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Huynh NPT, Osipovitch M, Foti R, Bates J, Mansky B, Cano JC, Benraiss A, Zhao C, Lu QR, Goldman SA. Shared patterns of glial transcriptional dysregulation link Huntington's disease and schizophrenia. Brain 2024:awae166. [PMID: 39028640 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease and juvenile-onset schizophrenia have long been regarded as distinct disorders. However, both manifest cell-intrinsic abnormalities in glial differentiation, with resultant astrocytic dysfunction and hypomyelination. To assess whether a common mechanism might underlie the similar glial pathology of these otherwise disparate conditions, we used comparative correlation network approaches to analyse RNA-sequencing data from human glial progenitor cells (hGPCs) produced from disease-derived pluripotent stem cells. We identified gene sets preserved between Huntington's disease and schizophrenia hGPCs yet distinct from normal controls that included 174 highly connected genes in the shared disease-associated network, focusing on genes involved in synaptic signalling. These synaptic genes were largely suppressed in both schizophrenia and Huntington's disease hGPCs, and gene regulatory network analysis identified a core set of upstream regulators of this network, of which OLIG2 and TCF7L2 were prominent. Among their downstream targets, ADGRL3, a modulator of glutamatergic synapses, was notably suppressed in both schizophrenia and Huntington's disease hGPCs. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing confirmed that OLIG2 and TCF7L2 each bound to the regulatory region of ADGRL3, whose expression was then rescued by lentiviral overexpression of these transcription factors. These data suggest that the disease-associated suppression of OLIG2 and TCF7L2-dependent transcription of glutamate signalling regulators may impair glial receptivity to neuronal glutamate. The consequent loss of activity-dependent mobilization of hGPCs may yield deficient oligodendrocyte production, and hence the hypomyelination noted in these disorders, as well as the disrupted astrocytic differentiation and attendant synaptic dysfunction associated with each. Together, these data highlight the importance of convergent glial molecular pathology in both the pathogenesis and phenotypic similarities of two otherwise unrelated disorders, Huntington's disease and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen P T Huynh
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine and Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Mikhail Osipovitch
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rossana Foti
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Janna Bates
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine and Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Benjamin Mansky
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine and Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Jose C Cano
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine and Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Abdellatif Benraiss
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine and Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Chuntao Zhao
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Brain Tumor Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Q Richard Lu
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Department of Pediatrics, Brain Tumor Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Steven A Goldman
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine and Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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Shing K, Sapp E, Boudi A, Liu S, Seeley C, Marchionini D, DiFiglia M, Kegel-Gleason KB. Early whole-body mutant huntingtin lowering averts changes in proteins and lipids important for synapse function and white matter maintenance in the LacQ140 mouse model. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 187:106313. [PMID: 37777020 PMCID: PMC10731584 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106313] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Expansion of a triplet repeat tract in exon 1 of the HTT gene causes Huntington's disease (HD). The mutant HTT protein (mHTT) has numerous aberrant interactions with diverse, pleiomorphic effects. Lowering mHTT is a promising approach to treat HD, but it is unclear when lowering should be initiated, how much is necessary, and what duration should occur to achieve benefits. Furthermore, the effects of mHTT lowering on brain lipids have not been assessed. Using a mHtt-inducible mouse model, we analyzed mHtt lowering initiated at different ages and sustained for different time-periods. mHTT protein in cytoplasmic and synaptic compartments of the striatum was reduced 38-52%; however, there was minimal lowering of mHTT in nuclear and perinuclear regions where aggregates formed at 12 months of age. Total striatal lipids were reduced in 9-month-old LacQ140 mice and preserved by mHtt lowering. Subclasses important for white matter structure and function including ceramide (Cer), sphingomyelin (SM), and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), contributed to the reduction in total lipids. Phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and bismethyl phosphatidic acid (BisMePA) were also changed in LacQ140 mice. Levels of all subclasses except ceramide were preserved by mHtt lowering. mRNA expression profiling indicated that a transcriptional mechanism contributes to changes in myelin lipids, and some but not all changes can be prevented by mHtt lowering. Our findings suggest that early and sustained reduction in mHtt can prevent changes in levels of select striatal proteins and most lipids, but a misfolded, degradation-resistant form of mHTT hampers some benefits in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Shing
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Sophia Liu
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Connor Seeley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | | | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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3
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Shing K, Sapp E, Boudi A, Liu S, Seeley C, Marchionini D, DiFiglia M, Kegel-Gleason KB. Early whole-body mutant huntingtin lowering averts changes in proteins and lipids important for synapse function and white matter maintenance in the LacQ140 mouse model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.26.525697. [PMID: 36747614 PMCID: PMC9900921 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.26.525697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Expansion of a triplet repeat tract in exon1 of the HTT gene causes Huntington's disease (HD). The mutant HTT protein (mHTT) has numerous aberrant interactions with diverse, pleiomorphic effects. No disease modifying treatments exist but lowering mutant huntingtin (mHTT) by gene therapy is a promising approach to treat Huntington's disease (HD). It is not clear when lowering should be initiated, how much lowering is necessary and for what duration lowering should occur to achieve benefits. Furthermore, the effects of mHTT lowering on brain lipids have not been assessed. Using a mHtt-inducible mouse model we analyzed whole body mHtt lowering initiated at different ages and sustained for different time-periods. Subcellular fractionation (density gradient ultracentrifugation), protein chemistry (gel filtration, western blot, and capillary electrophoresis immunoassay), liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry of lipids, and bioinformatic approaches were used to test effects of mHTT transcriptional lowering. mHTT protein in cytoplasmic and synaptic compartments of the caudate putamen, which is most affected in HD, was reduced 38-52%. Little or no lowering of mHTT occurred in nuclear and perinuclear regions where aggregates formed at 12 months of age. mHtt transcript repression partially or fully preserved select striatal proteins (SCN4B, PDE10A). Total lipids in striatum were reduced in LacQ140 mice at 9 months and preserved by early partial mHtt lowering. The reduction in total lipids was due in part to reductions in subclasses of ceramide (Cer), sphingomyelin (SM), and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), which are known to be important for white matter structure and function. Lipid subclasses phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and bismethyl phosphatidic acid (BisMePA) were also changed in LacQ140 mice. Levels of all subclasses other than ceramide were preserved by early mHtt lowering. Pathway enrichment analysis of RNAseq data imply a transcriptional mechanism is responsible in part for changes in myelin lipids, and some but not all changes can be rescued by mHTT lowering. Our findings suggest that early and sustained reduction in mHtt can prevent changes in levels of select striatal proteins and most lipids but a misfolded, degradation-resistant form of mHTT hampers some benefits in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Shing
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Sophia Liu
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Connor Seeley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | | | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
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Estevez-Fraga C, Elmalem MS, Papoutsi M, Durr A, Rees EM, Hobbs NZ, Roos RAC, Landwehrmeyer B, Leavitt BR, Langbehn DR, Scahill RI, Rees G, Tabrizi SJ, Gregory S. Progressive alterations in white matter microstructure across the timecourse of Huntington's disease. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e2940. [PMID: 36917716 PMCID: PMC10097137 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whole-brain longitudinal diffusion studies are crucial to examine changes in structural connectivity in neurodegeneration. Here, we investigated the longitudinal alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure across the timecourse of Huntington's disease (HD). METHODS We examined changes in WM microstructure from premanifest to early manifest disease, using data from two cohorts with different disease burden. The TrackOn-HD study included 67 controls, 67 premanifest, and 10 early manifest HD (baseline and 24-month data); the PADDINGTON study included 33 controls and 49 early manifest HD (baseline and 15-month data). Longitudinal changes in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity from baseline to last study visit were investigated for each cohort using tract-based spatial statistics. An optimized pipeline was employed to generate participant-specific templates to which diffusion tensor imaging maps were registered and change maps were calculated. We examined longitudinal differences between HD expansion-carriers and controls, and correlations with clinical scores, including the composite UHDRS (cUHDRS). RESULTS HD expansion-carriers from TrackOn-HD, with lower disease burden, showed a significant longitudinal decline in FA in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus and an increase in MD across subcortical WM tracts compared to controls, while in manifest HD participants from PADDINGTON, there were significant widespread longitudinal increases in diffusivity compared to controls. Baseline scores in clinical scales including the cUHDRS predicted WM microstructural change in HD expansion-carriers. CONCLUSION The present study showed significant longitudinal changes in WM microstructure across the HD timecourse. Changes were evident in larger WM areas and across more metrics as the disease advanced, suggesting a progressive alteration of WM microstructure with disease evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Estevez-Fraga
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Michael S Elmalem
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Marina Papoutsi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alexandra Durr
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), AP-HP, Inserm, CNRS, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | - Nicola Z Hobbs
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Raymund A C Roos
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Huntington's Disease at UBC Hospital, Department of Medical Genetics and Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Rachael I Scahill
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Geraint Rees
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Gregory
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Cvetanovic M, Gray M. Contribution of Glial Cells to Polyglutamine Diseases: Observations from Patients and Mouse Models. Neurotherapeutics 2023; 20:48-66. [PMID: 37020152 PMCID: PMC10119372 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-023-01357-5] [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] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are broadly characterized neuropathologically by the degeneration of vulnerable neuronal cell types in a specific brain region. The degeneration of specific cell types has informed on the various phenotypes/clinical presentations in someone suffering from these diseases. Prominent neurodegeneration of specific neurons is seen in polyglutamine expansion diseases including Huntington's disease (HD) and spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA). The clinical manifestations observed in these diseases could be as varied as the abnormalities in motor function observed in those who have Huntington's disease (HD) as demonstrated by a chorea with substantial degeneration of striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) or those with various forms of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) with an ataxic motor presentation primarily due to degeneration of cerebellar Purkinje cells. Due to the very significant nature of the degeneration of MSNs in HD and Purkinje cells in SCAs, much of the research has centered around understanding the cell autonomous mechanisms dysregulated in these neuronal cell types. However, an increasing number of studies have revealed that dysfunction in non-neuronal glial cell types contributes to the pathogenesis of these diseases. Here we explore these non-neuronal glial cell types with a focus on how each may contribute to the pathogenesis of HD and SCA and the tools used to evaluate glial cells in the context of these diseases. Understanding the regulation of supportive and harmful phenotypes of glia in disease could lead to development of novel glia-focused neurotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Cvetanovic
- Department of Neuroscience, Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Michelle Gray
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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6
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Taghian T, Gallagher J, Batcho E, Pullan C, Kuchel T, Denney T, Perumal R, Moore S, Muirhead R, Herde P, Johns D, Christou C, Taylor A, Passler T, Pulaparthi S, Hall E, Chandra S, O’Neill CA, Gray-Edwards H. Brain Alterations in Aged OVT73 Sheep Model of Huntington's Disease: An MRI Based Approach. J Huntingtons Dis 2022; 11:391-406. [PMID: 36189602 PMCID: PMC9837686 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-220526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative autosomal dominant disorder with prevalence of 1 : 20000 that has no effective treatment to date. Translatability of candidate therapeutics could be enhanced by additional testing in large animal models because of similarities in brain anatomy, size, and immunophysiology. These features enable realistic pre-clinical studies of biodistribution, efficacy, and toxicity. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS Here we non-invasively characterized alterations in brain white matter microstructure, neurochemistry, neurological status, and mutant Huntingtin protein (mHTT) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of aged OVT73 HD sheep. RESULTS Similar to HD patients, CSF mHTT differentiates HD from normal sheep. Our results are indicative of a decline in neurological status, and alterations in brain white matter diffusion and spectroscopy metric that are more severe in aged female HD sheep. Longitudinal analysis of aged female HD sheep suggests that the decline is detectable over the course of a year. In line with reports of HD human studies, white matter alterations in corpus callosum correlates with a decline in gait of HD sheep. Moreover, alterations in the occipital cortex white matter correlates with a decline in clinical rating score. In addition, the marker of energy metabolism in striatum of aged HD sheep, shows a correlation with decline of clinical rating score and eye coordination. CONCLUSION This data suggests that OVT73 HD sheep can serve as a pre-manifest large animal model of HD providing a platform for pre-clinical testing of HD therapeutics and non-invasive tracking of the efficacy of the therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toloo Taghian
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA,
Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Jillian Gallagher
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Erin Batcho
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Caitlin Pullan
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Tim Kuchel
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Thomas Denney
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Raj Perumal
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Shamika Moore
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Robb Muirhead
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Paul Herde
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Daniel Johns
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Chris Christou
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Amanda Taylor
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Thomas Passler
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Sanjana Pulaparthi
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Erin Hall
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Sundeep Chandra
- Sana Biotechnology, South San Francisco, CA, USA,Bio Marin Pharmaceutical Inc., San Rafael, CA, USA
| | | | - Heather Gray-Edwards
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA,
Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA,Correspondence to: Heather L. Gray-Edwards, DVM, PhD, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Radiology and Horae Gene Therapy Center, 368 Plantation Street, ASC6-2055, Worcester, MA 01605, USA. Tel.: +1 508 856 4051; Fax: +1 508 856 1552; E-mail:
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Benraiss A, Mariani JN, Tate A, Madsen PM, Clark KM, Welle KA, Solly R, Capellano L, Bentley K, Chandler-Militello D, Goldman SA. A TCF7L2-responsive suppression of both homeostatic and compensatory remyelination in Huntington disease mice. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111291. [PMID: 36044851 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by defective oligodendroglial differentiation and white matter disease. Here, we investigate the role of oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) dysfunction in adult myelin maintenance in HD. We first note a progressive, age-related loss of myelin in both R6/2 and zQ175 HD mice compared with wild-type controls. Adult R6/2 mice then manifest a significant delay in remyelination following cuprizone demyelination. RNA-sequencing and proteomic analysis of callosal white matter and OPCs isolated from both R6/2 and zQ175 mice reveals a systematic downregulation of genes associated with oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelinogenesis. Gene co-expression and network analysis predicts repressed Tcf7l2 signaling as a major driver of this expression pattern. In vivo Tcf7l2 overexpression restores both myelin gene expression and remyelination in demyelinated R6/2 mice. These data causally link impaired TCF7L2-dependent transcription to the poor development and homeostatic retention of myelin in HD and provide a mechanism for its therapeutic restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdellatif Benraiss
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
| | - John N Mariani
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Ashley Tate
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Pernille M Madsen
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Center for Basic and Translational Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Kathleen M Clark
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Kevin A Welle
- Mass Spectrometry Resource Laboratory, URMC, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Renee Solly
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Laetitia Capellano
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Karen Bentley
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, URMC, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Devin Chandler-Militello
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Steven A Goldman
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Center for Basic and Translational Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark; Sana Biotechnology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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8
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Casella C, Chamberland M, Laguna PL, Parker GD, Rosser AE, Coulthard E, Rickards H, Berry SC, Jones DK, Metzler‐Baddeley C. Mutation-related magnetization-transfer, not axon density, drives white matter differences in premanifest Huntington disease: Evidence from in vivo ultra-strong gradient MRI. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:3439-3460. [PMID: 35396899 PMCID: PMC9248323 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
White matter (WM) alterations have been observed in Huntington disease (HD) but their role in the disease-pathophysiology remains unknown. We assessed WM changes in premanifest HD by exploiting ultra-strong-gradient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This allowed to separately quantify magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and hindered and restricted diffusion-weighted signal fractions, and assess how they drove WM microstructure differences between patients and controls. We used tractometry to investigate region-specific alterations across callosal segments with well-characterized early- and late-myelinating axon populations, while brain-wise differences were explored with tract-based cluster analysis (TBCA). Behavioral measures were included to explore disease-associated brain-function relationships. We detected lower MTR in patients' callosal rostrum (tractometry: p = .03; TBCA: p = .03), but higher MTR in their splenium (tractometry: p = .02). Importantly, patients' mutation-size and MTR were positively correlated (all p-values < .01), indicating that MTR alterations may directly result from the mutation. Further, MTR was higher in younger, but lower in older patients relative to controls (p = .003), suggesting that MTR increases are detrimental later in the disease. Finally, patients showed higher restricted diffusion signal fraction (FR) from the composite hindered and restricted model of diffusion (CHARMED) in the cortico-spinal tract (p = .03), which correlated positively with MTR in the posterior callosum (p = .033), potentially reflecting compensatory mechanisms. In summary, this first comprehensive, ultra-strong gradient MRI study in HD provides novel evidence of mutation-driven MTR alterations at the premanifest disease stage which may reflect neurodevelopmental changes in iron, myelin, or a combination of these.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Casella
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging SciencesKing's College London, St Thomas' HospitalLondonUK
| | - Maxime Chamberland
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviorRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Pedro L. Laguna
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Greg D. Parker
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Anne E. Rosser
- Department of Neurology and Psychological MedicineHayden Ellis BuildingCardiffUK
- School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | | | - Hugh Rickards
- Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation TrustBirminghamUK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental SciencesUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUK
| | - Samuel C. Berry
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Derek K. Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Claudia Metzler‐Baddeley
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
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9
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Molecular Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Huntington's Disease. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061432. [PMID: 35740453 PMCID: PMC9219859 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disease described 150 years ago by George Huntington. The genetic defect was identified in 1993 to be an expanded CAG repeat on exon 1 of the huntingtin gene located on chromosome 4. In the following almost 30 years, a considerable amount of research, using mainly animal models or in vitro experiments, has tried to unravel the complex molecular cascades through which the transcription of the mutant protein leads to neuronal loss, especially in the medium spiny neurons of the striatum, and identified excitotoxicity, transcriptional dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, impaired proteostasis, altered axonal trafficking and reduced availability of trophic factors to be crucial contributors. This review discusses the pathogenic cascades described in the literature through which mutant huntingtin leads to neuronal demise. However, due to the ubiquitous presence of huntingtin, astrocytes are also dysfunctional, and neuroinflammation may additionally contribute to Huntington’s disease pathology. The quest for therapies to delay the onset and reduce the rate of Huntington’s disease progression is ongoing, but is based on findings from basic research.
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10
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Kim C, Yousefian-Jazi A, Choi SH, Chang I, Lee J, Ryu H. Non-Cell Autonomous and Epigenetic Mechanisms of Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12499. [PMID: 34830381 PMCID: PMC8617801 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of CAG trinucleotide repeat located in the exon 1 of Huntingtin (HTT) gene in human chromosome 4. The HTT protein is ubiquitously expressed in the brain. Specifically, mutant HTT (mHTT) protein-mediated toxicity leads to a dramatic degeneration of the striatum among many regions of the brain. HD symptoms exhibit a major involuntary movement followed by cognitive and psychiatric dysfunctions. In this review, we address the conventional role of wild type HTT (wtHTT) and how mHTT protein disrupts the function of medium spiny neurons (MSNs). We also discuss how mHTT modulates epigenetic modifications and transcriptional pathways in MSNs. In addition, we define how non-cell autonomous pathways lead to damage and death of MSNs under HD pathological conditions. Lastly, we overview therapeutic approaches for HD. Together, understanding of precise neuropathological mechanisms of HD may improve therapeutic approaches to treat the onset and progression of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaebin Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea; (C.K.); (A.Y.-J.); (S.-H.C.)
| | - Ali Yousefian-Jazi
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea; (C.K.); (A.Y.-J.); (S.-H.C.)
| | - Seung-Hye Choi
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea; (C.K.); (A.Y.-J.); (S.-H.C.)
| | - Inyoung Chang
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
| | - Junghee Lee
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, USA
| | - Hoon Ryu
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Korea; (C.K.); (A.Y.-J.); (S.-H.C.)
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11
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Oh SL, Chen CM, Wu YR, Valdes Hernandez M, Tsai CC, Cheng JS, Chen YL, Wu YM, Lin YC, Wang JJ. Fixel-Based Analysis Effectively Identifies White Matter Tract Degeneration in Huntington's Disease. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:711651. [PMID: 34588947 PMCID: PMC8473742 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.711651] [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: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microstructure damage in white matter might be linked to regional and global atrophy in Huntington's Disease (HD). We hypothesize that degeneration of subcortical regions, including the basal ganglia, is associated with damage of white matter tracts linking these affected regions. We aim to use fixel-based analysis to identify microstructural changes in the white matter tracts. To further assess the associated gray matter damage, diffusion tensor-derived indices were measured from regions of interest located in the basal ganglia. Diffusion weighted images were acquired from 12 patients with HD and 12 healthy unrelated controls using a 3 Tesla scanner. Reductions in fixel-derived metrics occurs in major white matter tracts, noticeably in corpus callosum, internal capsule, and the corticospinal tract, which were closely co-localized with the regions of increased diffusivity in basal ganglia. These changes in diffusion can be attributed to potential axonal degeneration. Fixel-based analysis is effective in studying white matter tractography and fiber changes in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sher Li Oh
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chiung-Mei Chen
- Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yih-Ru Wu
- Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Maria Valdes Hernandez
- Row Fogo Centre for Research into Ageing and the Brain, Department of Neuroimaging Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Chih-Chien Tsai
- Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Jur-Shan Cheng
- Clinical Informatics and Medical Statistics Research Center, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Liang Chen
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ming Wu
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Lin
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Jiun-Jie Wang
- Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Medical Imaging Research Center, Institute for Radiological Research, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
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12
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Yildirim F, Foddis M, Blumenau S, Müller S, Kajetan B, Holtgrewe M, Kola V, Beule D, Sassi C. Shared and oppositely regulated transcriptomic signatures in Huntington's disease and brain ischemia confirm known and unveil novel potential neuroprotective genes. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 104:122.e1-122.e17. [PMID: 33875290 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease and subcortical vascular dementia display similar dementing features, shaped by different degrees of striatal atrophy, deep white matter degeneration and tau pathology. To investigate the hypothesis that Huntington's disease transcriptomic hallmarks may provide a window into potential protective genes upregulated during brain acute and subacute ischemia, we compared RNA sequencing signatures in the most affected brain areas of 2 widely used experimental mouse models: Huntington's disease, (R6/2, striatum and cortex and Q175, hippocampus) and brain ischemia-subcortical vascular dementia (BCCAS, striatum, cortex and hippocampus). We identified a cluster of 55 shared genes significantly differentially regulated in both models and we screened these in 2 different mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, and 96 early-onset familial and apparently sporadic small vessel ischemic disease patients. Our data support the prevalent role of transcriptional regulation upon genetic coding variability of known neuroprotective genes (Egr2, Fos, Ptgs2, Itga5, Cdkn1a, Gsn, Npas4, Btg2, Cebpb) and provide a list of potential additional ones likely implicated in different dementing disorders and worth further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferah Yildirim
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marco Foddis
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CSB), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sonja Blumenau
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CSB), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Müller
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CSB), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bentele Kajetan
- Berlin Institute of Health, BIH, Core Unit Bioinformatics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Manuel Holtgrewe
- Berlin Institute of Health, BIH, Core Unit Bioinformatics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vasilis Kola
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CSB), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dieter Beule
- Berlin Institute of Health, BIH, Core Unit Bioinformatics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Celeste Sassi
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CSB), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
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13
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Gatto RG, Weissmann C, Amin M, Angeles-López QD, García-Lara L, Castellanos LCS, Deyoung D, Segovia J, Mareci TH, Uchitel OD, Magin RL. Evaluation of early microstructural changes in the R6/1 mouse model of Huntington's disease by ultra-high field diffusion MR imaging. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 102:32-49. [PMID: 33765430 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion MRI (dMRI) has been able to detect early structural changes related to neurological symptoms present in Huntington's disease (HD). However, there is still a knowledge gap to interpret the biological significance at early neuropathological stages. The purpose of this study is two-fold: (i) establish if the combination of Ultra-High Field Diffusion MRI (UHFD-MRI) techniques can add a more comprehensive analysis of the early microstructural changes observed in HD, and (ii) evaluate if early changes in dMRI microstructural parameters can be linked to cellular biomarkers of neuroinflammation. Ultra-high field magnet (16.7T), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) techniques were applied to fixed ex-vivo brains of a preclinical model of HD (R6/1 mice). Fractional anisotropy (FA) was decreased in deep and superficial grey matter (GM) as well as white matter (WM) brain regions with well-known early HD microstructure and connectivity pathology. NODDI parameters associated with the intracellular and extracellular compartment, such as intracellular ventricular fraction (ICVF), orientation dispersion index (ODI), and isotropic volume fractions (IsoVF) were altered in R6/1 mice GM. Further, histological studies in these areas showed that glia cell markers associated with neuroinflammation (GFAP & Iba1) were consistent with the dMRI findings. dMRI can be used to extract non-invasive information of neuropathological events present in the early stages of HD. The combination of multiple imaging techniques represents a better approach to understand the neuropathological process allowing the early diagnosis and neuromonitoring of patients affected by HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo G Gatto
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Carina Weissmann
- Insituto de Fisiología Biología Molecular y Neurociencias-IFIBYNE-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos, Aires, Argentina
| | - Manish Amin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Quetzalli D Angeles-López
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, México City, México
| | - Lucia García-Lara
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, México City, México
| | - Libia C Salinas Castellanos
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, México City, México
| | - Daniel Deyoung
- Department of Biochemistry, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jose Segovia
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, México City, México
| | - Thomas H Mareci
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Osvaldo D Uchitel
- Insituto de Fisiología Biología Molecular y Neurociencias-IFIBYNE-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos, Aires, Argentina
| | - Richard L Magin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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14
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Del Campo N, Phillips O, Ory‐Magne F, Brefel‐Courbon C, Galitzky M, Thalamas C, Narr KL, Joshi S, Singh MK, Péran P, Pavy‐LeTraon A, Rascol O. Broad white matter impairment in multiple system atrophy. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:357-366. [PMID: 33064319 PMCID: PMC7776008 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the widespread aberrant accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn). MSA differs from other synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease (PD) in that α-syn accumulates primarily in oligodendrocytes, the only source of white matter myelination in the brain. Previous MSA imaging studies have uncovered focal differences in white matter. Here, we sought to build on this work by taking a global perspective on whole brain white matter. In order to do this, in vivo structural imaging and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging were acquired on 26 MSA patients, 26 healthy controls, and 23 PD patients. A refined whole brain approach encompassing the major fiber tracts and the superficial white matter located at the boundary of the cortical mantle was applied. The primary observation was that MSA but not PD patients had whole brain deep and superficial white matter diffusivity abnormalities (p < .001). In addition, in MSA patients, these abnormalities were associated with motor (Unified MSA Rating Scale, Part II) and cognitive functions (Mini-Mental State Examination). The pervasive whole brain abnormalities we observe suggest that there is widespread white matter damage in MSA patients which mirrors the widespread aggregation of α-syn in oligodendrocytes. Importantly, whole brain white matter abnormalities were associated with clinical symptoms, suggesting that white matter impairment may be more central to MSA than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Del Campo
- CHU de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse‐Toulouse 3, INSERM, UMR1214 Toulouse NeuroImaging Centre “TONIC,” Center of Excellence in Neurodegeneration (CoEN), NeuroToul, Centre National de Reference AMS, Centre Expert Parkinson de Toulouse, Centre d'Investigation Clinique CIC1436, Services de Neurologie et de Pharmacologie Clinique, UMR 1048 Institute for Cardiovascular DiseasesToulouseFrance
| | - Owen Phillips
- CHU de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse‐Toulouse 3, INSERM, UMR1214 Toulouse NeuroImaging Centre “TONIC,” Center of Excellence in Neurodegeneration (CoEN), NeuroToul, Centre National de Reference AMS, Centre Expert Parkinson de Toulouse, Centre d'Investigation Clinique CIC1436, Services de Neurologie et de Pharmacologie Clinique, UMR 1048 Institute for Cardiovascular DiseasesToulouseFrance
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of PsychiatryStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- BrainKeySan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Françoise Ory‐Magne
- CHU de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse‐Toulouse 3, INSERM, UMR1214 Toulouse NeuroImaging Centre “TONIC,” Center of Excellence in Neurodegeneration (CoEN), NeuroToul, Centre National de Reference AMS, Centre Expert Parkinson de Toulouse, Centre d'Investigation Clinique CIC1436, Services de Neurologie et de Pharmacologie Clinique, UMR 1048 Institute for Cardiovascular DiseasesToulouseFrance
| | - Christine Brefel‐Courbon
- CHU de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse‐Toulouse 3, INSERM, UMR1214 Toulouse NeuroImaging Centre “TONIC,” Center of Excellence in Neurodegeneration (CoEN), NeuroToul, Centre National de Reference AMS, Centre Expert Parkinson de Toulouse, Centre d'Investigation Clinique CIC1436, Services de Neurologie et de Pharmacologie Clinique, UMR 1048 Institute for Cardiovascular DiseasesToulouseFrance
| | - Monique Galitzky
- CHU de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse‐Toulouse 3, INSERM, UMR1214 Toulouse NeuroImaging Centre “TONIC,” Center of Excellence in Neurodegeneration (CoEN), NeuroToul, Centre National de Reference AMS, Centre Expert Parkinson de Toulouse, Centre d'Investigation Clinique CIC1436, Services de Neurologie et de Pharmacologie Clinique, UMR 1048 Institute for Cardiovascular DiseasesToulouseFrance
| | - Claire Thalamas
- CHU de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse‐Toulouse 3, INSERM, UMR1214 Toulouse NeuroImaging Centre “TONIC,” Center of Excellence in Neurodegeneration (CoEN), NeuroToul, Centre National de Reference AMS, Centre Expert Parkinson de Toulouse, Centre d'Investigation Clinique CIC1436, Services de Neurologie et de Pharmacologie Clinique, UMR 1048 Institute for Cardiovascular DiseasesToulouseFrance
| | - Katherine L. Narr
- Department of NeurologyAhmanson Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Shantanu Joshi
- Department of NeurologyAhmanson Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Manpreet K. Singh
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of PsychiatryStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Patrice Péran
- CHU de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse‐Toulouse 3, INSERM, UMR1214 Toulouse NeuroImaging Centre “TONIC,” Center of Excellence in Neurodegeneration (CoEN), NeuroToul, Centre National de Reference AMS, Centre Expert Parkinson de Toulouse, Centre d'Investigation Clinique CIC1436, Services de Neurologie et de Pharmacologie Clinique, UMR 1048 Institute for Cardiovascular DiseasesToulouseFrance
| | - Anne Pavy‐LeTraon
- CHU de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse‐Toulouse 3, INSERM, UMR1214 Toulouse NeuroImaging Centre “TONIC,” Center of Excellence in Neurodegeneration (CoEN), NeuroToul, Centre National de Reference AMS, Centre Expert Parkinson de Toulouse, Centre d'Investigation Clinique CIC1436, Services de Neurologie et de Pharmacologie Clinique, UMR 1048 Institute for Cardiovascular DiseasesToulouseFrance
| | - Olivier Rascol
- CHU de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse‐Toulouse 3, INSERM, UMR1214 Toulouse NeuroImaging Centre “TONIC,” Center of Excellence in Neurodegeneration (CoEN), NeuroToul, Centre National de Reference AMS, Centre Expert Parkinson de Toulouse, Centre d'Investigation Clinique CIC1436, Services de Neurologie et de Pharmacologie Clinique, UMR 1048 Institute for Cardiovascular DiseasesToulouseFrance
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15
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Estevez-Fraga C, Scahill R, Rees G, Tabrizi SJ, Gregory S. Diffusion imaging in Huntington's disease: comprehensive review. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2020; 92:jnnp-2020-324377. [PMID: 33033167 PMCID: PMC7803908 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-324377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenic disorder with 100% penetrance. With the advent of genetic testing in adults, disease-related, structural brain changes can be investigated from the earliest, premorbid stages of HD. While examining macrostructural change characterises global neuronal damage, investigating microstructural alterations provides information regarding brain organisation and its underlying biological properties. Diffusion MRI can be used to track the progression of microstructural anomalies in HD decades prior to clinical disease onset, providing a greater understanding of neurodegeneration. Multiple approaches, including voxelwise, region of interest and tractography, have been used in HD cohorts, showing a centrifugal pattern of white matter (WM) degeneration starting from deep brain areas, which is consistent with neuropathological studies. The corpus callosum, longer WM tracts and areas that are more densely connected, in particular the sensorimotor network, also tend to be affected early during premanifest stages. Recent evidence supports the routine inclusion of diffusion analyses within clinical trials principally as an additional measure to improve understanding of treatment effects, while the advent of novel techniques such as multitissue compartment models and connectomics can help characterise the underpinnings of progressive functional decline in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Estevez-Fraga
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rachael Scahill
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Geraint Rees
- Wellcome Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Gregory
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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16
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Wilton DK, Stevens B. The contribution of glial cells to Huntington's disease pathogenesis. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 143:104963. [PMID: 32593752 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Glial cells play critical roles in the normal development and function of neural circuits, but in many neurodegenerative diseases, they become dysregulated and may contribute to the development of brain pathology. In Huntington's disease (HD), glial cells both lose normal functions and gain neuropathic phenotypes. In addition, cell-autonomous dysfunction elicited by mutant huntingtin (mHTT) expression in specific glial cell types is sufficient to induce both pathology and Huntington's disease-related impairments in motor and cognitive performance, suggesting that these cells may drive the development of certain aspects of Huntington's disease pathogenesis. In support of this imaging studies in pre-symptomatic HD patients and work on mouse models have suggested that glial cell dysfunction occurs at a very early stage of the disease, prior to the onset of motor and cognitive deficits. Furthermore, selectively ablating mHTT from specific glial cells or correcting for HD-induced changes in their transcriptional profile rescues some HD-related phenotypes, demonstrating the potential of targeting these cells for therapeutic intervention. Here we review emerging research focused on understanding the involvement of different glial cell types in specific aspects of HD pathogenesis. This work is providing new insight into how HD impacts biological functions of glial cells in the healthy brain as well as how HD induced dysfunction in these cells might change the way they integrate into biological circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel K Wilton
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Beth Stevens
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Stanley Center, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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17
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Casella C, Lipp I, Rosser A, Jones DK, Metzler-Baddeley C. A Critical Review of White Matter Changes in Huntington's Disease. Mov Disord 2020; 35:1302-1311. [PMID: 32537844 PMCID: PMC9393936 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder. White matter alterations have recently been identified as a relevant pathophysiological feature of Huntington’s disease, but their etiology and role in disease pathogenesis and progression remain unclear. Increasing evidence suggests that white matter changes in this disorder are attributed to alterations in myelin‐associated biological processes. This review first discusses evidence from neurochemical studies lending support to the demyelination hypothesis of Huntington’s disease, demonstrating aberrant myelination and changes in oligodendrocytes in the Huntington’s brain. Next, evidence from neuroimaging studies is reviewed, the limitations of the described methodologies are discussed, and suggested interpretations of findings from published studies are challenged. Although our understanding of Huntington’s associated pathological changes in the brain will increasingly rely on neuroimaging techniques, the shortcomings of these methodologies must not be forgotten. Advances in magnetic resonance imaging techniques and tissue modeling will enable a better in vivo, longitudinal characterization of the biological properties of white matter microstructure. This in turn will facilitate identification of disease‐related biomarkers and the specification of outcome measures in clinical trials. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Casella
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ilona Lipp
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anne Rosser
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Derek K Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.,Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Claudia Metzler-Baddeley
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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18
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Gatto RG, Ye AQ, Colon-Perez L, Mareci TH, Lysakowski A, Price SD, Brady ST, Karaman M, Morfini G, Magin RL. Detection of axonal degeneration in a mouse model of Huntington's disease: comparison between diffusion tensor imaging and anomalous diffusion metrics. MAGNETIC RESONANCE MATERIALS IN PHYSICS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2019; 32:461-471. [PMID: 30771034 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-019-00742-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The goal of this work is to study the changes in white matter integrity in R6/2, a well-established animal model of Huntington's disease (HD) that are captured by ex vivo diffusion imaging (DTI) using a high field MRI (17.6 T). MATERIALS AND METHODS DTI and continuous time random walk (CTRW) models were used to fit changes in the diffusion-weighted signal intensity in the corpus callosum of controls and in R6/2 mice. RESULTS A significant 13% decrease in fractional anisotropy, a 7% increase in axial diffusion, and a 33% increase in radial diffusion were observed between R6/2 and control mice. No change was observed in the CTRW beta parameter, but a significant decrease in the alpha parameter (- 21%) was measured. Histological analysis of the corpus callosum showed a decrease in axonal organization, myelin alterations, and astrogliosis. Electron microscopy studies demonstrated ultrastructural changes in degenerating axons, such as an increase in tortuosity in the R6/2 mice. CONCLUSIONS DTI and CTRW diffusion models display quantitative changes associated with the microstructural alterations observed in the corpus callosum of the R6/2 mice. The observed increase in the diffusivity and decrease in the alpha CTRW parameter providing support for the use of these diffusion models for non-invasive detection of white matter alterations in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo G Gatto
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 851 S Morgan St, 218 SEO (MC 063), Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Allen Q Ye
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 851 S Morgan St, 218 SEO (MC 063), Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Luis Colon-Perez
- Department of Neurology and Behavior, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Thomas H Mareci
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Anna Lysakowski
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Steven D Price
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Scott T Brady
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Muge Karaman
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 851 S Morgan St, 218 SEO (MC 063), Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.,Center for MR Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gerardo Morfini
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Richard L Magin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 851 S Morgan St, 218 SEO (MC 063), Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
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19
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Loss-of-Huntingtin in Medial and Lateral Ganglionic Lineages Differentially Disrupts Regional Interneuron and Projection Neuron Subtypes and Promotes Huntington's Disease-Associated Behavioral, Cellular, and Pathological Hallmarks. J Neurosci 2019; 39:1892-1909. [PMID: 30626701 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2443-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging studies are providing compelling evidence that the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder with frequent midlife onset, encompasses developmental components. Moreover, our previous studies using a hypomorphic model targeting huntingtin during the neurodevelopmental period indicated that loss-of-function mechanisms account for this pathogenic developmental component (Arteaga-Bracho et al., 2016). In the present study, we specifically ascertained the roles of subpallial lineage species in eliciting the previously observed HD-like phenotypes. Accordingly, we used the Cre-loxP system to conditionally ablate the murine huntingtin gene (Httflx) in cells expressing the subpallial patterning markers Gsx2 (Gsx2-Cre) or Nkx2.1 (Nkx2.1-Cre) in Httflx mice of both sexes. These genetic manipulations elicited anxiety-like behaviors, hyperkinetic locomotion, age-dependent motor deficits, and weight loss in both Httflx;Gsx2-Cre and Httflx;Nkx2.1-Cre mice. In addition, these strains displayed unique but complementary spatial patterns of basal ganglia degeneration that are strikingly reminiscent of those seen in human cases of HD. Furthermore, we observed early deficits of somatostatin-positive and Reelin-positive interneurons in both Htt subpallial null strains, as well as early increases of cholinergic interneurons, Foxp2+ arkypallidal neurons, and incipient deficits with age-dependent loss of parvalbumin-positive neurons in Httflx;Nkx2.1-Cre mice. Overall, our findings indicate that selective loss-of-huntingtin function in subpallial lineages differentially disrupts the number, complement, and survival of forebrain interneurons and globus pallidus GABAergic neurons, thereby leading to the development of key neurological hallmarks of HD during adult life. Our findings have important implications for the establishment and deployment of neural circuitries and the integrity of network reserve in health and disease.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive degenerative disorder caused by aberrant trinucleotide expansion in the huntingtin gene. Mechanistically, this mutation involves both loss- and gain-of-function mechanisms affecting a broad array of cellular and molecular processes. Although huntingtin is widely expressed during adult life, the mutant protein only causes the demise of selective neuronal subtypes. The mechanisms accounting for this differential vulnerability remain elusive. In this study, we have demonstrated that loss-of-huntingtin function in subpallial lineages not only differentially disrupts distinct interneuron species early in life, but also leads to a pattern of neurological deficits that are reminiscent of HD. This work suggests that early disruption of selective neuronal subtypes may account for the profiles of enhanced regional cellular vulnerability to death in HD.
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20
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Ciarochi JA, Johnson HJ, Calhoun VD, Liu J, Espinoza FA, Bockholt HJ, Misiura M, Caprihan A, Plis S, Paulsen JS, Turner JA. Concurrent Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analyses of Multivariate White Matter Profiles and Clinical Functioning in Pre-Diagnosis Huntington Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 8:199-219. [PMID: 30932891 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-180332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gray matter (GM) atrophy in the striatum and across the brain is a consistently reported feature of the Huntington Disease (HD) prodrome. More recently, widespread prodromal white matter (WM) degradation has also been detected. However, longitudinal WM studies are limited and conflicting, and most analyses comparing WM and clinical functioning have also been cross-sectional. OBJECTIVE We simultaneously assessed changes in WM and cognitive and motor functioning at various prodromal HD stages. METHODS Data from 1,336 (1,047 prodromal, 289 control) PREDICT-HD participants were analyzed (3,700 sessions). MRI images were used to create GM, WM, and cerebrospinal fluid probability maps. Using source-based morphometry, independent component analysis was applied to WM probability maps to extract covarying spatial patterns and their subject profiles. WM profiles were analyzed in two sets of linear mixed model (LMM) analyses: one to compare WM profiles across groups cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and one to concurrently compare WM profiles and clinical variables cross-sectionally and longitudinally within each group. RESULTS Findings illustrate widespread prodromal changes in GM-adjacent-WM, with premotor, supplementary motor, middle frontal and striatal changes early in the prodrome that subsequently extend sub-gyrally with progression. Motor functioning agreed most with WM until the near-onset prodromal stage, when Stroop interference was the best WM indicator. Across groups, Trail-Making Test part A outperformed other cognitive variables in its similarity to WM, particularly cross-sectionally. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that distinct regions coincide with cognitive compared to motor functioning. Furthermore, at different prodromal stages, distinct regions appear to align best with clinical functioning. Thus, the informativeness of clinical measures may vary according to the type of data available (cross-sectional or longitudinal) as well as age and CAG-number.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hans J Johnson
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 1402 Seamans Center for the Engineering Arts and Science, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jingyu Liu
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | | | - Maria Misiura
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Sergey Plis
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jane S Paulsen
- Department of Psychiatry, Iowa Mental Health Clinical Research Center, University of Iowa, IA, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Psychology, University of Iowa, IA, USA
| | - Jessica A Turner
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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21
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Zhao Y, Sun X, Qi X. Inhibition of Drp1 hyperactivation reduces neuropathology and behavioral deficits in zQ175 knock-in mouse model of Huntington's disease. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 507:319-323. [PMID: 30449600 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction manifests in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD), a fatal and inherited neurodegenerative disease. Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is the primary component of mitochondrial fission and becomes hyperactivated in various models of HD. We previously reported that inhibition of Drp1 hyperactivation by P110, a rationally designed peptide inhibitor of Drp1-Fis1 interaction, is protective in the HD R6/2 mouse model, which expresses a fragment of mutant Huntingtin (mHtt). In this study, we expand our work to test the effect of P110 treatment in HD knock-in (zQ175 KI) mice that express full-length mtHtt and exhibit progressive disease symptoms, reminiscent of human HD. We find that subcutaneously sustained treatment with P110 reduces movement deficits of mice. Moreover, the treatment attenuates striatal neuronal loss, microglial hyperactivity and white matter disorganization in zQ175 KI mice. These findings provide an additional line of evidence that inhibition of Drp1 hyperactivation is sufficient to reduce HD-associated neuropathology and behavioral deficits. We propose that manipulation of Drp1 hyperactivation might be a useful strategy to develop therapeutics for treating HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Zhao
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Xiaoyan Sun
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Xin Qi
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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22
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Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Huntington's Disease. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2018; 142:335-380. [PMID: 30409258 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2018.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder, caused by expansion of the CAG repeat in the huntingtin gene. HD is characterized clinically by progressive motor, cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms. There are currently no disease modifying treatments available for HD, and there is a great need for biomarkers to monitor disease progression and identify new targets for therapeutic intervention. Neuroimaging techniques provide a powerful tool for assessing disease pathology and progression in premanifest stages, before the onset of overt motor symptoms. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is non-invasive imaging techniques which have been employed to study structural and microstructural changes in premanifest and manifest HD gene carriers. This chapter described structural imaging techniques and analysis methods employed across HD MRI studies. Current evidence for structural MRI abnormalities in HD, and associations between atrophy, structural white matter changes, iron deposition and clinical performance are discussed; together with the use of structural MRI measures as a diagnostic tool, to assess longitudinal changes, and as potential biomarkers and endpoints for clinical trials.
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23
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Pozorski V, Oh JM, Adluru N, Merluzzi AP, Theisen F, Okonkwo O, Barzgari A, Krislov S, Sojkova J, Bendlin BB, Johnson SC, Alexander AL, Gallagher CL. Longitudinal white matter microstructural change in Parkinson's disease. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:4150-4161. [PMID: 29952102 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Revised: 05/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Postmortem studies of Parkinson's disease (PD) suggest that Lewy body pathology accumulates in a predictable topographical sequence, beginning in the olfactory bulb, followed by caudal brainstem, substantia nigra, limbic cortex, and neocortex. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is sensitive, if not specific, to early disease-related white matter (WM) change in a variety of traumatic and degenerative brain diseases. Although numerous cross-sectional studies have reported DWI differences in cerebral WM in PD, only a few longitudinal studies have investigated whether DWI change exceeds that of normal aging or coincides with regional Lewy body accumulation. This study mapped regional differences in the rate of DWI-based microstructural change between 29 PD patients and 43 age-matched controls over 18 months. Iterative within- and between-subject tensor-based registration was completed on motion- and eddy current-corrected DWI images, then baseline versus follow-up difference maps of fractional anisotropy, mean, radial, and axial diffusivity were analyzed in the Biological Parametric Mapping toolbox for MATLAB. This analysis showed that PD patients had a greater decline in WM integrity in the rostral brainstem, caudal subcortical WM, and cerebellar peduncles, compared with controls. In addition, patients with unilateral clinical signs at baseline experienced a greater rate of WM change over the 18-month study than patients with bilateral signs. These findings suggest that rate of WM microstructural change in PD exceeds that of normal aging and is maximal during early stage disease. In addition, the neuroanatomic locations (rostral brainstem and subcortical WM) of accelerated WM change fit with current theories of topographic disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Pozorski
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.,Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Jennifer M Oh
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.,Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Nagesh Adluru
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Andrew P Merluzzi
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Frances Theisen
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.,Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Ozioma Okonkwo
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.,Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Amy Barzgari
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.,Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Stephanie Krislov
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.,Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Jitka Sojkova
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.,Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Barbara B Bendlin
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.,Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Sterling C Johnson
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.,Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Andrew L Alexander
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.,Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Catherine L Gallagher
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin.,Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.,Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin
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24
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Hong Y, O'Donnell LJ, Savadjiev P, Zhang F, Wassermann D, Pasternak O, Johnson H, Paulsen J, Vonsattel JP, Makris N, Westin CF, Rathi Y. Genetic load determines atrophy in hand cortico-striatal pathways in presymptomatic Huntington's disease. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:3871-3883. [PMID: 29797744 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2017] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that causes progressive breakdown of striatal neurons. Standard white matter integrity measures like fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity derived from diffusion tensor imaging were analyzed in prodromal-HD subjects; however, they studied either a whole brain or specific subcortical white matter structures with connections to cortical motor areas. In this work, we propose a novel analysis of a longitudinal cohort of 243 prodromal-HD individuals and 88 healthy controls who underwent two or more diffusion MRI scans as part of the PREDICT-HD study. We separately trace specific white matter fiber tracts connecting the striatum (caudate and putamen) with four cortical regions corresponding to the hand, face, trunk, and leg motor areas. A multi-tensor tractography algorithm with an isotropic volume fraction compartment allows estimating diffusion of fast-moving extra-cellular water in regions containing crossing fibers and provides quantification of a microstructural property related to tissue atrophy. The tissue atrophy rate is separately analyzed in eight cortico-striatal pathways as a function of CAG-repeats (genetic load) by statistically regressing out age effect from our cohort. The results demonstrate a statistically significant increase in isotropic volume fraction (atrophy) bilaterally in hand fiber connections to the putamen with increasing CAG-repeats, which connects the genetic abnormality (CAG-repeats) to an imaging-based microstructural marker of tissue integrity in specific white matter pathways in HD. Isotropic volume fraction measures in eight cortico-striatal pathways are also correlated significantly with total motor scores and diagnostic confidence levels, providing evidence of their relevance to HD clinical presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Hong
- Department of Computer Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
| | - Lauren J O'Donnell
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Peter Savadjiev
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Ofer Pasternak
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Hans Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Jane Paulsen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Jean-Paul Vonsattel
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Nikos Makris
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Carl F Westin
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yogesh Rathi
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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25
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Herbert E, Engel-Hills P, Hattingh C, Fouche JP, Kidd M, Lochner C, Kotze MJ, van Rensburg SJ. Fractional anisotropy of white matter, disability and blood iron parameters in multiple sclerosis. Metab Brain Dis 2018; 33:545-557. [PMID: 29396631 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-017-0171-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disorder related to myelin damage, which can be investigated by neuroimaging techniques such as fractional anisotropy (FA), a measure of microstructural white matter properties. The objectives of this study were to investigate (1) the relationship between FA and disability using an extremes of outcome approach, and (2) whether blood iron parameters were associated with FA and/or disability. Patients diagnosed with MS (n = 107; 14 males and 93 females) had iron parameter tests and disability determinations using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). FA was recorded in 48 white matter tracts in 11 of the female patients with MS and 12 female controls. RESULTS In patients with high disability scores the mean FA was significantly lower (0.34 ± 0.067) than in the control group (0.45 ± 0.036; p = 0.04), while patients with low disability had mean FA values (0.44 ± 0.014) similar to controls (p = 0.5). Positive associations were found between FA and the iron parameters serum iron, ferritin and percentage transferrin saturation (%Tfsat) in all the white matter tracts. For % Tfsat, the associations were highly significant in 14 tracts (p < 0.01; r-values 0.74-0.84) and p < 0.001 (r = 0.83) in the superior fronto occipital fasciculus (LH). In the whole patient group a trend was found towards an inverse association between the EDSS and the %Tfsat (r = -0.26, p = 0.05) after excluding male gender and smoking as confounders, suggesting reduced disability in the presence of higher blood iron parameters. Additionally, significant inverse associations between disease duration and haemoglobin (p = 0.04) as well as %Tfsat (p = 0.02) suggested that patients with MS may experience a decrease in blood iron concentrations over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Herbert
- Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Penelope Engel-Hills
- Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Coenraad Hattingh
- Division of Chemical Pathology, Department of Pathology, National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) and Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jean-Paul Fouche
- MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Martin Kidd
- Centre for Statistical Consultation, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christine Lochner
- MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Maritha J Kotze
- Division of Chemical Pathology, Department of Pathology, National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) and Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Susan J van Rensburg
- Division of Chemical Pathology, Department of Pathology, National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) and Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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26
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Myelin Breakdown in Human Huntington's Disease: Multi-Modal Evidence from Diffusion MRI and Quantitative Magnetization Transfer. Neuroscience 2017; 403:79-92. [PMID: 28579146 PMCID: PMC6458992 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.05.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The macromolecular proton fraction (MMPF), an MRI marker of myelin, was reduced in Huntington’s disease (HD). MMPF reductions in white matter suggest myelin breakdown. HD was associated with reductions in basal ganglia volume. HD was associated with poor executive functioning but preserved working memory capacity. Axial and radial diffusivities as unspecific metrics of white matter changes correlated with clinical markers of disease.
Huntington’s disease (HD) leads to white matter (WM) degeneration that may be due to an early breakdown in axon myelination but in vivo imaging correlates of demyelination remain relatively unexplored in HD compared to other neurodegenerative diseases. This study investigated HD-related effects on a putative marker of myelin, the macromolecular proton fraction (MMPF) from quantitative magnetization transfer and on fractional anisotropy, axial and radial diffusivity from diffusion tensor MR-imaging. Microstructural differences were studied in WM pathways of the basal ganglia and motor systems known to be impaired in HD: the corpus callosum, the cortico-spinal tract, the anterior thalamic radiation, fibers between prefrontal cortex and caudate and between supplementary motor area and putamen. Principal component analysis was employed for dimensionality reduction. Patients showed reductions in a component with high loadings on MMPF in all WM pathways and a trend for increases in a component loading on axial and radial diffusivities but no differences in a component loading on fractional anisotropy. While patients’ performance in executive functioning was impaired, their working memory span was preserved. Inter-individual differences in the diffusivity component correlated with patients’ performance in clinical measures of the United Huntington Disease Rating Scale. In summary, HD-related reductions in MMPF suggest that myelin breakdown contributes to WM impairment in human HD and emphasize the potential of quantitative MRI metrics to inform about disease pathogenesis. Disease severity in manifest HD, however, was best captured by non-specific diffusivity metrics sensitive to multiple disease and age-related changes.
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27
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Sánchez-Castañeda C, de Pasquale F, Caravasso CF, Marano M, Maffi S, Migliore S, Sabatini U, Squitieri F. Resting-state connectivity and modulated somatomotor and default-mode networks in Huntington disease. CNS Neurosci Ther 2017; 23:488-497. [PMID: 28464463 DOI: 10.1111/cns.12701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS To analyze brain functional connectivity in the somatomotor and default-mode networks (DMNs) of patients with Huntington disease (HD), its relationship with gray matter (GM) volume loss, and functional changes after pridopidine treatment. METHODS Ten patients and ten untreated controls underwent T1-weighted imaging and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); four patients were also assessed after 3 months of pridopidine treatment (90 mg/d). The seed-based functional connectivity patterns from the posterior cingulate cortex and the supplementary motor area (SMA), considered cortical hubs of the DMN and somatomotor networks, respectively, were computed. FMRIB Software Library voxel-based morphometry measured GM volume. RESULTS Patients had GM volume decrease in all cortical and subcortical areas of the somatomotor network with preservation of the SMA, and increased somatomotor and DMN connectivity. In DMN structures, functional connectivity impairment preceded volume loss. Pridopidine reduced the intensity of these aberrant connections. CONCLUSION The abnormal connectivity of the somatomotor and DMN observed in HD patients may represent an early dysfunction marker, as it preceded volume loss in DMN. Pridopidine reduced connectivity of these networks in all four treated patients, suggesting that connectivity is sensitive to treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Sánchez-Castañeda
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, IDIBAPS, Neuroscience Institute, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Radiology Department, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco de Pasquale
- Radiology Department, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | | | - Massimo Marano
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, IRCSS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Sabrina Maffi
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, IRCSS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Simone Migliore
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, IRCSS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.,LIRH Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Umberto Sabatini
- Radiology Department, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Neuroradiology Department, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Squitieri
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, IRCSS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
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28
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Meng Y, Jiang J, Bachevalier J, Zhang X, Chan AWS. Developmental Whole Brain White Matter Alterations in Transgenic Huntington's Disease Monkey. Sci Rep 2017; 7:379. [PMID: 28336929 PMCID: PMC5428287 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00381-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transgenic Huntington’s disease monkey (HD monkey) model provides great opportunity for studying disease progression that could lead to new insight for developing biomarker, early intervention and novel therapeutics. Whole brain white matter integrity of HD-monkeys was examined longitudinally from 6 to 48 months using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). Progressive developmental white matter alterations in HD monkeys were widespread and were observed not only in fiber bundles connecting cortical areas to the striatum (e.g. striatal bundle and external capsule), but also in long association fiber pathways, commissural fibers, and subcortical fiber bundle. In all fiber tracts, the data indicate an arrest in white matter development around 23 months followed by slight decline until adulthood in HD monkeys. The microstructural changes parallel the progressive motor, memory and cognitive decline previously reported as HD monkeys aged. The findings revealed the widespread progressive temporal-spatial microstructural changes in HD monkey brains from infancy to adulthood, suggesting differentiated degenerations across different brain areas during brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuguang Meng
- Yerkes Imaging Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jie Jiang
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jocelyne Bachevalier
- Department of Psychology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. .,Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- Yerkes Imaging Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
| | - Anthony W S Chan
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. .,Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
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29
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Shaffer JJ, Ghayoor A, Long JD, Kim RE, Lourens S, O'Donnell LJ, Westin C, Rathi Y, Magnotta V, Paulsen JS, Johnson HJ. Longitudinal diffusion changes in prodromal and early HD: Evidence of white-matter tract deterioration. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:1460-1477. [PMID: 28045213 PMCID: PMC5400101 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects striatal neurons. Striatal volume loss is present years before clinical diagnosis; however, white matter degradation may also occur prior to diagnosis. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) can measure microstructural changes associated with degeneration that precede macrostructural changes. DWI derived measures enhance understanding of degeneration in prodromal HD (pre-HD). METHODS As part of the PREDICT-HD study, N = 191 pre-HD individuals and 70 healthy controls underwent two or more (baseline and 1-5 year follow-up) DWI, with n = 649 total sessions. Images were processed using cutting-edge DWI analysis methods for large multicenter studies. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics were computed in selected tracts connecting the primary motor, primary somato-sensory, and premotor areas of the cortex with the subcortical caudate and putamen. Pre-HD participants were divided into three CAG-Age Product (CAP) score groups reflecting clinical diagnosis probability (low, medium, or high probabilities). Baseline and longitudinal group differences were examined using linear mixed models. RESULTS Cross-sectional and longitudinal differences in DTI measures were present in all three CAP groups compared with controls. The high CAP group was most affected. CONCLUSIONS This is the largest longitudinal DWI study of pre-HD to date. Findings showed DTI differences, consistent with white matter degeneration, were present up to a decade before predicted HD diagnosis. Our findings indicate a unique role for disrupted connectivity between the premotor area and the putamen, which may be closely tied to the onset of motor symptoms in HD. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1460-1477, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali Ghayoor
- Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
| | - Jeffrey D. Long
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- Department of BiostatisticsUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
| | | | - Spencer Lourens
- Department of BiostatisticsIndiana University School of MedicineIndianapolisIndiana
| | - Lauren J. O'Donnell
- Department of RadiologyBrigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts
| | - Carl‐Fredrik Westin
- Department of RadiologyBrigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts
| | - Yogesh Rathi
- Department of RadiologyBrigham and Women's Hospital Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts
| | - Vincent Magnotta
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
| | - Jane S. Paulsen
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- Neuroscience, Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
| | - Hans J. Johnson
- Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
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Harrington DL, Long JD, Durgerian S, Mourany L, Koenig K, Bonner-Jackson A, Paulsen JS, Rao SM. Cross-sectional and longitudinal multimodal structural imaging in prodromal Huntington's disease. Mov Disord 2016; 31:1664-1675. [PMID: 27620011 PMCID: PMC5115975 DOI: 10.1002/mds.26803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Diffusivity in white-matter tracts is abnormal throughout the brain in cross-sectional studies of prodromal Huntington's disease. To date, longitudinal changes have not been observed. The present study investigated cross-sectional and longitudinal changes in white-matter diffusivity in relationship to the phase of prodromal Huntington's progression, and compared them with changes in brain volumes and clinical variables that track disease progression. METHODS Diffusion MRI profiles were studied for 2 years in 37 gene-negative controls and 64 prodromal Huntington's disease participants in varied phases of disease progression. To estimate the relative importance of diffusivity metrics in the prodromal phase, group effects were rank ordered relative to those obtained from analyses of brain volumes, motor, cognitive, and sensory variables. RESULTS First, at baseline diffusivity was abnormal throughout all tracts, especially as individuals approached a manifest Huntington's disease diagnosis. Baseline diffusivity metrics in 6 tracts and basal ganglia volumes best distinguished among the groups. Second, group differences in longitudinal change in diffusivity were localized to the superior fronto-occipital fasciculus, most prominently in individuals closer to a diagnosis. Group differences were also observed in longitudinal changes of most brain volumes, but not clinical variables. Last, increases in motor symptoms across time were associated with greater changes in the superior fronto-occipital fasciculus diffusivity and corpus callosum, cerebrospinal fluid, and lateral ventricle volumes. CONCLUSIONS These novel findings provide new insights into changes within 2 years in different facets of brain structure and their clinical relevance to changes in symptomatology that is decisive for a manifest Huntington's diagnosis. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah L Harrington
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Research Service, Veteran's Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Long
- Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Sally Durgerian
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Lyla Mourany
- Schey Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Katherine Koenig
- Imaging Sciences, Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Aaron Bonner-Jackson
- Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA
| | - Jane S Paulsen
- Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Stephen M Rao
- Schey Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Arteaga-Bracho EE, Gulinello M, Winchester ML, Pichamoorthy N, Petronglo JR, Zambrano AD, Inocencio J, De Jesus CD, Louie JO, Gokhan S, Mehler MF, Molero AE. Postnatal and adult consequences of loss of huntingtin during development: Implications for Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2016; 96:144-155. [PMID: 27623015 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2016.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The mutation in huntingtin (mHtt) leads to a spectrum of impairments in the developing forebrain of Huntington's disease (HD) mouse models. Whether these developmental alterations are due to loss- or gain-of-function mechanisms and contribute to HD pathogenesis is unknown. We examined the role of selective loss of huntingtin (Htt) function during development on postnatal vulnerability to cell death. We employed mice expressing very low levels of Htt throughout embryonic life to postnatal day 21 (Hdhd•hyp). We demonstrated that Hdhd•hyp mice exhibit: (1) late-life striatal and cortical neuronal degeneration; (2) neurological and skeletal muscle alterations; and (3) white matter tract impairments and axonal degeneration. Hdhd•hyp embryos also exhibited subpallial heterotopias, aberrant striatal maturation and deregulation of gliogenesis. These results indicate that developmental deficits associated with Htt functions render cells present at discrete neural foci increasingly susceptible to cell death, thus implying the potential existence of a loss-of-function developmental component to HD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo E Arteaga-Bracho
- Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Maria Gulinello
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Behavioral Core Facility, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Michael L Winchester
- Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Nandini Pichamoorthy
- Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jenna R Petronglo
- Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Alicia D Zambrano
- Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Julio Inocencio
- The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Chirstopher D De Jesus
- Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Joseph O Louie
- The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Solen Gokhan
- Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Mark F Mehler
- Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Einstein Cancer Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Center for Epigenomics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Aldrin E Molero
- Roslyn and Leslie Goldstein Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Institute for Brain Disorders and Neural Regeneration, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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Liu W, Yang J, Burgunder J, Cheng B, Shang H. Diffusion imaging studies of Huntington's disease: A meta-analysis. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2016; 32:94-101. [PMID: 27624391 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2016.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 08/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) could detect abnormal brain microstructural alterations. DTI studies of Huntington's Disease(HD) have yielded inconsistent results. OBJECTIVE To integrate the existing DTI studies of HD and explore the validity of DTI to detect microstructural damages in HD brain via meta-analysis. METHODS Systematic and comprehensive searches of the databases were performed for DTI studies of HD. The data from the studies that met our inclusion criteria were extracted and analyzed using the CMA2 software. Random effect models were utilized to minimize the potential between-study heterogeneity. One-way sensitivity analysis was conducted to test the robustness of the results. RESULTS The meta-analysis included 140 pre-symptomatic HD (PreHD), 235 symptomatic HD (SymHD) patients and 302 controls, revealing significantly increased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the caudate, putamen, and globus pallidus, while decreased FA in the corpus callosum of both PreHD and SymHD patients compared with controls. In addition, significantly increased mean diffusivity (MD) was identified in the putamen and thalamus of both PreHD and SymHD patients, and in the caudate of SymHD patients, while no significant difference in MD in the caudate of PreHD patients. In the corpus callosum, there was a significant increase of radial diffusivity and axial diffusivity in SymHD patients compared with controls. Meta-regression showed gender-based difference in MD values of the caudate. CONCLUSIONS Our meta-analysis provides further evidence that DTI detects microstructural damage of both white matter and gray matter even in PreHD gene carriers. MD is less sensitive than FA in detecting structural changes in PreHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanglin Liu
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | | | - Bochao Cheng
- Department of Radiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Huifang Shang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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Phillips OR, Joshi SH, Squitieri F, Sanchez-Castaneda C, Narr K, Shattuck DW, Caltagirone C, Sabatini U, Di Paola M. Major Superficial White Matter Abnormalities in Huntington's Disease. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:197. [PMID: 27242403 PMCID: PMC4876130 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The late myelinating superficial white matter at the juncture of the cortical gray and white matter comprising the intracortical myelin and short-range association fibers has not received attention in Huntington's disease. It is an area of the brain that is late myelinating and is sensitive to both normal aging and neurodegenerative disease effects. Therefore, it may be sensitive to Huntington's disease processes. METHODS Structural MRI data from 25 Pre-symptomatic subjects, 24 Huntington's disease patients and 49 healthy controls was run through a cortical pattern-matching program. The surface corresponding to the white matter directly below the cortical gray matter was then extracted. Individual subject's Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data was aligned to their structural MRI data. Diffusivity values along the white matter surface were then sampled at each vertex point. DTI measures with high spatial resolution across the superficial white matter surface were then analyzed with the General Linear Model to test for the effects of disease. RESULTS There was an overall increase in the axial and radial diffusivity across much of the superficial white matter (p < 0.001) in Pre-symptomatic subjects compared to controls. In Huntington's disease patients increased diffusivity covered essentially the whole brain (p < 0.001). Changes are correlated with genotype (CAG repeat number) and disease burden (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS This study showed broad abnormalities in superficial white matter even before symptoms are present in Huntington's disease. Since, the superficial white matter has a unique microstructure and function these abnormalities suggest it plays an important role in the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen R. Phillips
- Morphology and Morphometry for NeuroImaging Lab, Clinical and Behavioural Neurology Department, IRCCS Fondazione Santa LuciaRome, Italy
- Neuroscience Department, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”Rome, Italy
| | - Shantanu H. Joshi
- Ahmanson Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Neurology, University of California Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ferdinando Squitieri
- IRCCS Casa Sollievo della SofferenzaSan Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
- CSS-MendelRome, Italy
- Lega Italiana Ricerca Huntington FoundationRome, Italy
| | - Cristina Sanchez-Castaneda
- Radiology Department, IRCCS Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPSBarcelona, Spain
| | - Katherine Narr
- Ahmanson Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Neurology, University of California Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David W. Shattuck
- Ahmanson Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Neurology, University of California Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Neuroscience Department, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”Rome, Italy
- Clinical and Behavioural Neurology Department, IRCCS Fondazione Santa LuciaRome, Italy
| | - Umberto Sabatini
- Radiology Department, IRCCS Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy
- Neuroradiology, University of Magna GraeciaCatanzaro, Italy
| | - Margherita Di Paola
- Morphology and Morphometry for NeuroImaging Lab, Clinical and Behavioural Neurology Department, IRCCS Fondazione Santa LuciaRome, Italy
- Human Studies Department, Libera Università Maria SS. Assunta (LUMSA)Rome, Italy
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Gregory S, Cole JH, Farmer RE, Rees EM, Roos RA, Sprengelmeyer R, Durr A, Landwehrmeyer B, Zhang H, Scahill RI, Tabrizi SJ, Frost C, Hobbs NZ. Longitudinal Diffusion Tensor Imaging Shows Progressive Changes in White Matter in Huntington’s Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2015; 4:333-46. [DOI: 10.3233/jhd-150173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Gregory
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - James H. Cole
- UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
- Computational, Cognitive & Clinical Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Ruth E. Farmer
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine London, UK
| | - Elin M. Rees
- UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
| | - Raymund A.C. Roos
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2300RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Alexandra Durr
- Department of Genetics and Cytogenetics, INSERM UMR S679, APHP Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | | | - Hui Zhang
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, UK
| | | | | | - Chris Frost
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine London, UK
| | - Nicola Z. Hobbs
- UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
- IXICO Plc., London, UK
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Quraishe S, Wyttenbach A, Matinyarare N, Perry VH, Fern R, O'Connor V. Selective and compartmentalized myelin expression of HspB5. Neuroscience 2015; 316:130-42. [PMID: 26718604 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.12.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, we reveal myelin-specific expression and targeting of mRNA and biochemical pools of HspB5 in the mouse CNS. Our observations are based on in situ hybridization, electron microscopy and co-localization with 2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide 3'-Phosphodiesterase (CNPase), reinforcing this myelin-selective expression. HspB5 mRNA might be targeted to these structures based on its presence in discrete clusters resembling RNA granules and the presence of a putative RNA transport signal. Further, sub-cellular fractionation of myelin membranes reveals a distinct sub-compartment-specific association and detergent solubility of HspB5. This is akin to other abundant myelin proteins and is consistent with HspB5's association with cytoskeletal/membrane assemblies. Oligodendrocytes have a pivotal role in supporting axonal function via generating and segregating the ensheathing myelin. This specialization places extreme structural and metabolic demands on this glial cell type. Our observations place HspB5 in oligodendrocytes which may require selective and specific chaperone capabilities to maintain normal function and neuronal support.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Quraishe
- Centre for Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Building 85, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
| | - A Wyttenbach
- Centre for Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Building 85, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - N Matinyarare
- Centre for Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Building 85, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - V H Perry
- Centre for Biological Sciences, Mailpoint 840 (room LD80b), Level D Laboratories and Pathology Block, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - R Fern
- Peninsula School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - V O'Connor
- Centre for Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Building 85, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
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Matsui JT, Vaidya JG, Wassermann D, Kim RE, Magnotta VA, Johnson HJ, Paulsen JS. Prefrontal cortex white matter tracts in prodromal Huntington disease. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 36:3717-32. [PMID: 26179962 PMCID: PMC4583330 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Revised: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is most widely known for its selective degeneration of striatal neurons but there is also growing evidence for white matter (WM) deterioration. The primary objective of this research was to conduct a large-scale analysis using multisite diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) tractography data to quantify diffusivity properties along major prefrontal cortex WM tracts in prodromal HD. Fifteen international sites participating in the PREDICT-HD study collected imaging and neuropsychological data on gene-positive HD participants without a clinical diagnosis (i.e., prodromal) and gene-negative control participants. The anatomical prefrontal WM tracts of the corpus callosum (PFCC), anterior thalamic radiations (ATRs), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi (IFO), and uncinate fasciculi (UNC) were identified using streamline tractography of DWI. Within each of these tracts, tensor scalars for fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity, and axial diffusivity coefficients were calculated. We divided prodromal HD subjects into three CAG-age product (CAP) groups having Low, Medium, or High probabilities of onset indexed by genetic exposure. We observed significant differences in WM properties for each of the four anatomical tracts for the High CAP group in comparison to controls. Additionally, the Medium CAP group presented differences in the ATR and IFO in comparison to controls. Furthermore, WM alterations in the PFCC, ATR, and IFO showed robust associations with neuropsychological measures of executive functioning. These results suggest long-range tracts essential for cross-region information transfer show early vulnerability in HD and may explain cognitive problems often present in the prodromal stage. Hum Brain Mapp 36:3717-3732, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy T. Matsui
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- John A. Burns School of MedicineUniversity of HawaiiHonoluluHawaii
| | - Jatin G. Vaidya
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
| | | | - Regina Eunyoung Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
| | - Vincent A. Magnotta
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- Department of Radiology, Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of EngineeringUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
| | - Hans J. Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of EngineeringUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of EngineeringUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
| | - Jane S. Paulsen
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowa
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Odish OFF, Caeyenberghs K, Hosseini H, van den Bogaard SJA, Roos RAC, Leemans A. Dynamics of the connectome in Huntington's disease: A longitudinal diffusion MRI study. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2015; 9:32-43. [PMID: 26288754 PMCID: PMC4536305 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Objectives To longitudinally investigate the connectome in different stages of Huntington's disease (HD) by applying graph theoretical analysis to diffusion MRI data. Experimental design We constructed weighted structural networks and calculated their topological properties. Twenty-two premanifest (preHD), 10 early manifest HD and 24 healthy controls completed baseline and 2 year follow-up scans. We stratified the preHD group based on their predicted years to disease onset into a far (preHD-A) and near (preHD-B) to disease onset group. We collected clinical and behavioural measures per assessment time point. Principle observations We found a significant reduction over time in nodal betweenness centrality both in the early manifest HD and preHD-B groups as compared to the preHD-A and control groups, suggesting a decrease of importance of specific nodes to overall network organization in these groups (FDR adjusted ps < 0.05). Additionally, we found a significant longitudinal decrease of the clustering coefficient in preHD when compared to healthy controls (FDR adjusted p < 0.05), which can be interpreted as a reduced capacity for internodal information processing at the local level. Furthermore, we demonstrated dynamic changes to hub-status loss and gain both in preHD and early manifest HD. Finally, we found significant cross-sectional as well as longitudinal relationships between graph metrics and clinical and neurocognitive measures. Conclusions This study demonstrates divergent longitudinal changes to the connectome in (pre) HD compared to healthy controls. This provides novel insights into structural correlates associated with clinical and cognitive functions in HD and possible compensatory mechanisms at play in preHD. Investigates characteristics of the connectome in Huntington's disease (HD). HD patients showed longitudinal changes in their structural connectome. Connectome dynamics correlated with changes in clinical and cognitive measures. Connectomics provides novel insights into compensatory strategies of the diseased brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar F F Odish
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Karen Caeyenberghs
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hadi Hosseini
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Raymund A C Roos
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Leemans
- Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Mutant huntingtin downregulates myelin regulatory factor-mediated myelin gene expression and affects mature oligodendrocytes. Neuron 2015; 85:1212-26. [PMID: 25789755 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that non-neuronal mutant huntingtin toxicity plays an important role in Huntington's disease (HD); however, whether and how mutant huntingtin affects oligodendrocytes, which are vitally important for neural function and axonal integrity, remains unclear. We first verified the presence of mutant huntingtin in oligodendrocytes in HD140Q knockin mice. We then established transgenic mice (PLP-150Q) that selectively express mutant huntingtin in oligodendrocytes. PLP-150Q mice show progressive neurological symptoms and early death, as well as age-dependent demyelination and reduced expression of myelin genes that are downstream of myelin regulatory factor (MYRF or MRF), a transcriptional regulator that specifically activates and maintains the expression of myelin genes in mature oligodendrocytes. Consistently, mutant huntingtin binds abnormally to MYRF and affects its transcription activity. Our findings suggest that dysfunction of mature oligodendrocytes is involved in HD pathogenesis and may also make a good therapeutic target.
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