Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eva-Maria Stauffer, Richard A. Bethlehem, Varun Warrier, Graham K. Murray, Rafael Romero-Garcia, Jakob Seidlitz, Edward T. Bullmore
Summary: The study found associations between polygenic risk scores and neuroimaging phenotypes, suggesting genetic effects on brain structure at global and regional scales. Results indicate a link between genetic risk for schizophrenia and altered neurite density index in the brain.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Matthew Kiely, Curtis Triebswetter, Luis E. Cortina, Zhaoyuan Gong, Maryam H. Alsameen, Richard G. Spencer, Mustapha Bouhrara
Summary: This study evaluated sex and age-related differences in white matter microstructure using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The results showed that myelin content and axonal density in white matter exhibited nonlinear changes with age, and the posterior white matter regions were more preserved from neurodegeneration compared to anterior regions. Additionally, DTI indices were moderately correlated with myelin content, indicating their sensitivity to other constituents of white matter tissue.
Article
Immunology
Kalen J. Petersen, Jeremy Strain, Sarah Cooley, Florin Vaida, Beau M. Ances
Summary: Older persons with HIV may experience changes in brain white matter similar to accelerated aging, with viral load and comorbidities playing a role in this process. These changes in white matter can contribute to cognitive impairment.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Lan Lin, Yue Jin, Min Xiong, Shuicai Wu, Shen Sun
Summary: Sustainable cognitive health is affected by cognitive reserve, which delays or reduces cognitive decline by enhancing cognitive function. This study explores whether cognitive reserve moderates the relationship between white matter integrity and cognitive function in older adults. The findings reveal that early fluid intelligence has a significant independent and moderating impact on cognitive performance, making it a suitable individual proxy for cognitive reserve. Additionally, a composite proxy of early fluid intelligence and physical activity shows promise in promoting sustainable cognitive health.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Emma L. Ducca, Gabriela T. Gomez, Priya Palta, Kevin J. Sullivan, Clifford R. Jack, David S. Knopman, Rebecca F. Gottesman, Jeremy Walston, B. Gwen Windham, Keenan A. Walker
Summary: The study found a strong association between cerebral white matter structure and current and future frailty. Specifically, white matter hyperintensity volume was significantly associated with frailty. However, measures of white matter microstructure were not generally associated with progression from nonfrail to frail status.
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jasmina Boban, Majda M. Thurnher, Nikola Boban, Meng Law, Neda Jahanshad, Talia M. Nir, Dajana F. Lendak, Dusko Kozic
Summary: This study investigated the correlation between white matter diffusivity measures and age and education level in healthy volunteers. The results showed that different diffusivity parameters had significant correlations with age, with radial diffusivity (RD) showing the strongest correlation. The patterns of degradation in different fiber tracts varied, suggesting that currently available theories cannot fully explain age-related changes in the brain.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Natalie Busby, Sarah Newman-Norlund, Sara Sayers, Roger Newman-Norlund, Sarah Wilson, Samaneh Nemati, Chris Rorden, Janina Wilmskoetter, Nicholas Riccardi, Rebecca Roth, Julius Fridriksson, Leonardo Bonilha
Summary: This study found that white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are independently associated with premature brain aging. This finding underscores the impact of white matter disease on global brain integrity and progressive age-like brain atrophy.
Article
Cell Biology
Kyusik Ahn, Seung-Jae Lee, Inhee Mook-Jung
Summary: This article assesses the current state of knowledge on brain aging, with a focus on the roles of white matter and microglia, and suggests potential approaches for rejuvenating the aged brain.
AGEING RESEARCH REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Stephan Meesters, Maud Landers, Geert-Jan Rutten, Luc Florack
Summary: MRI-based tractography is not widely used in brain tumor surgery due to method heterogeneity and lack of a turn-key system. This work evaluated the robustness and reliability of tractography results in healthy subjects, demonstrating promising potential for future validation and implementation in clinical populations.
JOURNAL OF DIGITAL IMAGING
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Mikko T. Huuskonen, Qinghai Liu, Krista Lamorie-Foote, Kristina Shkirkova, Michelle Connor, Arati Patel, Axel Montagne, Hans Baertsch, Constantinos Sioutas, Todd E. Morgan, Caleb E. Finch, Berislav Zlokovic, William J. Mack
Summary: Exposure to air pollution nanoparticles exacerbates cerebrovascular pathology and demyelination, particularly in the presence of cerebral hypoperfusion, suggesting a potential link between air pollution and cognitive decline in elderly populations.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Junyi Wang, Eleonora Napoli, Kyoungmi Kim, Yingratana A. McLennan, Randi J. Hagerman, Cecilia Giulivi
Summary: The study found correlations between MRI findings in Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) patients and peripheral mitochondrial bioenergetics, suggesting potential early brain bioenergetic deficits before noticeable FXTAS symptoms and imaging results.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Carola Mayer, Felix L. Naegele, Marvin Petersen, Benedikt M. Frey, Uta Hanning, Ofer Pasternak, Elina Petersen, Christian Gerloff, Goetz Thomalla, Bastian Cheng
Summary: This study investigated microstructural brain alterations in white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and their association with cerebrovascular risk factors. The use of free-water imaging corrected contamination of diffusion-weighted MRI-derived metrics. The study found a significant association between smoking and free-water in NAWM, and between smoking and fractional anisotropy in WMH and NAWM, while diabetes and hypertension showed no association.
JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Amaryllis A. Tsiknia, Jaclyn Bergstrom, Emilie T. Reas
Summary: The study showed that high omega-3 intake in midlife may help to maintain white matter (WM) integrity into older age, particularly in the latest decades of life and among APOE ε4 carriers.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mareike Grotheer, Mona Rosenke, Hua Wu, Holly Kular, Francesca R. Querdasi, Vaidehi S. Natu, Jason D. Yeatman, Kalanit Grill-Spector
Summary: In this study, the development of white matter in infants from 0 to 6 months was investigated using diffusion MRI and quantitative MRI measurements. The researchers found that the longitudinal relaxation rate (R1) of white matter increased over time, with faster development in less mature areas of white matter in newborns.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Andrea Mendez Colmenares, Michelle B. Hefner, Vince D. Calhoun, Elizabeth A. Salerno, Jason Fanning, Neha P. Gothe, Edward McAuley, Arthur F. Kramer, Agnieszka Z. Burzynska
Summary: In the past 20 years, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been used to study white matter (WM) microstructure. However, studying individual DTI parameters separately limits our understanding of WM pathology. By applying symmetric fusion to DTI data, a data-driven approach, we were able to simultaneously examine age differences in all four DTI parameters. This method revealed an age-related modality-shared component in WM, which was correlated with cognitive abilities not detected by unimodal analyses.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Stephanie Wong, Grace Wei, Masud Husain, John R. Hodges, Olivier Piguet, Muireann Irish, Fiona Kumfor
Summary: This study found a significant link between impaired social reward learning and emotional apathy in dementia, suggesting a shared neurobiological basis between the two. Understanding the neurocognitive mechanisms of reward processing can help improve the identification and treatment of emotional apathy in dementia.
COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neuroimaging
Nga Yan Tse, Martina Bocchetta, Emily G. Todd, Emma M. Devenney, Sicong Tu, Jashelle Caga, John R. Hodges, Glenda M. Halliday, Muireann Irish, Matthew C. Kiernan, Olivier Piguet, Jonathan D. Rohrer, Rebekah M. Ahmed
Summary: Through studying a large sample of 211 participants, it was found that different subregions of the hypothalamus are correlated with cognitive and behavioral impairments. Patients with ALS, mixed ALS-FTD, and bvFTD all showed hypothalamic involvement. Cognitive and behavioral symptoms were correlated with bilateral involvement of the anterior inferior, anterior superior, and posterior hypothalamic subregions. The anterior superior and superior tuberal subregions displayed the greatest volume loss in bvFTD and ALS-FTD, and ALS, respectively, and were associated with specific neuropeptide expression abnormalities.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Substance Abuse
Virginia Macdonald, Bradley Mathers, Keith Sabin, Angela Me, Chloe Carpentier, Kamran Niaz, Antons Mozalevskis, Niklas Luhmann, Monica Ciupagea, Fariba Soltani, Annette Verster
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anna Semenkova, Olivier Piguet, Andreas Johnen, Matthias L. Schroeter, Jannis Godulla, Christoph Linnemann, Markus Muhlhauser, Thomas Sauer, Markus Baumgartner, Sarah Anderl-Straub, Markus Otto, Ansgar Felbecker, Reto W. Kressig, Manfred Berres, Marc Sollberger
Summary: Based on the revised diagnostic criteria, the Behavioural Dysfunction Questionnaire (BDQ) was developed to discriminate between behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and non-bvFTD patients. BDQ-scores without any time criterion were found highly discriminatory between early-stage bvFTD and non-bvFTD groups, suggesting its potential for improving early diagnosis of bvFTD.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
A. Skeggs, G. Wei, R. Landin-Romero, J. R. Hodges, O. Piguet, Fiona Kumfor
Summary: This study aims to characterise the clinical profiles of patients with behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) from culturally diverse backgrounds. The results showed differences in clinical features, cognitive test performance, and cognitive reserve among patients from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The study also found that higher cognitive reserve is associated with lower neural integrity in frontal-temporal regions.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yue Yang, Dominic Rowe, Heather McCann, Claire E. Shepherd, Jillian J. Kril, Matthew C. Kiernan, Glenda M. Halliday, Rachel H. Tan
Summary: This study compared the pathology of ALS patients who received CuATSM and riluzole with those who only received riluzole, and found no significant difference in neuron density or TDP-43 burden. However, CuATSM treatment led to the presence of p62-immunoreactive astrocytes in the motor cortex and reduced Iba1 density in the spinal cord. There was no significant difference in astrocytic activity and SOD1 immunoreactivity with CuATSM treatment.
NEUROPATHOLOGY AND APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Caitlin E. Kennedy, Ping Teresa Yeh, Annette Verster, Niklas Luhmann, Nabeel Mangadan Konath, Maeve Brito de Mello, Rachel Baggaley, Virginia Macdonald
Summary: Counselling behavioural interventions do not have a significant impact on the prevention of HIV/STI/VH among key populations, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis. Although participants liked specific counselling interventions and intervention costs were reasonable, the evidence was limited and mostly focused on HIV.
JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL AIDS SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Priscilla Youssef, Laura Hughes, Woojin S. Kim, Glenda M. Halliday, Simon J. G. Lewis, Antony Cooper, Nicolas Dzamko
Summary: Objective biomarkers for Parkinson's Disease (PD) could aid early and specific diagnosis, effective monitoring of disease progression, and improved design and interpretation of clinical trials. In this study, the potential of the SIMOA neurology 4-plex-A marker panel, along with plasma alpha-synuclein, as biomarkers for PD diagnosis and prognosis was assessed. The levels of NFL and GFAP in plasma positively correlated with alpha-synuclein levels, while as disease state biomarkers, NFL and GFAP showed correlation with motor severity and stage.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hiu Chuen Lok, Jared S. Katzeff, John R. Hodges, Olivier Piguet, YuHong Fu, Glenda M. Halliday, Woojin Scott Kim
Summary: Neuroinflammation is a key feature of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), characterized by the degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes. This study examined 48 cytokines in FTD serum and brain tissues to identify common dysregulation pathways. The results suggest the potential importance of the NLRP3 inflammasome in FTD.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lyndal Henden, Liam G. Fearnley, Natalie Grima, Emily P. McCann, Carol Dobson-Stone, Lauren Fitzpatrick, Kathryn Friend, Lynne Hobson, Sandrine Chan Moi Fat, Dominic B. Rowe, Susan D'Silva, John B. Kwok, Glenda M. Halliday, Matthew C. Kiernan, Srestha Mazumder, Hannah C. Timmins, Margaret Zoing, Roger Pamphlett, Lorel Adams, Melanie Bahlo, Ian P. Blair, Kelly L. Williams
Summary: In this study, we analyzed whole-genome sequencing data from 608 patients with sporadic ALS, 68 patients with sporadic FTD, and 4703 matched controls using three tools. We found that 17.6% of clinically diagnosed ALS and FTD cases had expanded STR alleles reported to be pathogenic or intermediate for other neurodegenerative diseases, providing evidence for their contribution to the development of these diseases. We also identified multiple disease-relevant STR expansions associated with neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the clinical and pathological pleiotropy of neurodegenerative disease genes and their importance in ALS and FTD.
Article
Neurosciences
Oana C. Marian, Jonathan D. Teo, Jun Yup Lee, Huitong Song, John B. Kwok, Ramon Landin-Romero, Glenda Halliday, Anthony S. Don
Summary: Heterozygous mutations in the GRN gene and hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9orf72 are the most common genetic causes of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) with TDP-43 protein inclusions. Our comprehensive lipidomic analysis suggests that both C9orf72 and GRN mutations disrupt lysosomal homeostasis and result in white matter lipid loss, but GRN mutations cause more pronounced disruption to myelin lipid metabolism. The findings provide biochemical evidence supporting the use of MRI measures of white matter integrity in the diagnosis and management of FTD.
ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Andrew J. Affleck, Perminder S. Sachdev, Glenda M. Halliday
Summary: This study examines the impact of antihypertensive medication use on the severity of neuropathological cerebrovascular disease in older individuals. The results suggest that antihypertensive medication use is associated with less severe white matter small vessel disease. However, there is no significant relationship between medication use and infarction, lacunes, or cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Antihypertensive medication use reduces white matter rarefaction and Aβ propagation through the brain, specifically in individuals with moderate to severe white matter small vessel disease.
NEUROPATHOLOGY AND APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Rui Qi, Esther Sammler, Claudia P. Gonzalez-Hunt, Ivana Barraza, Nicholas Pena, Jeremy P. Rouanet, Yahaira Naaldijk, Steven Goodson, Marie Fuzzati, Fabio Blandini, Kirk I. Erickson, Andrea M. Weinstein, Michael W. Lutz, John B. Kwok, Glenda M. Halliday, Nicolas Dzamko, Shalini Padmanabhan, Roy N. Alcalay, Cheryl Waters, Penelope Hogarth, Tanya Simuni, Danielle Smith, Connie Marras, Francesca Tonelli, Dario R. Alessi, Andrew B. West, Sruti Shiva, Sabine Hilfiker, Laurie H. Sanders
Summary: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative movement disorder in which mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role. This study developed a PCR-based assay called Mito DNADX to accurately quantify mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage. The assay revealed increased mtDNA damage in peripheral blood cells from PD patients and those with a PD-associated mutation. In addition, it was found that LRRK2 kinase inhibitors could mitigate mtDNA damage in animal models and patient-derived cells. This study suggests that quantifying mtDNA damage may serve as a potential biomarker for PD and for assessing the effectiveness of LRRK2 kinase inhibitors.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Adahir Labrador-Garrido, Siying Zhong, Laura Hughes, Shikara Keshiya, Woojin S. Kim, Glenda M. Halliday, Nicolas Dzamko
Summary: This study utilized a GCase substrate probe and live cell imaging to measure lysosomal enzyme activity. The results showed heterogeneity in GCase activity among PD patients, and a significant inverse correlation between GCase activity and α-synuclein protein levels. These findings suggest the importance of GCase in PD, and demonstrate the utility of this live cell imaging assay for further research on GCase in PD.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Sarah N. Kraeutner, Cristina Rubino, Jennifer K. Ferris, Shie Rinat, Lauren Penko, Larissa Chiu, Brian Greeley, Christina B. Jones, Beverley C. Larssen, Lara A. Boyd
Summary: This study examined the age-related changes in brain function and baseline brain structure that support motor skill acquisition. The findings showed that older adults experienced decreases in functional connectivity during motor skill acquisition, while younger adults experienced increases. Additionally, regardless of age group, lower baseline microstructure in a frontoparietal tract was associated with slower motor skill acquisition.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2024)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Karen Nuytemans, Farid Rajabli, Melissa Jean-Francois, Jiji Thulaseedhara Kurup, Larry D. Adams, Takiyah D. Starks, Patrice L. Whitehead, Brian W. Kunkle, Allison Caban-Holt, Jonathan L. Haines, Michael L. Cuccaro, Jeffery M. Vance, Goldie S. Byrd, Gary W. Beecham, Christiane Reitz, Margaret A. Pericak-Vance
Summary: This study conducted genetic research on African American AD families and identified a significant linkage signal associated with AD, highlighting the importance of diverse population-level genetic data in understanding the genetic determinants of AD.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2024)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Kazuya Suwabe, Ryuta Kuwamizu, Kazuki Hyodo, Toru Yoshikawa, Takeshi Otsuki, Asako Zempo-Miyaki, Michael A. Yassa, Hideaki Soya
Summary: Physical exercise has a positive impact on hippocampal memory decline with aging. Recent studies have shown that even light exercise can improve memory and this improvement is mediated by the ascending arousal system. This study aimed to investigate the effects of light-intensity exercise on hippocampal memory function in healthy older adults and found that pupil dilation during exercise played a role in the memory improvement.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2024)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Ajay Sood, Ana Werneck Capuano, Robert Smith Wilson, Lisa Laverne Barnes, Alifiya Kapasi, David Alan Bennett, Zoe Arvanitakis
Summary: The objective of this study was to explore the impact of metformin on cognition and brain pathology. The results showed that metformin users had slower decline in global cognition, episodic memory, and semantic memory compared to non-users. However, the relationship between metformin use and certain brain pathology remains uncertain.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2024)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Brian N. Lee, Junwen Wang, Molly A. Hall, Dokyoon Kim, Shana D. Stites, Li Shen
Summary: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory and functional impairments. This study analyzed participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and found differential associations between cerebral spinal fluid (CSF)/neuroimaging biomarkers and cognitive/functional outcomes, as well as variations between sexes. These findings suggest that sex differences may play a role in the development of AD.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2024)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Madeline R. Hale, Rebecca Langhough, Lianlian Du, Bruce P. Hermann, Carol A. Van Hulle, Margherita Carboni, Gwendlyn Kollmorgenj, Kristin E. Basche, Davide Bruno, Leah Sanson-Miles, Erin M. Jonaitis, Nathaniel A. Chin, Ozioma C. Okonkwo, Barbara B. Bendlin, Cynthia M. Carlsson, Henrik Zetterberg, Kaj Blennow, Tobey J. Betthauser, Sterling C. Johnson, Kimberly D. Mueller
Summary: This study demonstrates a relationship between cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers and the ability to recall proper names in the preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2024)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Thomas T. Austin, Christian L. Thomas, Ben Warren
Summary: This study investigated the effects of age on the robustness and resilience of auditory system using the desert locust. The researchers found that gene expression changes were mainly influenced by age rather than noise exposure. Both young and aged locusts were able to recover their auditory nerve function within 48 hours of noise exposure, but the recovery of transduction current magnitude was impaired in aged locusts. Key genes responsible for robustness to noise exposure in young locusts and potential candidates for compensatory mechanisms in auditory neurons of aged locusts were identified.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING
(2024)