Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Elisabeth Plhak, Edith Gossnitzer, Reingard M. Aigner, Herbert Kvaternik
Summary: DAT imaging with SPECT is valuable for diagnosing Parkinson's disease and distinguishing it from other neurodegenerative disorders. This study presents a novel automated synthesis method for radioiodination of beta-CIT and FP-CIT, resulting in high radiochemical yield and purity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katarzyna Z. Kuter, Lukasz Olech, Urszula Glowacka, Martyna Paleczna
Summary: The study examined the long-term effects of a ketogenic diet on an animal model of early Parkinson's disease, finding that the diet did not protect against dopamine neuron lesions induced by 6-OHDA. However, it may support late compensatory mechanisms. Liver gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis were not responsible for maintaining normal blood glucose levels in rats fed a restrictive ketogenic diet for 7 weeks.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Atsushi Yamamoto, Michinobu Nagao, Kenji Fukushima, Kiyoe Ando, Risako Nakao, Masayuki Goto, Yuka Matsuo, Akiko Sakai, Mitsuru Momose, Koichiro Kaneko, Shuji Sakai, Junichi Yamaguchi
Summary: LGE on CMR imaging can help detect myocardial damage, while BMIPP-SPECT is useful for evaluating fatty acid metabolism in CS patients. BDS and LES are correlated with MACE, with BDS>=16 and LES>=9 being associated with higher MACE rates.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Clara Rodriguez-Sabate, Albano Gonzalez, Juan Carlos Perez-Darias, Ingrid Morales, Manuel Rodriguez
Summary: The study of human basal ganglia using novel methods revealed a fast functional reconfiguration of their main centers during the execution of voluntary motor tasks, expanding the perspective of the classical basal ganglia model and providing insights into their activity under normal and pathological conditions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tatiana Usenko, Anastasia Bezrukova, Margarita M. Rudenok, Katerina Basharova, Maria I. Shadrina, Petr A. Slominsky, Ekaterina Zakharova, Sofya Pchelina
Summary: Mutations in the GBA1 gene are the major genetic risk factor for Parkinson's disease. The molecular mechanisms of PD associated with GBA1 mutations are not yet fully understood, particularly due to the partial penetrance of these mutations. This study found that processes related to neurogenesis, inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy were significantly altered in mice with GBA1 dysfunction, suggesting that the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway may be a potential therapeutic target for PD.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Ali Sarbazi-Golezari, Hashem Haghdoost-Yazdi
Summary: This study found that moderate to severe dopaminergic neuronal death in the substantia nigra in the 6-OHDA animal model was associated with a decrease in serum levels of glucose and FFA, accompanied by increased levels of IL-1 beta. The increase in IL-1 beta possibly mediated the decrease in glucose and FFA levels following neuronal death.
METABOLIC BRAIN DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Margaux Teil, Sandra Dovero, Mathieu Bourdenx, Marie-Laure Arotcarena, Morgane Darricau, Gregory Porras, Marie-Laure Thiolat, Ines Trigo-Damas, Celine Perier, Cristina Estrada, Nuria Garcia-Carrillo, Maria Trinidad Herrero, Miquel Vila, Jose A. Obeso, Erwan Bezard, Benjamin Dehay
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential of α-syn pathological propagation and neuronal loss in non-human primates by injecting LB fractions from PD patients into the cortex. This provides novel data and a possible primate model of DLB.
NPJ PARKINSONS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amanda L. Sharpe, Marta Trzeciak, Nicole L. Eliason, Harris E. Blankenship, Bre' Ana M. Byrd, Phillip D. Douglas, Willard M. Freeman, Michael J. Beckstead
Summary: The study reveals that the expression of GLAST and CRF2 in astrocytes in the SN/VTA is significantly affected by psychostimulant drugs, which may influence neurotransmission and related behaviors.
Article
Neurosciences
Faith L. Anderson, Katharine M. von Herrmann, Angeline S. Andrew, Yuliya I. Kuras, Alison L. Young, Clemens R. Scherzer, William F. Hickey, Stephen L. Lee, Matthew C. Havrda
Summary: Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons and research suggests that inflammation and cell death play a role in the disease. Monitoring and modifying these processes may improve disease management. Study findings indicate inflammasome activity in neurodegenerative disorders, with potential for diagnosing and monitoring inflammation in Parkinson's patients.
NPJ PARKINSONS DISEASE
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Connor D. Courtney, Arin Pamukcu, C. Savio Chan
Summary: This review provides a comprehensive overview of the neuronal heterogeneity, circuit architecture, and functional roles of the external globus pallidus (GPe), challenging traditional views of the basal ganglia. Recent data have revealed the complex cell and circuit structure of the GPe and shown that it is not just a relay station, but also plays multifaceted roles in motor and non-motor functions. The connections of the GPe span both the direct and indirect pathways, suggesting new computational rules for the basal ganglia.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Javier Alegre-Cortes, Maria Saez, Roberto Montanari, Ramon Reig
Summary: This study demonstrates that the mouse dorsal striatum consists of two non-overlapping functional circuits with a clear boundary, showing different connectivity to the cortex and independent integration of spontaneous activity in the lateral and medial striatum. Additionally, there are differences in slow and fast oscillations and electrophysiological properties between striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons.
Review
Neurosciences
Manu Sharma, Jacqueline Burre
Summary: Alpha-synuclein plays a role in neurotransmitter release at presynaptic terminals. It forms aggregates in synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease, leading to neuronal dysfunction at multiple levels. This article provides an overview of the effects of alpha-synuclein on SNARE-complex assembly, neurotransmitter release, and synaptic vesicle homeostasis, and discusses the divergent effects and contributions to synucleinopathy pathogenesis.
TRENDS IN NEUROSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Jonas R. Wagner, Miriam Schaper, Wolfgang Hamel, Manfred Westphal, Christian Gerloff, Andreas K. Engel, Christian K. E. Moll, Alessandro Gulberti, Monika Poetter-Nerger
Summary: The study demonstrates that STN+SN DBS is more effective than conventional STN DBS in improving gait impairment in Parkinson's disease patients. The cortical activity of patients during resting and effective stepping shows excessive synchronization in certain frequency bands, which is reduced by DBS. Different patterns of cortical activity are observed during freezing episodes with STN DBS and STN+SN DBS.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Houfang Long, Shengnan Zhang, Shuyi Zeng, Yilun Tong, Jun Liu, Cong Liu, Dan Li
Summary: This study reveals that RAGE serves as a receptor of α-syn fibrils on microglia, and its binding with α-syn induces neuroinflammation. The structural mechanism of RAGE in mediating the inflammatory response to α-syn fibrils is validated.
Article
Neurosciences
Anima Kumari, Anugya Srivastava, Pankaj Jagdale, Anjaneya Ayanur, Vinay Kumar Khanna
Summary: The present study focuses on the role of neuroinflammation in the neurotoxicity induced by lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT) in the substantia nigra and corpus striatum of rats. Treatment with LCT resulted in increased mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines and iNOS, and decreased expression of antiinflammatory cytokine in both brain regions. LCT-treated rats also showed increased levels of glial marker proteins and alterations in heat shock protein and toll-like receptor expression. Histological and ultrastructural studies revealed damage to dopaminergic neurons and activation of immune cells, microglia, and astrocytes in LCT-treated rats. These findings suggest that LCT induces neurotoxicity through neuroinflammation mediated by neuroglial cell activation and signaling pathways.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Michael S. Pollanen, Sylvester Onzivua, Paul M. McKeever, Janice Robertson, Ian R. Mackenzie, Gabor G. Kovacs, Francis Olwa, David L. Kitara, Amanda Fong
Summary: This article describes the clinicopathologic spectrum of nodding syndrome in northern Uganda. All 16 cases had chronic seizures, and seven cases also had progressive cognitive, behavioural, and motor decline. The main neuropathologic findings included tau pathology, cerebellar degeneration, and white matter degeneration.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Shelley L. Forrest, Gabor G. Kovacs
Summary: Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of disorders characterized by diverse pathology, clinical manifestations, and genetic variation. Mixed pathologies, including abnormal protein deposition, cerebrovascular disease, and aging-related pathologies, are commonly found in individuals with neurodegenerative diseases, and may lower the threshold for cognitive impairment and dementia. Understanding mixed pathologies can have implications for prognosis, biomarker development, therapy, and clinical trial design.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Blas Couto, Ivan Martinez-Valbuena, Seojin Lee, Isabel Alfradique-Dunham, Richard J. Perrin, Joel S. Perlmutter, Carlos Cruchaga, Ain Kim, Naomi Visanji, Christine Sato, Ekaterina Rogaeva, Anthony E. Lang, Gabor G. Kovacs
Summary: This study reveals a broader range of disease courses in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) than previously known. Time to gait dependence and cognitive impairment are proposed as prognostic milestones. Genetic polymorphisms in TRIM11 and SLC2A13 genes are associated with longer disease duration. The study suggests a subtype of PSP with protracted course and explores its relationship with protein misfolding, seeding activity, and propagation.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Seojin Lee, Ivan Martinez-Valbuena, Carlos E. de Andrea, Maria Villalba-Esparza, Suganthini Ilaalagan, Blas Couto, Naomi P. Visanji, Anthony E. Lang, Gabor G. Kovacs
Summary: This study provides the first cell type-specific evaluation of iron homeostasis and oxygen homeostasis in relation to tau pathology in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Astrocytes were identified as the major cell type accumulating iron in the early affected regions of PSP, highly associated with tau pathology. Dysregulated expression of iron and oxygen homeostasis genes associated with brain aging was also found, as well as dysregulated expression of rare neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) genes associated with tau pathology, distinguishing PSP from the healthy aging brain.
ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Shelley L. Forrest, Stephanie Wagner, Ain Kim, Gabor G. Kovacs
Summary: This study investigated a wide range of brain pathologies in an unselected European community-dwelling ageing cohort, revealing the presence of various pathologies such as neurofibrillary tangles, ARTAG, and corpora amylacea. The study identified an association between LATE-NC and ARTOG, emphasizing common pathogenic aspects among different ARTAG types. Additionally, only neurofibrillary tangles and LATE-NC were found to be associated with cognitive decline.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Blas Couto, Susan Fox, Maria Carmela Tartaglia, Ekaterina Rogaeva, Jeffrey Antwi, Puja Bhakta, Gabor G. Kovacs, Anthony E. E. Lang
Summary: The study focuses on the development and initial experience of the Rossy PSP Centre in Canada, which aims to advance clinical and basic research in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS). The study collects extensive demographic and longitudinal clinical information using standardized forms, as well as biofluids for genetic analysis and neuroimaging research protocols. The preliminary results show a typical distribution of phenotypes, demographics, and response to symptomatic treatments in the cohort. Future steps include enrolling patients in earlier stages, developing biomarkers, and fast-tracking well-characterized patients into clinical trials.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Letter
Clinical Neurology
Hidetomo Tanaka, Megan A. Hird, David F. Tang-Wai, Gabor G. Kovacs
JOURNAL OF NEUROPATHOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Shojiro Ichimata, Ain Kim, Naoki Nishida, Gabor G. G. Kovacs
Summary: The aim of this study is to clarify whether there is a difference in amyloid-beta burden between gyral crests (GCs) and sulcal depths (SDs) in different neurodegenerative proteinopathies. The study found that amyloid-beta is almost evenly distributed in both GCs and SDs in the frontal and temporal lobes.
NEUROPATHOLOGY AND APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Agoston Patthy, Janos Hanics, Gergely Zachar, Gabor G. Kovacs, Tibor Harkany, Alan Alpar
Summary: The expression and function of CB1R in the developing human brain, as well as in Down syndrome foetuses, were analyzed. The study found that CB1R expression was delayed in age-matched foetuses with Down syndrome, and abnormal CB1R signaling was identified. In vitro experiments showed that CB1R excitation led to excessive microtubule stabilization and reduced neurite outgrowth.
NEUROPATHOLOGY AND APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Wolfgang Marik, Pedro Lima Cardoso, Elisabeth Springer, Wolfgang Bogner, Matthias Preusser, Georg Widhalm, Gilbert Hangel, Johannes A. Hainfellner, Ivo Rausch, Michael Weber, Victor Schmidbauer, Tatjana Traub-Weidinger, Siegfried Trattnig
Summary: Qualitative assessments are currently the main method for neuro-oncologic MRI, while PET provides important metabolic information. However, PET provides quantitative data while qualitative MRI is limited by subjective judgments and low inter-scanner reliability. MR fingerprinting is a promising approach that can generate both qualitative and quantitative imaging data based on a single sequence acquisition. This study compared PET and MR fingerprinting in predicting tumor-related characteristics and found that both modalities have high predictability but with different underlying mechanisms. The combined use of PET and MR fingerprinting shows potential to enhance tissue-specific properties and increase the value of hybrid imaging in neuro-oncology.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Krisztina Danics, Naomi P. Visanji, Shojiro Ichimata, Sarika Mathur, Gabriella Sara-Klausz, Gabor G. Kovacs
Summary: This study investigates the prevalence and distribution of pathological alpha-synuclein deposition in the central and peripheral nervous systems of the homeless population. The findings suggest that alpha-synuclein pathology is prevalent in this vulnerable population, supporting the need for further research.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Nelleke Tolboom, Antoine Verger, Nathalie L. Albert, Matthias Brendel, Diego Cecchin, Pablo Aguiar Fernandez, Francesco Fraioli, Eric Guedj, Ken Herrmann, Tatjana Traub-Weidinger, Silvia Morbelli, Igor Yakushev, Pietro Zucchetta, Henryk Barthel, Donatienne Van Weehaeghe
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shojiro Ichimata, Ivan Martinez-Valbuena, Seojin Lee, Jun Li, Ali M. Karakani, Gabor G. Kovacs
Summary: Limited comparative data exist on the molecular spectrum of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau deposition in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD). We found that DS cases had more severe Aβ and tau deposition in the temporal lobe and cerebellum compared to sAD cases, as confirmed by both semi-quantitative and quantitative analysis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Agoston Patthy, Janos Hanics, Gergely Zachar, Gabor G. Kovacs, Tibor Harkany, Alan Alpar
Summary: The study revealed significant changes in CB1R expression in different brain regions during human embryonic development, as well as delayed CB1R development in individuals with Down syndrome. This delayed development may lead to impairments in brain neuroarchitecture, affecting neuronal development and synaptogenesis.
NEUROPATHOLOGY AND APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Andreas Hahn, Murray Reed, Chrysoula Vraka, Godber Godbersen, Sebastian Klug, Arkadiusz Komorowski, Pia Falb, Lukas Nics, Tatjana Traub-Weidinger, Marcus Hacker, Rupert Lanzenberger
Summary: This study presents a novel approach to investigate metabolic and hemodynamic responses during cognitive processing, allowing for the examination of unique temporal information that is not accessible with conventional PET imaging techniques.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING
(2023)