Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Junyan Huo, Gan Zhang, Wenjing Wang, Wen Cao, Mengxia Wan, Tao Huang, Dongsheng Fan, Yu Fu
Summary: In this study, the bidirectional causal relationship between migraine and white matter lesions was explored using a two-sample mendelian randomization method. The analysis of a recent large-scale genome-wide association study data did not provide evidence for causality between white matter lesions and migraine.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Fang Yi, Mengfei Cai, Mina A. Jacob, Jose Marques, David G. Norris, Marco Duering, Anil M. Tuladhar, Frank-Erik de Leeuw
Summary: This study investigated the spatial distribution pattern and MRI predictors of incident lacunes in relation to white matter hyperintensity (WMH) in sporadic small vessel disease. The results suggest that the different distribution patterns of lacunes in relation to WMH may imply distinct underlying mechanisms, possibly linked to the pathophysiology of WMH.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Ruiting Zhang, Peiyu Huang, Shuyue Wang, Yeerfan Jiaerken, Hui Hong, Yao Zhang, Xinfeng Yu, Min Lou, Minming Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the association between cerebral blood flow (CBF) and arterial transit with white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and lacunes in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). The results showed that both CBF derived from two post-labeling delay times (PLDs) were associated with WMH volume and the presence of lacune. Additionally, delta CBF was correlated with WMH volume but not the presence of lacune. This suggests that delayed arterial transit has an independent effect on WMH.
FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Lingling Ding, Bo Hou, Jie Zang, Tong Su, Feng Feng, Zhaohui Zhu, Bin Peng
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between angiogenesis and WMH penumbra in patients with WMHs, and found evidence of angiogenesis occurring in the WMH penumbra. Further studies are needed to verify the effect of angiogenesis on WMH growth.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Valentina Bordin, Ilaria Bertani, Irene Mattioli, Vaanathi Sundaresan, Paul McCarthy, Sana Suri, Eniko Zsoldos, Nicola Filippini, Abda Mahmood, Luca Melazzini, Maria Marcella Lagana, Giovanna Zamboni, Archana Singh-Manoux, Mika Kivimaki, Klaus P. Ebmeier, Giuseppe Baselli, Mark Jenkinson, Clare E. Mackay, Eugene P. Duff, Ludovica Griffanti
Summary: This study explores the harmonization of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) measures across two major studies of healthy elderly populations, using preprocessing strategies and multivariate regression to reduce dataset differences and provide highly calibrated results.
Article
Neurosciences
Wasim Khan, Mohamed Salah Khlif, Remika Mito, Thijs Dhollander, Amy Brodtmann
Summary: Advanced diffusion MRI was used to assess microstructural properties of normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) before it converted to white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in ischemic stroke. The study found that NAWM converting to WMHs already exhibited changes in tissue compositions, with lower white matter-like and increased fluid-like and gray matter-like properties compared to persistent NAWM. Furthermore, the microstructural compositions were related to overall WMH burden, indicating greater fluid-like properties in NAWM vulnerable to WMH development.
Article
Sport Sciences
Stanley Hughwa Hung, Mohamed Salah Khlif, Sharon Kramer, Emilio Werden, Laura J. Bird, Bruce C. V. Campbell, Amy Brodtmann
Summary: This study aimed to examine the association between poststroke physical activity (PA) and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) volume. The results showed that meeting PA guidelines was associated with lower WMH volume in univariable analysis. However, in multivariable analysis, meeting PA guidelines was not associated with WMH volume, while older age was associated with greater WMH volume.
MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Vaanathi Sundaresan, Giovanna Zamboni, Peter M. Rothwell, Mark Jenkinson, Ludovica Griffanti
Summary: In this study, an ensemble triplanar network was proposed for automated segmentation of white matter hyperintensities on brain MR images, resulting in accurate segmentation by incorporating anatomical information in loss functions. Evaluation on multiple datasets showed robust performance in both deep and periventricular regions, outperforming existing methods and comparable to top deep learning methods.
MEDICAL IMAGE ANALYSIS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Michele Porcu, Luigi Cocco, Sirio Cocozza, Giuseppe Pontillo, Annunziata Operamolla, Giovanni Defazio, Jasjit S. Suri, Arturo Brunetti, Luca Saba
Summary: The study found statistically significant correlations between white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and cognitive test scores, as well as an association between total WMH burden (tWMHb) and reduced neural activity in various brain regions, particularly the prefrontal cortex, precuneus, and cerebellar crus I/II. This suggests that WMH burden is linked to impairments in neurocognitive function among healthy individuals.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Emanuel M. Boutzoukas, Andrew O'Shea, Alejandro Albizu, Nicole D. Evangelista, Hanna K. Hausman, Jessica N. Kraft, Emily J. Van Etten, Pradyumna K. Bharadwaj, Samantha G. Smith, Hyun Song, Eric C. Porges, Alex Hishaw, Steven T. DeKosky, Samuel S. Wu, Michael Marsiske, Gene E. Alexander, Ronald Cohen, Adam J. Woods
Summary: The decline of frontal lobe structures is faster in older adults and is associated with poorer executive function. Research on the effects of frontal lobe white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on executive function in normal aging is relatively limited. The study shows that the location and pattern of frontal WMH may be important for understanding age-related differences in cognitive functions.
FRONTIERS IN AGING NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Isabel Hotz, Pascal Frederic Deschwanden, Franziskus Liem, Susan Merillat, Brigitta Malagurski, Spyros Kollias, Lutz Jaencke
Summary: In this study, three algorithms for WMH extraction in older adults were compared and validated, with UBO Detector performing the best in 2D FLAIR images and showing very high associations with Fazekas scores. Meanwhile, FreeSurfer had lower Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) and weaker correlations with Fazekas scores.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Fan Huang, Peng Xia, Varut Vardhanabhuti, Sai-Kam Hui, Kui-Kai Lau, Henry Ka-Fung Mak, Peng Cao
Summary: This study proposed a new loss function called level-set loss (LSLoss) for cerebral white matter hyperintensities segmentation. By training a V-Net using MRI images, the method achieved high dice similarity coefficients on various testing sets.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Gemma Sole-Guardia, Emma Custers, Arthur de Lange, Elyne Clijncke, Bram Geenen, Jose Gutierrez, Benno Kusters, Jurgen A. H. R. Claassen, Frank-Erik De Leeuw, Maximilian Wiesmann, Amanda J. Kiliaan
Summary: Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), including white matter hyperintensities (WMH), is the major vascular cause of dementia. Chronic hypertension and neuroinflammation are recognized as important risk factors for SVD and the conversion of normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) to WMH. This study investigated the impact of hypertension on perivascular- and neuroinflammation in WMH and NAWM using high field brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and (immuno-)histopathological staining. The findings suggest that neurovascular inflammation plays a critical role in the etiology of WMH, and future therapeutic strategies targeting hypertension and neuroinflammation may ameliorate WMH progression.
ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Maria del C. Valdes Hernandez, Tara Grimsley-Moore, Eleni Sakka, Michael J. Thrippleton, Francesca M. Chappell, Paul A. Armitage, Stephen Makin, Joanna M. Wardlaw
Summary: Research has shown a correlation between the volume of white matter hyperintensities and the number of lacunes in patients with lacunar strokes, while the location of recent small subcortical infarcts may affect the spatial distribution and evolution of the white matter hyperintensities. Vascular risk factors such as hypertension and smoking could further influence the relationship between these different brain lesions.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Dan Laukka, Riitta Parkkola, Jussi Hirvonen, Pauli Ylikotila, Tero Vahlberg, Eeva Salo, Juri Kivelev, Jaakko Rinne, Melissa Rahi
Summary: This study found that childhood Kawasaki disease may be associated with an increased burden of white matter hyperintensities in adulthood. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Lyduine E. Collij, Gill Farrar, David Vallez Garcia, Ilona Bader, Mahnaz Shekari, Luigi Lorenzini, Hugh Pemberton, Daniele Altomare, Sandra Pla, Mery Loor, Pawel Markiewicz, Maqsood Yaqub, Christopher Buckley, Giovanni B. Frisoni, Agneta Nordberg, Pierre Payoux, Andrew Stephens, Rossella Gismondi, Pieter Jelle Visser, Lisa Ford, Mark Schmidt, Cindy Birck, Jean Georges, Anja Mett, Zuzana Walker, Merce Boada, Alexander Drzezga, Rik Vandenberghe, Bernard Hanseeuw, Frank Jessen, Michael Scholl, Craig Ritchie, Isadora Lopes Alves, Juan Domingo Gispert, Frederik Barkhof, AMYPAD Consortium
Summary: Amyloid Imaging to Prevent Alzheimer's Disease (AMYPAD) consortium aims to provide evidence on the clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging in AD diagnosis and support clinical trial design. AMYPAD has contributed significantly to understanding of amyloid deposition in the brain and improving measurement methodology. Future steps include integrating and curating available clinical data for wider scientific access.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Floor C. Loonstra, Lodewijk R. J. de Ruiter, Marleen J. A. Koel-Simmelink, Menno M. Schoonheim, Eva M. M. Strijbis, Bastiaan Moraal, Frederik Barkhof, Bernard M. J. Uitdehaag, Charlotte Teunissen, Joep Killestein
Summary: This study explores the association between novel blood biomarkers (sNfL, sGFAP, and sCNTN1) and disability outcome measures and MRI volumes in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The results indicate that sNfL and sGFAP are associated with disease progression, while sCNTN1 is not related to clinical or MRI measures.
NEUROLOGY-NEUROIMMUNOLOGY & NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Heinz Wiendl, Klaus Schmierer, Suzanne Hodgkinson, Tobias Derfuss, Andrew Chan, Finn Sellebjerg, Anat Achiron, Xavier Montalban, Alexandre Prat, Nicola De Stefano, Frederik Barkhof, Letizia Leocani, Patrick Vermersch, Anita Chudecka, Claire Mwape, Kristina H. Holmberg, Ursula Boschert, Sanjeev Roy, MAGNIFY-MS Study Grp
Summary: Cladribine tablets cause a reduction in lymphocytes, with a predominant effect on B-cell and T-cell counts. The MAGNIFY-MS substudy reports the dynamic changes on multiple peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) subtypes and immunoglobulin (Ig) levels over 12 months after the first course of cladribine tablets in patients with highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS).
NEUROLOGY-NEUROIMMUNOLOGY & NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Anna Inguanzo, Konstantinos Poulakis, Rosaleena Mohanty, Christopher G. Schwarz, Scott A. Przybelski, Patricia Diaz-Galvan, Val J. Lowe, Bradley F. Boeve, Afina W. Lemstra, Marleen van de Beek, Wiesje van der Flier, Frederik Barkhof, Frederic Blanc, Paulo Loureiro de Sousa, Nathalie Philippi, Benjamin Cretin, Catherine Demuynck, Zuzana Nedelska, Jakub Hort, Barbara Segura, Carme Junque, Ketil Oppedal, Dag Aarsland, Eric Westman, Kejal Kantarci, Daniel Ferreira
Summary: Using MRI data, we identified three subtypes of Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB): older subtype with reduced cortical GM volumes and worse cognition, subtype with low GM volumes in fronto-occipital regions, and a younger subtype with the highest cortical GM volumes, lower GM volumes in basal ganglia, and cognitive fluctuations. These subtypes have implications for clinical practice, research, and treatment decisions.
NPJ PARKINSONS DISEASE
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Ariane G. Bollack, Hugh G. E. Pemberton, Lyduine E. Collij, Pawel M. Markiewicz, David M. Cash, Gill Farrar, Frederik Barkhof
Summary: This review summarizes the current design and methodologies of longitudinal PET studies, utilizing positron emission tomography to quantify amyloid and tau pathology. The intrinsic variability of AD protein load over time and technical factors contributing to PET measurement uncertainty are detailed. Suggestions for mitigating these factors, including leveraging shared information between serial scans, are provided.
ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Liu Shi, Jin Xu, Rebecca Green, Asger Wretlind, Jan Homann, Noel J. Buckley, Betty M. Tijms, Stephanie J. B. Vos, Christina M. Lill, Mara ten Kate, Sebastiaan Engelborghs, Kristel Sleegers, Giovanni B. Frisoni, Anders Wallin, Alberto Lleo, Julius Popp, Pablo Martinez-Lage, Johannes Streffer, Frederik Barkhof, Henrik Zetterberg, Pieter Jelle Visser, Simon Lovestone, Lars Bertram, Alejo J. Nevado-Holgado, Petroula Proitsi, Cristina Legido-Quigley
Summary: This study employed an integrative system and causal inference approach to explore molecular signatures in blood and CSF, the AT(N) framework, MCI conversion to AD, and genetic risk for AD. Using the EMIF-AD cohort, the researchers measured proteins and metabolites in blood and CSF, as well as genotyped whole-blood samples. They found associations between AT(N) framework and protein/lipid hubs, and identified Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 7 as a potential causative factor for AD.
ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Emma M. Coomans, Jori Tomassen, Rik Ossenkoppele, Betty M. Tijms, Luigi Lorenzini, Mara ten Kate, Lyduine E. Collij, Fiona Heeman, Roos M. Rikken, Sophie M. van der Landen, Marijke E. den Hollander, Sandeep S. Golla, Maqsood Yaqub, Albert D. Windhorst, Frederik Barkhof, Philip Scheltens, Eco J. C. de Geus, Pieter Jelle Visser, Bart N. M. van Berckel, Anouk den Braber
Summary: The amyloid cascade hypothesis has played a significant role in Alzheimer's disease research and clinical trial designs. This study investigated the relationship between amyloid-beta and tau at the individual and twin-pair levels, aiming to rule out genetic and shared environmental effects as confounders. The findings suggest that the associations between amyloid-beta, tau, neurodegeneration, and cognition are unbiased by genetic factors, and the effects of amyloid-beta on neurodegeneration and cognitive decline are mediated by tau.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Diana I. Bocancea, Anna L. Svenningsson, Anna C. van Loenhoud, Colin Groot, Frederik Barkhof, Olof Strandberg, Ruben Smith, Renaud La Joie, Howard J. Rosen, Michael J. Pontecorvo, Gil D. Rabinovici, Wiesje M. van der Flier, Oskar Hansson, Rik Ossenkoppele
Summary: The mechanisms of resilience against tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease spectrum are not well understood. This longitudinal study investigates the factors that contribute to cognitive and brain resilience against tau pathology and finds that education is the most important determinant of resilience. However, resilience may be depleted in advanced stages of the disease.
Article
Neurosciences
Hanyi Chen, Alexandra Young, Neil P. Oxtoby, Frederik Barkhof, Daniel C. Alexander, Andre Altmann
Summary: This study examines the generalisability of data-driven Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression models using the SuStaIn algorithm. The results show consistent subtypes of atrophy in both datasets and high consistency in individuals' subtypes and stage assignments. The study also reveals associations between AD atrophy subtypes and risk factors.
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Frederik Barkhof, David S. Knopman
Summary: One puzzling observation in Alzheimer's disease therapeutic trials is that treatment with anti-amyloid-beta agents does not preserve brain volume. In a recent study, Alves et al. conducted a meta-analysis and found that these agents do not slow the rate of brain volume loss. In fact, depending on the drug class, they can even accelerate loss of whole-brain and hippocampal volume and increase ventricular volume.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Kirsten Borup Bojesen, Birte Yding Glenthoj, Anne Korning Sigvard, Karen Tangmose, Jayachandra Mitta Raghava, Bjorn Hylsebeck Ebdrup, Egill Rostrup
Summary: Resting cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in striatum and thalamus is increased in medicated patients with psychosis, but whether this is caused by treatment or illness pathology is unclear. Specifically, effects of partial dopamine agonism, sex, and clinical correlates on rCBF are sparsely investigated. The findings suggest that striatal perfusion is increased by partial dopamine agonism and decreased in female patients prior to first treatment, highlighting the importance of treatment effects and sex differences in investigating the neurobiology of psychosis.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Alberto Calvi, Zoe Mendelsohn, Weaam Hamed, Declan Chard, Carmen Tur, Jon Stutters, David MacManus, Baris Kanber, Claudia A. M. Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott, Frederik Barkhof, Ferran Prados
Summary: This study retrospectively analyzed a fingolimod trial in patients with primary progressive MS (PPMS) and found that newly appearing lesions are common and can develop into chronic active lesions. Treatment can reduce the number of these lesions.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Ariane Bollack, Pawel J. Markiewicz, Alle Meije Wink, Lloyd Prosser, Johan Lilja, Pierrick Bourgeat, Jonathan M. Schott, William Coath, Lyduine E. Collij, Hugh G. Pemberton, Gill Farrar, Frederik Barkhof, David M. Cash
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of four novel data-driven metrics against conventional techniques for quantifying amyloid-beta (Aβ) pathology. The results showed that the Aβ load, Aβ index, and CLNMF metrics can provide comparable performance to established quantification methods. These new metrics may offer more precise alternatives and further studies in larger cohorts should be conducted.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Emma M. Coomans, Lotte A. de Koning, Roos M. Rikken, Sander C. J. Verfaillie, Denise Visser, Anouk den Braber, Jori Tomassen, Marleen van de Beek, Lyduine E. Collij, Afina W. Lemstra, Albert D. Windhorst, Frederik Barkhof, Sandeep S. V. Golla, Pieter Jelle Visser, Philip Scheltens, Wiesje M. van der Flier, Rik Ossenkoppele, Bart N. M. van Berckel, Elsmarieke van de Giessen
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of the visual read method in participants along the AD continuum and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), showing excellent inter-reader agreement, strong correspondence with semiquantification, and associations with clinically relevant variables. The visual read status remained stable over a two-year follow-up period and was associated with a decline in Mini-Mental State Examination scores, indicating its reliability and prognostic potential. Future studies in unselected cohorts are needed for better generalizability to the clinical population.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Ying Jin, Dan Cheng, Yunyun Duan, Zhizheng Zhuo, Jinyuan Weng, Chengzhou Zhang, Mingwang Zhu, Xing Liu, Jiang Du, Tiantian Hua, Hongfang Li, Sven Haller, Frederik Barkhof, Yaou Liu
Summary: The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive value of the soap bubble sign on molecular subtypes of posterior fossa ependymomas (PF-EPNs). The soap bubble sign was observed in PFB cases but not in PFA cases. The findings suggest that the soap bubble sign is a highly specific imaging marker for the PFB molecular subtype of PF-EPNs.
