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Ávila-Villanueva M, Gómez-Ramírez J, Ávila J, Fernández-Blázquez MA. Alzheimer's Disease and Empathic Abilities: The Proposed Role of the Cingulate Cortex. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2021; 5:345-352. [PMID: 34189406 PMCID: PMC8203285 DOI: 10.3233/adr-200282] [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] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years there has been increasing interest in examining the role of empathic abilities in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Empathy, the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings, implies the existence of emotional and cognitive processes and is a pivotal aspect for success in social interactions. In turn, self-empathy is oriented to one’s thoughts and feelings. Decline of empathy and self-empathy can occur during the AD continuum and can be linked to different neuroanatomical pathways in which the cingulate cortex may play a crucial role. Here, we will summarize the involvement of empathic abilities through the AD continuum and further discuss the potential neurocognitive mechanisms that contribute to decline of empathy and self-empathy in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Ávila-Villanueva
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, CIEN Foundation, Carlos III Institute of Health, Queen Sofía Foundation Alzheimer Center, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jaime Gómez-Ramírez
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, CIEN Foundation, Carlos III Institute of Health, Queen Sofía Foundation Alzheimer Center, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Ávila
- Center of Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Campus de Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.,Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A Fernández-Blázquez
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, CIEN Foundation, Carlos III Institute of Health, Queen Sofía Foundation Alzheimer Center, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Campus de Somosaguas, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
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Furcila D, Domínguez-Álvaro M, DeFelipe J, Alonso-Nanclares L. Subregional Density of Neurons, Neurofibrillary Tangles and Amyloid Plaques in the Hippocampus of Patients With Alzheimer's Disease. Front Neuroanat 2019; 13:99. [PMID: 31920568 PMCID: PMC6930895 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2019.00099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of anatomical alterations have been reported in the hippocampal formation of patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and these alterations have been correlated with cognitive symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Major hallmarks in AD are the presence of paired helical filaments of tau protein (PHFTau) within neurons, also known as neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), and aggregates of amyloid-β protein (Aβ) which form plaques in the extracellular space. Nevertheless, how the density of plaques and NFTs relate to the severity of cell loss and cognitive decline is not yet clear. The aim of the present study was to further examine the possible relationship of both Aβ plaques and NFTs with neuronal loss in several hippocampal fields (DG, CA3, CA1, and subiculum) of 11 demented AD patients. For this purpose, using stereological techniques, we compared neuronal densities (Nissl-stained, and immunoreactive neurons for NeuN) with: (i) numbers of neurons immunostained for two isoforms of PHFTau (PHFTau-AT8 and PHFTau-pS396); and (ii) number of Aβ plaques. We found that CA1 showed the highest number of NFTs and Aβ plaques, whereas DG and CA3 displayed the lowest number of these markers. Furthermore, AD patients showed a variable neuronal loss in CA1 due to tangle-related cell death, which seems to correlate with the presence of extracellular tangles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Furcila
- Cajal Laboratory of Cortical Circuits, Centre for Biomedical Technology (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Network Biomedical Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Domínguez-Álvaro
- Cajal Laboratory of Cortical Circuits, Centre for Biomedical Technology (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier DeFelipe
- Cajal Laboratory of Cortical Circuits, Centre for Biomedical Technology (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Network Biomedical Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Cajal Institute (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lidia Alonso-Nanclares
- Cajal Laboratory of Cortical Circuits, Centre for Biomedical Technology (CTB), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Network Biomedical Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Cajal Institute (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Havekes R, Heckman PRA, Wams EJ, Stasiukonyte N, Meerlo P, Eisel ULM. Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis: The role of disturbed sleep in attenuated brain plasticity and neurodegenerative processes. Cell Signal 2019; 64:109420. [PMID: 31536750 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2019.109420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive impairments. The classical symptoms of the disease include gradual deterioration of memory and language. Epidemiological studies indicate that around 25-40% of AD patients have sleep-wake cycle disturbances. Importantly, a series of studies suggested that the relationship between AD and sleep disturbance may be complex and bidirectional. Indeed, accumulation of the extracellular neuronal protein amyloid-beta (Aβ) leads to altered sleep-wake behavior in both mice and humans. At the same time, disturbances of the normal sleep-wake cycle may facilitate AD pathogenesis. This paper will review the mechanisms underlying this potential interrelated connection including locus coeruleus damage, reductions in orexin neurotransmission, alterations in melatonin levels, and elevated cytokine levels. In addition, we will also highlight how both the development of AD and sleep disturbances lead to changes in intracellular signaling pathways involved in regulating neuronal plasticity and connectivity, particularly extremes in cofilin phosphorylation. Finally, current pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapeutic approaches will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robbert Havekes
- Neurobiology expertise group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Pim R A Heckman
- Neurobiology expertise group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Emma J Wams
- Neurobiology expertise group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Neringa Stasiukonyte
- Neurobiology expertise group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Meerlo
- Neurobiology expertise group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ulrich L M Eisel
- Neurobiology expertise group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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Hernández F, Llorens-Martín M, Bolós M, Pérez M, Cuadros R, Pallas-Bazarra N, Zabala JC, Avila J. New Beginnings in Alzheimer’s Disease: The Most Prevalent Tauopathy. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 64:S529-S534. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-179916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Félix Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Llorens-Martín
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Bolós
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mar Pérez
- Departamento de Anatomía Histología y Neurociencia, Facultad de Medicina UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Cuadros
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
| | - Noemí Pallas-Bazarra
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan C. Zabala
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Jesús Avila
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Madrid, Spain
- CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
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