magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure microstructural integrity in 350 community-dwelling men. We examined both visual and verbal episodic memory in relation to DMN MD and divided participants into disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged groups based on parental education and occupation. RESULTS Higher DMN MD was associated with poorer visual memory but not verbal memory (β = -0.11, p = .040 vs β = -0.04, p = .535). This association was moderated by childhood disadvantage and was significant only in the disadvantaged group (β = -0.26, p = .002 vs β = -0.00, p = .957). CONCLUSIONS Lower DMN cortical microstructural integrity may reflect visual memory vulnerability in cognitively normal adults earlier in the aging process. Individuals who experienced childhood disadvantage manifested greater vulnerability to cortical microstructure-related visual memory dysfunction than their nondisadvantaged counterparts who exhibited resilience in the face of low cortical microstructural integrity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rongxiang Tang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jeremy A Elman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Anders M Dale
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Stephen M Dorros
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lisa T Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Christine Fennema-Notestine
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Daniel E Gustavson
- Institute for Behavior Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Donald J Hagler
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Michael J Lyons
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew S Panizzon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Olivia K Puckett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Chandra A Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Carol E Franz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - William S Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhang Y, Li X, Ji Y, Ding H, Suo X, He X, Xie Y, Liang M, Zhang S, Yu C, Qin W. MRAβ: A multimodal MRI-derived amyloid-β biomarker for Alzheimer's disease. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:5139-5152. [PMID: 37578386 PMCID: PMC10502620 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26452] [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: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Florbetapir 18 F (AV45), a highly sensitive and specific positron emission tomographic (PET) molecular biomarker binding to the amyloid-β of Alzheimer's disease (AD), is constrained by radiation and cost. We sought to combat it by combining multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images and a collaborative generative adversarial networks model (CollaGAN) to develop a multimodal MRI-derived Amyloid-β (MRAβ) biomarker. We collected multimodal MRI and PET AV45 data of 380 qualified participants from the ADNI dataset and 64 subjects from OASIS3 dataset. A five-fold cross-validation CollaGAN were applied to generate MRAβ. In the ADNI dataset, we found MRAβ could characterize the subject-level AV45 spatial variations in both AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Voxel-wise two-sample t-tests demonstrated amyloid-β depositions identified by MRAβ in AD and MCI were significantly higher than healthy controls (HCs) in widespread cortices (p < .05, corrected) and were much similar to those by AV45 (r > .92, p < .001). Moreover, a 3D ResNet classifier demonstrated that MRAβ was comparable to AV45 in discriminating AD from HC in both the ADNI and OASIS3 datasets, and in discriminate MCI from HC in ADNI. Finally, we found MRAβ could mimic cortical hyper-AV45 in HCs who later converted to MCI (r = .79, p < .001) and was comparable to AV45 in discriminating them from stable HC (p > .05). In summary, our work illustrates that MRAβ synthesized by multimodal MRI could mimic the cerebral amyloid-β depositions like AV45 and lends credence to the feasibility of advancing MRI toward molecular-explainable biomarkers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Lab of Functional ImagingTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Xi Li
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Lab of Functional ImagingTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
- Department of RadiologyFirst Clinical Medical College and First Hospital of Shanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanShanxi ProvinceChina
| | - Yi Ji
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Lab of Functional ImagingTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Hao Ding
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Lab of Functional ImagingTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
- School of Medical ImagingTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Xinjun Suo
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Lab of Functional ImagingTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Xiaoxi He
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Lab of Functional ImagingTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Yingying Xie
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Lab of Functional ImagingTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Meng Liang
- School of Medical ImagingTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Shijie Zhang
- Department of PharmacologyTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Chunshui Yu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Lab of Functional ImagingTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
- School of Medical ImagingTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Wen Qin
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Lab of Functional ImagingTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Williams ME, Elman JA, Bell TR, Dale AM, Eyler LT, Fennema-Notestine C, Franz CE, Gillespie NA, Hagler DJ, Lyons MJ, McEvoy LK, Neale MC, Panizzon MS, Reynolds CA, Sanderson-Cimino M, Kremen WS. Higher cortical thickness/volume in Alzheimer's-related regions: protective factor or risk factor? Neurobiol Aging 2023; 129:185-194. [PMID: 37343448 PMCID: PMC10676195 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.05.004] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Some evidence suggests a biphasic pattern of changes in cortical thickness wherein higher, rather than lower, thickness is associated with very early Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. We examined whether integrating information from AD brain signatures based on mean diffusivity (MD) can aid in the interpretation of cortical thickness/volume as a risk factor for future AD-related changes. Participants were 572 men in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging who were cognitively unimpaired at baseline (mean age = 56 years; range = 51-60). Individuals with both high thickness/volume signatures and high MD signatures at baseline had lower cortical thickness/volume in AD signature regions and lower episodic memory performance 12 years later compared to those with high thickness/volume and low MD signatures at baseline. Groups did not differ in level of young adult cognitive reserve. Our findings are in line with a biphasic model in which increased cortical thickness may precede future decline and establish the value of examining cortical MD alongside cortical thickness to identify subgroups with differential risk for poorer brain and cognitive outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- McKenna E Williams
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Jeremy A Elman
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tyler R Bell
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anders M Dale
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lisa T Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Christine Fennema-Notestine
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carol E Franz
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nathan A Gillespie
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavior Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Donald J Hagler
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael J Lyons
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Linda K McEvoy
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael C Neale
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavior Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Matthew S Panizzon
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Chandra A Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Mark Sanderson-Cimino
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - William S Kremen
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Weston PSJ, Coath W, Harris MJ, Malone IB, Dickson J, Aigbirhio FI, Cash DM, Zhang H, Schott JM. Cortical tau is associated with microstructural imaging biomarkers of neurite density and dendritic complexity in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:2750-2754. [PMID: 36932979 PMCID: PMC10614698 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13011] [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: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In Alzheimer's disease (AD), hyperphosphorylated tau is closely associated with focal neurodegeneration, but the mechanism remains uncertain. METHODS We quantified cortical microstructure using neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging in 14 individuals with young onset AD. Diffusion tensor imaging measured mean diffusivity (MD). Amyloid beta and tau positron emission tomography were acquired and associations with microstructural measures were assessed. RESULTS When regional volume was adjusted for, in the medial temporal lobe there was a significant negative association between neurite density and tau (partial R2 = 0.56, p = 0.008) and between orientation dispersion and tau (partial R2 = 0.66, p = 0.002), but not between MD and tau. In a wider cortical composite, there was an association between orientation dispersion and tau (partial R2 = 0.43, p = 0.030), but not between other measures and tau. DISCUSSION Our findings are consistent with tau causing first dendritic pruning (reducing dispersion/complexity) followed by neuronal loss. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) microstructural measures have the potential to provide information relating to underlying tau deposition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip S. J. Weston
- The Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - William Coath
- The Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Matthew J. Harris
- The Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Ian B. Malone
- The Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - John Dickson
- Institute of Nuclear MedicineUniversity College London HospitalsLondonUK
| | - Franklin I. Aigbirhio
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Wolfson Brain Imaging CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - David M. Cash
- The Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Computer Science and Centre for Medical Image ComputingUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Jonathan M. Schott
- The Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Johnson GA, Tian Y, Ashbrook DG, Cofer GP, Cook JJ, Gee JC, Hall A, Hornburg K, Qi Y, Yeh FC, Wang N, White LE, Williams RW. Merged magnetic resonance and light sheet microscopy of the whole mouse brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218617120. [PMID: 37068254 PMCID: PMC10151475 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218617120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We have developed workflows to align 3D magnetic resonance histology (MRH) of the mouse brain with light sheet microscopy (LSM) and 3D delineations of the same specimen. We start with MRH of the brain in the skull with gradient echo and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at 15 μm isotropic resolution which is ~ 1,000 times higher than that of most preclinical MRI. Connectomes are generated with superresolution tract density images of ~5 μm. Brains are cleared, stained for selected proteins, and imaged by LSM at 1.8 μm/pixel. LSM data are registered into the reference MRH space with labels derived from the ABA common coordinate framework. The result is a high-dimensional integrated volume with registration (HiDiver) with alignment precision better than 50 µm. Throughput is sufficiently high that HiDiver is being used in quantitative studies of the impact of gene variants and aging on mouse brain cytoarchitecture and connectomics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuqi Tian
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University, Durham, NC27710
| | - David G. Ashbrook
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN38162
| | - Gary P. Cofer
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University, Durham, NC27710
| | - James J. Cook
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University, Durham, NC27710
| | - James C. Gee
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Adam Hall
- LifeCanvas Technology, Cambridge, MA02141
| | | | - Yi Qi
- Center for In Vivo Microscopy, Duke University, Durham, NC27710
| | - Fang-Cheng Yeh
- Department of Neurologic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15260
| | - Nian Wang
- Department of Radiology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN47401
| | | | - Robert W. Williams
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN38162
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Zetterberg H, Teunissen C, van Swieten J, Kuhle J, Boxer A, Rohrer JD, Mitic L, Nicholson AM, Pearlman R, McCaughey SM, Tatton N. The role of neurofilament light in genetic frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcac310. [PMID: 36694576 PMCID: PMC9866262 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic frontotemporal lobar degeneration caused by autosomal dominant gene mutations provides an opportunity for targeted drug development in a highly complex and clinically heterogeneous dementia. These neurodegenerative disorders can affect adults in their middle years, progress quickly relative to other dementias, are uniformly fatal and have no approved disease-modifying treatments. Frontotemporal dementia, caused by mutations in the GRN gene which encodes the protein progranulin, is an active area of interventional drug trials that are testing multiple strategies to restore progranulin protein deficiency. These and other trials are also examining neurofilament light as a potential biomarker of disease activity and disease progression and as a therapeutic endpoint based on the assumption that cerebrospinal fluid and blood neurofilament light levels are a surrogate for neuroaxonal damage. Reports from genetic frontotemporal dementia longitudinal studies indicate that elevated concentrations of blood neurofilament light reflect disease severity and are associated with faster brain atrophy. To better inform patient stratification and treatment response in current and upcoming clinical trials, a more nuanced interpretation of neurofilament light as a biomarker of neurodegeneration is now required, one that takes into account its relationship to other pathophysiological and topographic biomarkers of disease progression from early presymptomatic to later clinically symptomatic stages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Clinical Chemistry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK.,DRI Fluid Biomarker Laboratory, Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
| | - Charlotte Teunissen
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - John van Swieten
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jens Kuhle
- Department of Clinical Research, Department of Neurology, Department of Biomedicine, Multiple Sclerosis Centre, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Adam Boxer
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- Queen Square UCL Institute of Neurology, Dementia Research Centre, UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Laura Mitic
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,The Bluefield Project to Cure FTD, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alexandra M Nicholson
- The Bluefield Project to Cure FTD, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Nadine Tatton
- Medical Affairs, Alector, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Elman JA, Puckett OK, Hagler DJ, Pearce RC, Fennema-Notestine C, Hatton SN, Lyons MJ, McEvoy LK, Panizzon MS, Reas ET, Dale AM, Franz CE, Kremen WS. Associations between MRI-assessed locus coeruleus integrity and cortical gray matter microstructure. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4191-4203. [PMID: 34969072 PMCID: PMC9528780 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is one of the earliest sites of tau pathology, making it a key structure in early Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. As the primary source of norepinephrine for the brain, reduced LC integrity may have negative consequences for brain health, yet macrostructural brain measures (e.g. cortical thickness) may not be sensitive to early stages of neurodegeneration. We therefore examined whether LC integrity was associated with differences in cortical gray matter microstructure among 435 men (mean age = 67.5; range = 62-71.7). LC structural integrity was indexed by contrast-to-noise ratio (LCCNR) from a neuromelanin-sensitive MRI scan. Restriction spectrum imaging (RSI), an advanced multi-shell diffusion technique, was used to characterize cortical microstructure, modeling total diffusion in restricted, hindered, and free water compartments. Higher LCCNR (greater integrity) was associated with higher hindered and lower free water diffusion in multiple cortical regions. In contrast, no associations between LCCNR and cortical thickness survived correction. Results suggest lower LC integrity is associated with patterns of cortical microstructure that may reflect a reduction in cytoarchitectural barriers due to broader neurodegenerative processes. These findings highlight the potential utility for LC imaging and advanced diffusion measures of cortical microstructure in assessing brain health and early identification of neurodegenerative processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy A Elman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Olivia K Puckett
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Donald J Hagler
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Rahul C Pearce
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christine Fennema-Notestine
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sean N Hatton
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Michael J Lyons
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Linda K McEvoy
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Matthew S Panizzon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Emilie T Reas
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Anders M Dale
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Carol E Franz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - William S Kremen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Health Care System, La Jolla, CA 92161, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Pavisic IM, Nicholas JM, Pertzov Y, O'Connor A, Liang Y, Collins JD, Lu K, Weston PSJ, Ryan NS, Husain M, Fox NC, Crutch SJ. Visual short-term memory impairments in presymptomatic familial Alzheimer's disease: A longitudinal observational study. Neuropsychologia 2021; 162:108028. [PMID: 34560142 PMCID: PMC8589962 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.108028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Visual short-term memory (VSTM) deficits including VSTM binding have been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) from preclinical to dementia stages, cross-sectionally. Yet, longitudinal investigations are lacking. The objective of this study was to evaluate VSTM function longitudinally and in relation to expected symptom onset in a cohort of familial Alzheimer's disease. Ninety-nine individuals (23 presymptomatic; 9 symptomatic and 67 controls) were included in an extension cross-sectional study and a sub-sample of 48 (23 presymptomatic carriers, 6 symptomatic and 19 controls), attending two to five visits with a median interval of 1.3 years, included in the longitudinal study. Participants completed the “What was where?” relational binding task (which measures memory for object identification, localisation and object-location binding under different conditions of memory load and delay), neuropsychology assessments and genetic testing. Compared to controls, presymptomatic carriers within 8.5 years of estimated symptom onset showed a faster rate of decline in localisation performance in long-delay conditions (4s) and in traditional neuropsychology measures of verbal episodic memory. This study represents the first longitudinal VSTM investigation and shows that changes in memory resolution may be sensitive to tracking cognitive decline in preclinical AD at least as early as changes in the more traditional verbal episodic memory tasks. VSTM function was investigated in presymptomatic and symptomatic FAD carriers. PMCs showed faster decline in VSTM function (target localisation) than controls. Target localisation accuracy decreased with proximity to expected symptom onset. “What was where?” may be sensitive to tracking preclinical cognitive decline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivanna M Pavisic
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK.
| | - Jennifer M Nicholas
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Yoni Pertzov
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Antoinette O'Connor
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
| | - Yuying Liang
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Jessica D Collins
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Kirsty Lu
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Philip S J Weston
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Natalie S Ryan
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
| | - Masud Husain
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, UK; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Nick C Fox
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
| | - Sebastian J Crutch
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Torso M, Ridgway GR, Jenkinson M, Chance S. Intracortical diffusion tensor imaging signature of microstructural changes in frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Alzheimers Res Ther 2021; 13:180. [PMID: 34686217 PMCID: PMC8539736 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-021-00914-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a neuropathological construct with multiple clinical presentations, including the behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), primary progressive aphasia-both non-fluent variant (nfvPPA) and semantic variant (svPPA)-progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS), characterised by the deposition of abnormal tau protein in the brain. A major challenge for treating FTLD is early diagnosis and accurate discrimination among different syndromes. The main goal here was to investigate the cortical architecture of FTLD syndromes using cortical diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis and to test its power to discriminate between different clinical presentations. METHODS A total of 271 individuals were included in the study: 87 healthy subjects (HS), 31 semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), 37 behavioural variant (bvFTD), 30 non-fluent/agrammatic variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA), 47 PSP Richardson's syndrome (PSP-RS) and 39 CBS cases. 3T MRI T1-weighted images and DTI scans were analysed to extract three cortical DTI derived measures (AngleR, PerpPD and ParlPD) and mean diffusivity (MD), as well as standard volumetric measurements. Whole brain and regional data were extracted. Linear discriminant analysis was used to assess the group discrimination capability of volumetric and DTI measures to differentiate the FTLD syndromes. In addition, in order to further investigate differential diagnosis in CBS and PSP-RS, a subgroup of subjects with autopsy confirmation in the training cohort was used to select features which were then tested in the test cohort. Three different challenges were explored: a binary classification (controls vs all patients), a multiclass classification (HS vs bvFTD vs svPPA vs nfvPPA vs CBS vs PSP-RS) and an additional binary classification to differentiate CBS and PSP-RS using features selected in an autopsy confirmed subcohort. RESULTS Linear discriminant analysis revealed that PerpPD was the best feature to distinguish between controls and all patients (ACC 86%). PerpPD regional values were able to classify correctly the different FTLD syndromes with an accuracy of 85.6%. The PerpPD and volumetric values selected to differentiate CBS and PSP-RS patients showed a classification accuracy of 85.2%. CONCLUSIONS (I) PerpPD achieved the highest classification power for differentiating healthy controls and FTLD syndromes and FTLD syndromes among themselves. (II) PerpPD regional values could provide an additional marker to differentiate FTD, PSP-RS and CBS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mario Torso
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Brain Diagnostics Limited, Oxford, UK.
| | | | - Mark Jenkinson
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Steven Chance
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Brain Diagnostics Limited, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Williams ME, Elman JA, McEvoy LK, Andreassen OA, Dale AM, Eglit GML, Eyler LT, Fennema-Notestine C, Franz CE, Gillespie NA, Hagler DJ, Hatton SN, Hauger RL, Jak AJ, Logue MW, Lyons MJ, McKenzie RE, Neale MC, Panizzon MS, Puckett OK, Reynolds CA, Sanderson-Cimino M, Toomey R, Tu XM, Whitsel N, Xian H, Kremen WS. 12-year prediction of mild cognitive impairment aided by Alzheimer's brain signatures at mean age 56. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab167. [PMID: 34396116 PMCID: PMC8361427 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging signatures based on composite scores of cortical thickness and hippocampal volume predict progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease. However, little is known about the ability of these signatures among cognitively normal adults to predict progression to mild cognitive impairment. Towards that end, a signature sensitive to microstructural changes that may predate macrostructural atrophy should be useful. We hypothesized that: (i) a validated MRI-derived Alzheimer's disease signature based on cortical thickness and hippocampal volume in cognitively normal middle-aged adults would predict progression to mild cognitive impairment; and (ii) a novel grey matter mean diffusivity signature would be a better predictor than the thickness/volume signature. This cohort study was part of the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. Concurrent analyses compared cognitively normal and mild cognitive impairment groups at each of three study waves (ns = 246-367). Predictive analyses included 169 cognitively normal men at baseline (age = 56.1, range = 51-60). Our previously published thickness/volume signature derived from independent data, a novel mean diffusivity signature using the same regions and weights as the thickness/volume signature, age, and an Alzheimer's disease polygenic risk score were used to predict incident mild cognitive impairment an average of 12 years after baseline (follow-up age = 67.2, range = 61-71). Additional analyses adjusted for predicted brain age difference scores (chronological age minus predicted brain age) to determine if signatures were Alzheimer-related and not simply ageing-related. In concurrent analyses, individuals with mild cognitive impairment had higher (worse) mean diffusivity signature scores than cognitively normal participants, but thickness/volume signature scores did not differ between groups. In predictive analyses, age and polygenic risk score yielded an area under the curve of 0.74 (sensitivity = 80.00%; specificity = 65.10%). Prediction was significantly improved with addition of the mean diffusivity signature (area under the curve = 0.83; sensitivity = 85.00%; specificity = 77.85%; P = 0.007), but not with addition of the thickness/volume signature. A model including both signatures did not improve prediction over a model with only the mean diffusivity signature. Results held up after adjusting for predicted brain age difference scores. The novel mean diffusivity signature was limited by being yoked to the thickness/volume signature weightings. An independently derived mean diffusivity signature may thus provide even stronger prediction. The young age of the sample at baseline is particularly notable. Given that the brain signatures were examined when participants were only in their 50 s, our results suggest a promising step towards improving very early identification of Alzheimer's disease risk and the potential value of mean diffusivity and/or multimodal brain signatures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- McKenna E Williams
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jeremy A Elman
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Linda K McEvoy
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo 0316, Norway
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo 0372, Norway
| | - Anders M Dale
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Graham M L Eglit
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lisa T Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Desert Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christine Fennema-Notestine
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Carol E Franz
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nathan A Gillespie
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavior Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Donald J Hagler
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sean N Hatton
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Richard L Hauger
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (CESAMH), VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Amy J Jak
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Mark W Logue
- National Center for PTSD: Behavioral Science Division, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and the Biomedical Genetics Section, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Michael J Lyons
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02212, USA
| | - Ruth E McKenzie
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- School of Education and Social Policy, Merrimack College, North Andover, MA 01845, USA
| | - Michael C Neale
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavior Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Matthew S Panizzon
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Olivia K Puckett
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Chandra A Reynolds
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Mark Sanderson-Cimino
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Rosemary Toomey
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02212, USA
| | - Xin M Tu
- Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nathan Whitsel
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Hong Xian
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA
| | - William S Kremen
- Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (CESAMH), VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Pavisic IM, Pertzov Y, Nicholas JM, O'Connor A, Lu K, Yong KXX, Husain M, Fox NC, Crutch SJ. Eye-tracking indices of impaired encoding of visual short-term memory in familial Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8696. [PMID: 33888739 PMCID: PMC8062689 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88001-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The basis of visual short-term memory (VSTM) impairments in preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear. Research suggests that eye movements may serve as indirect surrogates to investigate VSTM. Yet, investigations in preclinical populations are lacking. Fifty-two individuals from a familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) cohort (9 symptomatic carriers, 17 presymptomatic carriers and 26 controls) completed the "Object-localisation" VSTM task while an eye-tracker recorded eye movements during the stimulus presentation. VSTM function and oculomotor performance were compared between groups and their association during encoding investigated. Compared to controls, symptomatic FAD carriers showed eye movement patterns suggestive of an ineffective encoding and presymptomatic FAD carriers within 6 years of their expected age at symptom onset, were more reliant on the stimuli fixation time to achieve accuracy in the localisation of the target. Consequently, for shorter fixation times on the stimuli, presymptomatic carriers were less accurate at localising the target than controls. By contrast, the only deficits detected on behavioural VSTM function was in symptomatic individuals. Our findings provide novel evidence that encoding processes may be vulnerable and weakened in presymptomatic FAD carriers, most prominently for spatial memory, suggesting a possible explanation for the subtle VSTM impairments observed in the preclinical stages of AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivanna M Pavisic
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK. .,UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK.
| | - Yoni Pertzov
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jennifer M Nicholas
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.,Department of Medial Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Antoinette O'Connor
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
| | - Kirsty Lu
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Keir X X Yong
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Masud Husain
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nick C Fox
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
| | - Sebastian J Crutch
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Callow DD, Won J, Pena GS, Jordan LS, Arnold-Nedimala NA, Kommula Y, Nielson KA, Smith JC. Exercise Training-Related Changes in Cortical Gray Matter Diffusivity and Cognitive Function in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Healthy Older Adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:645258. [PMID: 33897407 PMCID: PMC8060483 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.645258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) are at an elevated risk of dementia and exhibit deficits in cognition and cortical gray matter (GM) volume, thickness, and microstructure. Meanwhile, exercise training appears to preserve brain function and macrostructure may help delay or prevent the onset of dementia in individuals with MCI. Yet, our understanding of the neurophysiological effects of exercise training in individuals with MCI remains limited. Recent work suggests that the measures of gray matter microstructure using diffusion imaging may be sensitive to early cognitive and neurophysiological changes in the aging brain. Therefore, this study is aimed to determine the effects of exercise training in cognition and cortical gray matter microstructure in individuals with MCI vs. cognitively healthy older adults. Fifteen MCI participants and 17 cognitively intact controls (HC) volunteered for a 12-week supervised walking intervention. Following the intervention, MCI and HC saw improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, performance on Trial 1 of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), a measure of verbal memory, and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), a measure of verbal fluency. After controlling for age, a voxel-wise analysis of cortical gray matter diffusivity showed individuals with MCI exhibited greater increases in mean diffusivity (MD) in the left insular cortex than HC. This increase in MD was positively associated with improvements in COWAT performance. Additionally, after controlling for age, the voxel-wise analysis indicated a main effect of Time with both groups experiencing an increase in left insular and left and right cerebellar MD. Increases in left insular diffusivity were similarly found to be positively associated with improvements in COWAT performance in both groups, while increases in cerebellar MD were related to gains in episodic memory performance. These findings suggest that exercise training may be related to improvements in neural circuits that govern verbal fluency performance in older adults through the microstructural remodeling of cortical gray matter. Furthermore, changes in left insular cortex microstructure may be particularly relevant to improvements in verbal fluency among individuals diagnosed with MCI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D Callow
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Junyeon Won
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Gabriel S Pena
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Leslie S Jordan
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | | | - Yash Kommula
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Kristy A Nielson
- Department of Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, United States.,Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - J Carson Smith
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Schwarz AJ. The Use, Standardization, and Interpretation of Brain Imaging Data in Clinical Trials of Neurodegenerative Disorders. Neurotherapeutics 2021; 18:686-708. [PMID: 33846962 PMCID: PMC8423963 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-021-01027-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Imaging biomarkers play a wide-ranging role in clinical trials for neurological disorders. This includes selecting the appropriate trial participants, establishing target engagement and mechanism-related pharmacodynamic effect, monitoring safety, and providing evidence of disease modification. In the early stages of clinical drug development, evidence of target engagement and/or downstream pharmacodynamic effect-especially with a clear relationship to dose-can provide confidence that the therapeutic candidate should be advanced to larger and more expensive trials, and can inform the selection of the dose(s) to be further tested, i.e., to "de-risk" the drug development program. In these later-phase trials, evidence that the therapeutic candidate is altering disease-related biomarkers can provide important evidence that the clinical benefit of the compound (if observed) is grounded in meaningful biological changes. The interpretation of disease-related imaging markers, and comparability across different trials and imaging tools, is greatly improved when standardized outcome measures are defined. This standardization should not impinge on scientific advances in the imaging tools per se but provides a common language in which the results generated by these tools are expressed. PET markers of pathological protein aggregates and structural imaging of brain atrophy are common disease-related elements across many neurological disorders. However, PET tracers for pathologies beyond amyloid β and tau are needed, and the interpretability of structural imaging can be enhanced by some simple considerations to guard against the possible confound of pseudo-atrophy. Learnings from much-studied conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis will be beneficial as the field embraces rarer diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Schwarz
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals Ltd., 40 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Rodriguez-Vieitez E, Montal V, Sepulcre J, Lois C, Hanseeuw B, Vilaplana E, Schultz AP, Properzi MJ, Scott MR, Amariglio R, Papp KV, Marshall GA, Fortea J, Johnson KA, Sperling RA, Vannini P. Association of cortical microstructure with amyloid-β and tau: impact on cognitive decline, neurodegeneration, and clinical progression in older adults. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:7813-7822. [PMID: 34588623 PMCID: PMC8873001 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01290-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Noninvasive biomarkers of early neuronal injury may help identify cognitively normal individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). A recent diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) method allows assessing cortical microstructure via cortical mean diffusivity (cMD), suggested to be more sensitive than macrostructural neurodegeneration. Here, we aimed to investigate the association of cMD with amyloid-β and tau pathology in older adults, and whether cMD predicts longitudinal cognitive decline, neurodegeneration and clinical progression. The study sample comprised n = 196 cognitively normal older adults (mean[SD] 72.5 [9.4] years; 114 women [58.2%]) from the Harvard Aging Brain Study. At baseline, all participants underwent structural MRI, DWI, 11C-Pittsburgh compound-B-PET, 18F-flortaucipir-PET imaging, and cognitive assessments. Longitudinal measures of Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite-5 were available for n = 186 individuals over 3.72 (1.96)-year follow-up. Prospective clinical follow-up was available for n = 163 individuals over 3.2 (1.7) years. Surface-based image analysis assessed vertex-wise relationships between cMD, global amyloid-β, and entorhinal and inferior-temporal tau. Multivariable regression, mixed effects models and Cox proportional hazards regression assessed longitudinal cognition, brain structural changes and clinical progression. Tau, but not amyloid-β, was positively associated with cMD in AD-vulnerable regions. Correcting for baseline demographics and cognition, increased cMD predicted steeper cognitive decline, which remained significant after correcting for amyloid-β, thickness, and entorhinal tau; there was a synergistic interaction between cMD and both amyloid-β and tau on cognitive slope. Regional cMD predicted hippocampal atrophy rate, independently from amyloid-β, tau, and thickness. Elevated cMD predicted progression to mild cognitive impairment. Cortical microstructure is a noninvasive biomarker that independently predicts subsequent cognitive decline, neurodegeneration and clinical progression, suggesting utility in clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Rodriguez-Vieitez
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.509504.d0000 0004 0475 2664Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA USA ,grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Victor Montal
- grid.7080.f0000 0001 2296 0625Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain ,grid.418264.d0000 0004 1762 4012Centre of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Sepulcre
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.512020.4Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Boston, MA USA
| | - Cristina Lois
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.512020.4Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Boston, MA USA
| | - Bernard Hanseeuw
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.512020.4Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Boston, MA USA ,grid.7942.80000 0001 2294 713XSaint Luc University Hospital, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Eduard Vilaplana
- grid.7080.f0000 0001 2296 0625Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain ,grid.418264.d0000 0004 1762 4012Centre of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Aaron P. Schultz
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.509504.d0000 0004 0475 2664Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA USA
| | - Michael J. Properzi
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Matthew R. Scott
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.509504.d0000 0004 0475 2664Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA USA
| | - Rebecca Amariglio
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XBrigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Kathryn V. Papp
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.509504.d0000 0004 0475 2664Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XBrigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Gad A. Marshall
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.509504.d0000 0004 0475 2664Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XBrigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Juan Fortea
- grid.7080.f0000 0001 2296 0625Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain ,grid.418264.d0000 0004 1762 4012Centre of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Keith A. Johnson
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.512020.4Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Boston, MA USA
| | - Reisa A. Sperling
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMassachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.509504.d0000 0004 0475 2664Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XBrigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Patrizia Vannini
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. .,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, USA. .,Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|