Article
Clinical Neurology
Margaux Teil, Sandra Dovero, Mathieu Bourdenx, Marie-Laure Arotcarena, Sandrine Camus, Gregory Porras, Marie-Laure Thiolat, Ines Trigo-Damas, Celine Perier, Cristina Estrada, Nuria Garcia-Carrillo, Michele Morari, Wassilios G. Meissner, Maria Trinidad Herrero, Miquel Vila, Jose A. Obeso, Erwan Bezard, Benjamin Dehay
Summary: Synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy, are characterized by the deposit of alpha-synuclein aggregates in neurons and glial cells. A study found that inoculating brain fractions containing glial cytoplasmic inclusions from multiple system atrophy patients into non-human primates resulted in neurodegeneration, oligodendrocyte loss, demyelination, neuroinflammation and alpha-synuclein pathology. These findings suggest the potential use of this experimental model for multiple system atrophy research and therapy development.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Teresa Torre-Muruzabal, Anke van der Perren, Audrey Coens, Geraldine Gelders, Anna Barber Janer, Sara Camacho-Garcia, Therese Klingstedt, Peter Nilsson, Nadia Stefanova, Ronald Melki, Veerle Baekelandt, Wouter Peelaerts
Summary: This study found that the progression of multiple system atrophy is influenced by different types of alpha Syn strains. Alpha Syn strains impact disease progression through oligodendroglial, neurotoxic, and immune-related mechanisms, leading to neurodegeneration and brain atrophy. The activation of microglial cells is associated with the structural features of alpha Syn strains.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kurt A. Jellinger, Gregor K. Wenning, Nadia Stefanova
Summary: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease with a complex clinical presentation. It shares molecular similarities with Parkinson's disease but presents unique pathological features. The debate over whether it should be classified as a prion disease or its potential human transmission remains unresolved.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Jeswinder Sian-Hulsmann, Peter Riederer
Summary: Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) and Parkinson's diseases (PD) are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the accumulation of protein a-synuclein. Oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and various pathological processes contribute to the progression of these diseases. The different types of a-synuclein inclusions, glial cytoplasmic inclusions in MSA and Lewy bodies in PD, may be related to the etiology of the illnesses. The understanding of triggers and progression factors is crucial for developing disease modification strategies.
JOURNAL OF NEURAL TRANSMISSION
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Takashi Ando, Yuichi Riku, Akio Akagi, Hiroaki Miyahara, Mitsuaki Hirano, Toshimasa Ikeda, Hiroyuki Yabata, Ryuichi Koizumi, Chisato Oba, Saori Morozumi, Keizo Yasui, Atsuko Goto, Taiji Katayama, Satoko Sakakibara, Ikuko Aiba, Motoko Sakai, Masaaki Konagaya, Keiko Mori, Yasuhiro Ito, Hiroyuki Yuasa, Masayo Nomura, Kristine Joyce L. Porto, Jun Mitsui, Shoji Tsuji, Maya Mimuro, Yoshio Hashizume, Masahisa Katsuno, Yasushi Iwasaki, Mari Yoshida
Summary: In this study, MSA patients with prominent hippocampal involvement showed specific demographic and clinical characteristics. The severe hippocampal pathology seen in these patients suggests a potential pathological variant of MSA characterized by neuronal alpha-synucleinopathy.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesco De Nuccio, Marianna Kashyrina, Francesca Serinelli, Florent Laferriere, Dario Domenico Lofrumento, Francesca De Giorgi, Francois Ichas
Summary: alpha-Synucleinopathies are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the accumulation of insoluble alpha-Synuclein fibrils. These fibrils can form Lewy bodies in somata and Lewy neurites in neuronal processes. In multiple system atrophy, alpha-Synuclein aggregates are found in mature oligodendrocytes, but the origin of these aggregates is still unknown.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yasuo Miki, Kunikazu Tanji, Kana Shinnai, Makoto T. Tanaka, Firat Altay, Sandrine C. Foti, Catherine Strand, Takanori Sasaki, Tomoya Kon, Shuji Shimoyama, Tomonori Furukawa, Haruo Nishijima, Hiromi Yamazaki, Yasmine T. Asi, Conceicao Bettencourt, Zane Jaunmuktane, Mari Tada, Fumiaki Mori, Hiroki Mizukami, Masahiko Tomiyama, Hilal A. Lashuel, Tammaryn Lashley, Akiyoshi Kakita, Helen Ling, Andrew J. Lees, Janice L. Holton, Thomas T. Warner, Koichi Wakabayashi
Summary: This study investigated how abnormal alpha-synuclein in the hippocampus leads to memory impairment in multiple system atrophy (MSA). The results suggest that increased alpha-synuclein oligomers may be a pathological cause of memory impairment in MSA.
NEUROPATHOLOGY AND APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Jen-Hsiang T. Hsiao, Onur Tanglay, Anne A. Li, Aysha Y. G. Strobbe, Woojin Scott Kim, Glenda M. Halliday, YuHong Fu
Summary: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a debilitating movement disorder with unknown etiology. It presents with characteristic parkinsonism and/or cerebellar dysfunction due to deterioration in specific brain regions. The early pathological events and development mechanisms of MSA are reviewed, focusing on the involvement of oligodendrocyte lineage cells and alpha-synuclein. This understanding will guide future research in MSA.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Antonio Heras-Garvin, Violetta Refolo, Claudio Schmidt, Katja Malfertheiner, Gregor K. Wenning, Margaret Bradbury, David Stamler, Nadia Stefanova
Summary: The study demonstrated the disease-modifying effect of ATH434 in a mouse model of MSA, showing neuroprotection of nigral and striatal neurons, reduction of alpha-syn aggregates, and enhanced lysosomal activity of microglia without inducing inflammation.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jose-Alberto Palma, Jose Martinez, Patricio Millar Vernetti, Thong Ma, Miguel A. Perez, Judy Zhong, Yingzhi Qian, Suman Dutta, Katherine N. Maina, Ibrar Siddique, Gal Bitan, Benjamin Ades-Aron, Timothy M. Shepherd, Un J. Kang, Horacio Kaufmann
Summary: The efficacy and safety of sirolimus in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) were investigated in this study. The results showed that sirolimus treatment for 48 weeks was futile in slowing the progression of MSA and had no effect on biomarkers compared to placebo. Changes in blood neurofilament light chain (NfL) and whole brain atrophy were identified as promising biomarkers of disease progression for future clinical trials.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Conceicao Bettencourt, Yasuo Miki, Ignazio S. Piras, Rohan de Silva, Sandrine C. Foti, Joshua S. Talboom, Tamas Revesz, Tammaryn Lashley, Robert Balazs, Emmanuelle Vire, Thomas T. Warner, Matt J. Huentelman, Janice L. Holton
Summary: This study identified a correlation between DNA methylation status and mRNA levels of MOBP and HIP1 in MSA, suggesting their potential roles in the pathogenesis of the disease. The study also found differences in the relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression levels of HIP1 in MSA compared to healthy controls. Additionally, MOBP and HIP1 were found to be mislocalized into the GCIs in MSA, indicating their involvement in the disease process.
NEUROPATHOLOGY AND APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Linbo Wang, Cheng Zhou, Wei Zhang, Minming Zhang, Wei Cheng, Jianfeng Feng
Summary: This study investigated the relationships between cortical and subcortical mean diffusivity (MD), clinical progression, and fluid biomarkers in Parkinson's disease (PD). The results showed significant associations between MD values and the annual rate of changes in clinical scores. MD was also correlated with levels of various fluid biomarkers. These findings suggest that microstructural properties could be useful for stratifying PD patients with fast clinical progression.
Article
Clinical Neurology
M. Carmona-Abellan, R. Del Pino, A. Murueta-Goyena, M. Acera, B. Tijero, K. Berganzo, I. Gabilondo, J. C. Gomez-Esteban
Summary: This study aims to describe the features of multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients in detail using the Unified MSA Rating Scale (UMSARS), structural and functional imaging, and cardiovascular autonomic testing. The results show that UMSARS is useful for follow-up and assessing the risk of poor outcome. The neuropathological diagnosis reveals overlapping features between parkinsonian and cerebellar subtypes of MSA, but also some peculiarities that help distinguish it from other subtypes. A better description of MSA features with standardized tests and neuropathological studies can increase sensitivity.
Article
Cell Biology
Berkiye Sonustun, Melek Firat Altay, Catherine Strand, Kirsten Ebanks, Geshanthi Hondhamuni, Thomas T. Warner, Hilal A. Lashuel, Rina Bandopadhyay
Summary: The predominant post-translational modifications of alpha-synuclein in the pathological process of idiopathic Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy were found to be phosphorylation and nitration, with phosphorylated alpha-synuclein being the earliest and most abundant form. These findings may have implications for the development of novel biomarkers and therapeutic approaches.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Sara A. M. Holec, Jisoo Lee, Abby Oehler, Felicia K. Ooi, Daniel A. Mordes, Steven H. Olson, Stanley B. Prusiner, Amanda L. Woerman
Summary: This study demonstrates that MSA prions can transmit neurological disease to mice expressing wild-type SNCA in a sex-dependent manner. The transmission of MSA prions shows distinct biological activities compared to the transmission of WT preformed fibrils.
ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Jon B. Toledo, Carla Abdelnour, Rimona S. Weil, Daniel Ferreira, Federico Rodriguez-Porcel, Andrea Pilotto, Kathryn A. Wyman-Chick, Michel J. Grothe, Joseph P. M. Kane, Angela Taylor, Arvid Rongve, Sonja Scholz, James B. Leverenz, Bradley F. Boeve, Dag Aarsland, Ian G. McKeith, Simon Lewis, Iracema Leroi, John P. Taylor
Summary: Dementia with Le bodies (DLB) is clinically characterized by visual hallucinations, fluctuations, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavioral disorder, and parkinsonism. However, neuropathological studies have shown the coexistence of Alzheimer's disease, TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), and cerebrovascular pathologies in DLB cases. These co-pathologies should be taken into consideration in clinical trials for DLB individuals.
ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Kimberley J. Billingsley, Jinhui Ding, Pilar Alvarez Jerez, Anastasia Illarionova, Kristin Levine, Francis P. Grenn, Mary B. Makarious, Anni Moore, Daniel Vitale, Xylena Reed, Dena Hernandez, Ali Torkamani, Mina Ryten, John Hardy, Ruth W. Chia, Sonja J. Scholz, Bryan L. Traynor, Clifton J. Dalgard, Debra Ehrlich, Toshiko Tanaka, Luigi G. Ferrucci, Thomas E. Beach, Geidy P. Serrano, John J. Quinn, Vivien Bubb, Ryan L. Collins, Xuefang Zhao, Mark Walker, Emma Pierce-Hoffman, Harrison E. Brand, Michael Talkowski, Bradford Casey, Mark R. Cookson, Androo A. Markham, Mike Nalls, Medhat Mahmoud, Fritz J. Sedlazeck, Cornelis Blauwendraat, J. Raphael B. Gibbs, Andrew Singleton
Summary: By studying the genetic factors of Parkinson's disease, three structural variants associated with the risk of the disease have been discovered. This is the most comprehensive study to date of the contribution of structural variants to the genetic risk of Parkinson's disease.
ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Matteo Zanovello, Kristina Ibanez, Anna-Leigh Brown, Prasanth Sivakumar, Alessandro Bombaci, Liana Santos, Joke J. F. A. van Vugt, Giuseppe Narzisi, Ramita Karra, Sonja W. Scholz, Jinhui Ding, J. Raphael Gibbs, Adriano Chio, Clifton Dalgard, Ben Weisburd, Michael G. Hanna, Linda Greensmith, Hemali Phatnani, Jan H. Veldink, Bryan J. Traynor, James Polke, Henry Houlden, Pietro Fratta, Arianna Tucci
Summary: The researchers established a method to detect AR CAG expansions and found a higher mutation frequency than previously reported, possibly due to underdiagnosis or pleomorphic manifestations. This mutation causes spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, a male-specific progressive neuromuscular disorder.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Mary B. Makarious, Julie Lake, Vanessa Pitz, Allen Ye Fu, Joseph L. Guidubaldi, Caroline Warly Solsberg, Sara Bandres-Ciga, Hampton L. Leonard, Jonggeol Jeffrey Kim, Kimberley J. Billingsley, Francis P. Grenn, Pilar Alvarez Jerez, Chelsea X. Alvarado, Hirotaka Iwaki, Michael Ta, Dan Vitale, Dena Hernandez, Ali Torkamani, Mina Ryten, John Hardy, Sonja W. UK Brain Expression Consortium UKBEC, Sonja W. Scholz, Bryan J. Traynor, Clifton L. Dalgard, Debra J. Ehrlich, Toshiko Tanaka, Luigi Ferrucci, Thomas G. Beach, Geidy E. Serrano, Raquel Real, Huw R. Morris, Jinhui Ding, J. Raphael Gibbs, Andrew B. Singleton, Mike A. Nalls, Tushar Bhangale, Cornelis Blauwendraat
Summary: Parkinson's disease has a strong hereditary component, with over 90 disease-associated common variants identified through genome-wide association studies. However, there is a lack of large-scale rare variant analyses for this disease. To address this, a study investigated the rare genetic component of Parkinson's disease using whole genome and whole exome sequencing data. Several genes were identified, including previously implicated risk factors GBA1 and LRRK2, as well as potential novel risk associations. This is the largest analysis of rare genetic variants in Parkinson's disease to date.
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Richard A. Hickman, Sonja W. Scholz
Article
Clinical Neurology
Thomas Payne, Matthew Appleby, Ellen Buckley, Linda M. A. van Gelder, Benjamin H. H. Mullish, Matilde Sassani, Mark J. J. Dunning, Dena Hernandez, Sonja W. W. Scholz, Alisdair McNeill, Vincenzo Libri, Sarah Moll, Julian R. R. Marchesi, Rosie Taylor, Li Su, Claudia Mazza, Thomas M. M. Jenkins, Thomas Foltynie, Oliver Bandmann
Summary: The study demonstrated that high-dose UDCA is safe and well tolerated in early PD patients. P-31-MRS results showed improved ATP hydrolysis in the midbrain of the UDCA treatment group, and sensor-based gait analysis indicated possible improvement in gait parameters. Larger trials are necessary to further evaluate the disease-modifying effect of UDCA in PD.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Nabila Ali, Vanessa Nesspor, Jee Bang, Sonja W. Scholz, Alexander Pantelyat
Summary: This study investigated the correlation between the MSA-QoL and UMSARS to determine factors that impact the quality of life of patients with MSA. It found significant correlations between MSA-QoL total score and UMSARS Part I subtotal scores, suggesting that functional status is closely related to patient-reported quality of life. However, the study also highlighted that MSA-QoL life satisfaction rating did not significantly correlate with any UMSARS item, indicating potential limitations of the assessment. Further analysis using larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are needed, as well as potential modifications to the UMSARS. Overall, the study received a rating of 8 out of 10.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Correction
Neurosciences
Regina H. Reynolds, Aaron Z. Wagen, Frida Lona-Durazo, Sonja W. Scholz, Maryam Shoai, John Hardy, Sarah A. Gagliano Taliun, Mina Ryten
NPJ PARKINSONS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Regina H. Reynolds, Aaron Z. Wagen, Frida Lona-Durazo, Sonja W. Scholz, Maryam Shoai, John Hardy, Sarah A. Gagliano Taliun, Mina Ryten
Summary: Genetic correlation (r(g)) can provide insights into shared biological mechanisms. Neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases have minimal global r(g), but local r(g) can exist. Applying LAVA, researchers found local r(g) between several neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases, highlighting potential common therapeutic targets.
NPJ PARKINSONS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Mikhail Kolmogorov, Kimberley J. Billingsley, Mira Mastoras, Melissa Meredith, Jean Monlong, Ryan Lorig-Roach, Mobin Asri, Pilar Alvarez Jerez, Laksh Malik, Ramita Dewan, Xylena Reed, Rylee M. Genner, Kensuke Daida, Sairam Behera, Kishwar Shafin, Trevor Pesout, Jeshuwin Prabakaran, Paolo Carnevali, Jianzhi Yang, Arang Rhie, Sonja W. Scholz, Bryan J. Traynor, Karen H. Miga, Miten Jain, Winston Timp, Adam M. Phillippy, Mark Chaisson, Fritz J. Sedlazeck, Cornelis Blauwendraat, Benedict Paten
Summary: A new long-read sequencing protocol, Napu, has been developed and successfully applied to cell lines and brain tissue samples. With this protocol, single nucleotide polymorphisms can be detected in a single PromethION flow cell with comparable F1-score to Illumina short-read sequencing. While small indel calling remains challenging within homopolymers and tandem repeats, it achieves good concordance elsewhere.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Eric Yu, Lynne A. Krohn, Jennifer Ruskey, Farnaz Asayesh, Dan Spiegelman, Zalak Shah, Ruth Chia, Isabelle Arnulf, Michele T. M. Y. Hu, Jacques Montplaisir, Jean-Francois Gagnon, Alex Desautels, Yves Dauvilliers, Gian Luigi Gigli, Mariarosaria Valente, Francesco Janes, Andrea Bernardini, Birgit Hoegl, Ambra Stefani, Abubaker Ibrahim, Anna Heidbreder, Karel Sonka, Petr Dusek, David Kemlink, Wolfgang Oertel, Annette Janzen, Giuseppe Plazzi, Elena Antelmi, Michela Figorilli, Monica Puligheddu, Brit Mollenhauer, Claudia Trenkwalder, Friederike Sixel-Doering, Valerie Cochen De Cock, Luigi Ferini-Strambi, Femke Dijkstra, Mineke Viaene, Beatriz F. Abril, Bradley A. Boeve, Guy B. Rouleau, Ronald W. Postuma, Sonja Scholz, Ziv Gan-Or
Summary: This study found that the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) locus may play a role in synucleinopathies-related disorders such as isolated/idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD). The results showed that HLA-DRB1*11:01 was the only allele passing FDR correction in iRBD. Associations were also discovered between iRBD and HLA-DRB1 70D, 70Q, and 71R. Positions 70 and 71 were linked to iRBD. These findings suggest that the HLA locus may have different roles in various synucleinopathies.
ANNALS OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Makayla Portley, Carolyn Sherer, Tianxia Wu, Jennifer Farren, Laura E. Danielian, Sonja W. Scholz, Bryan J. Traynor, Michael E. Ward, Taryn Haselhuhn, Allison Snyder, Justin Y. Kwan
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between decisional capacity and executive function in neurodegenerative disorders. It finds that a decrease in executive function scores is associated with impaired decisional capacity. Frontotemporal dementia patients show the highest impairment in executive function, while amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients show the least impairment.
ANNALS OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Frida Lona-Durazo, Regina H. H. Reynolds, Sonja W. W. Scholz, Mina Ryten, Sarah A. Gagliano A. Taliun
Summary: Comprehensive analysis of GWAS summary statistic and gene expression data reveals significant regional correlations between different neurodegenerative diseases and single-cell immune-related eQTLs. This study systematically assesses the role of the immune system in five neurodegenerative diseases by estimating regional genetic correlations with immune-cell-derived single-cell expression quantitative trait loci (sc-eQTLs). The findings highlight potential risk genes and improve our understanding of the immune component of neurodegeneration, which could lead to the repurposing of existing immunotherapies.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Thomas Payne, Toby Burgess, Stephen Bradley, Sarah Roscoe, Matilde Sassani, Mark J. Dunning, Dena Hernandez, Sonja Scholz, Alisdair McNeill, Rosie Taylor, Li Su, Iain Wilkinson, Thomas Jenkins, Heather Mortiboys, Oliver Bandmann
Summary: This study characterized bioenergetic dysfunction in Parkinson's disease using a multimodal approach, and found impaired mitophagy and mitochondrial uncoupling in patient-derived fibroblasts. The study also revealed abnormal phosphocreatine levels and implicated a link between impaired mitophagy and impaired striatal energy homeostasis in early Parkinson's disease.
Article
Cell Biology
Karri Kaivola, Ruth Chia, Jinhui Ding, Memoona Rasheed, Masashi Fujita, Vilas Menon, Ronald L. Walton, Ryan L. Collins, Kimberley Billingsley, Harrison Brand, Michael Talkowski, Xuefang Zhao, Ramita Dewan, Ali Stark, Anindita Ray, Sultana Solaiman, Pilar Alvarez Jerez, Laksh Malik, Ted M. Dawson, Liana S. Rosenthal, Marilyn S. Albert, Olga Pletnikova, Juan C. Troncoso, Mario Maselis, Julia Keith, Eric Int LBD Genomics Consortium, Ali Int ALS FTD Consortium, Pentti PROSPECT Consortium, Toshiko Tanaka, Eric Topol, Ali Torkamani, Pentti Tienari, Tatiana M. Foroud, Bernardino Ghetti, John E. Landers, Mina Rtyen, Huw R. Morris, John A. Hardy, Letizia Mazzini, Sandra D'Alfonso, Cristina Moglia, Andrea Calvo, Geidy E. Serrano, Thomas G. Beach, Tanis Ferman, Neill R. Graff-Radford, Bradley F. Boeve, Zbigniew K. Wszolek, Dennis W. Dickson, Adriano Chio, David A. Bennett, Philip L. De Jager, Owen A. Ross, Clifton L. Dalgard, J. Raphael Gibbs, Bryan J. Traynor, Sonja W. Scholz
Summary: This study characterized the role of structural variants in Lewy body dementia (LBD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD)/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The researchers discovered a novel risk locus for LBD and found associations between known structural variants and FTD/ALS. Rare pathogenic structural variants were also identified in both LBD and FTD/ALS. The study provides a catalog of structural variants for further understanding of the pathogenesis of these forms of dementia.
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)
