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Hobbs NZ, Papoutsi M, Delva A, Kinnunen KM, Nakajima M, Van Laere K, Vandenberghe W, Herath P, Scahill RI. Neuroimaging to Facilitate Clinical Trials in Huntington's Disease: Current Opinion from the EHDN Imaging Working Group. J Huntingtons Dis 2024:JHD240016. [PMID: 38788082 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-240016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Neuroimaging is increasingly being included in clinical trials of Huntington's disease (HD) for a wide range of purposes from participant selection and safety monitoring, through to demonstration of disease modification. Selection of the appropriate modality and associated analysis tools requires careful consideration. On behalf of the EHDN Imaging Working Group, we present current opinion on the utility and future prospects for inclusion of neuroimaging in HD trials. Covering the key imaging modalities of structural-, functional- and diffusion- MRI, perfusion imaging, positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and magnetoencephalography, we address how neuroimaging can be used in HD trials to: 1) Aid patient selection, enrichment, stratification, and safety monitoring; 2) Demonstrate biodistribution, target engagement, and pharmacodynamics; 3) Provide evidence for disease modification; and 4) Understand brain re-organization following therapy. We also present the challenges of translating research methodology into clinical trial settings, including equipment requirements and cost, standardization of acquisition and analysis, patient burden and invasiveness, and interpretation of results. We conclude, that with appropriate consideration of modality, study design and analysis, imaging has huge potential to facilitate effective clinical trials in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Z Hobbs
- HD Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Marina Papoutsi
- HD Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
- IXICO plc, London, UK
| | - Aline Delva
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | - Koen Van Laere
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wim Vandenberghe
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium
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2
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Labounek R, Bondy MT, Paulson AL, Bédard S, Abramovic M, Alonso-Ortiz E, Atcheson NT, Barlow LR, Barry RL, Barth M, Battiston M, Büchel C, Budde MD, Callot V, Combes A, De Leener B, Descoteaux M, de Sousa PL, Dostál M, Doyon J, Dvorak AV, Eippert F, Epperson KR, Epperson KS, Freund P, Finsterbusch J, Foias A, Fratini M, Fukunaga I, Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott CAM, Germani G, Gilbert G, Giove F, Grussu F, Hagiwara A, Henry PG, Horák T, Hori M, Joers JM, Kamiya K, Karbasforoushan H, Keřkovský M, Khatibi A, Kim JW, Kinany N, Kitzler H, Kolind S, Kong Y, Kudlička P, Kuntke P, Kurniawan ND, Kusmia S, Laganà MM, Laule C, Law CSW, Leutritz T, Liu Y, Llufriu S, Mackey S, Martin AR, Martinez-Heras E, Mattera L, O’Grady KP, Papinutto N, Papp D, Pareto D, Parrish TB, Pichiecchio A, Prados F, Rovira À, Ruitenberg MJ, Samson RS, Savini G, Seif M, Seifert AC, Smith AK, Smith SA, Smith ZA, Solana E, Suzuki Y, Tackley GW, Tinnermann A, Valošek J, Van De Ville D, Yiannakas MC, Weber KA, Weiskopf N, Wise RG, Wyss PO, Xu J, Cohen-Adad J, Lenglet C, Nestrašil I. Body size interacts with the structure of the central nervous system: A multi-center in vivo neuroimaging study. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.29.591421. [PMID: 38746371 PMCID: PMC11092490 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.29.591421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Clinical research emphasizes the implementation of rigorous and reproducible study designs that rely on between-group matching or controlling for sources of biological variation such as subject's sex and age. However, corrections for body size (i.e. height and weight) are mostly lacking in clinical neuroimaging designs. This study investigates the importance of body size parameters in their relationship with spinal cord (SC) and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) metrics. Data were derived from a cosmopolitan population of 267 healthy human adults (age 30.1±6.6 years old, 125 females). We show that body height correlated strongly or moderately with brain gray matter (GM) volume, cortical GM volume, total cerebellar volume, brainstem volume, and cross-sectional area (CSA) of cervical SC white matter (CSA-WM; 0.44≤r≤0.62). In comparison, age correlated weakly with cortical GM volume, precentral GM volume, and cortical thickness (-0.21≥r≥-0.27). Body weight correlated weakly with magnetization transfer ratio in the SC WM, dorsal columns, and lateral corticospinal tracts (-0.20≥r≥-0.23). Body weight further correlated weakly with the mean diffusivity derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in SC WM (r=-0.20) and dorsal columns (-0.21), but only in males. CSA-WM correlated strongly or moderately with brain volumes (0.39≤r≤0.64), and weakly with precentral gyrus thickness and DTI-based fractional anisotropy in SC dorsal columns and SC lateral corticospinal tracts (-0.22≥r≥-0.25). Linear mixture of sex and age explained 26±10% of data variance in brain volumetry and SC CSA. The amount of explained variance increased at 33±11% when body height was added into the mixture model. Age itself explained only 2±2% of such variance. In conclusion, body size is a significant biological variable. Along with sex and age, body size should therefore be included as a mandatory variable in the design of clinical neuroimaging studies examining SC and brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- René Labounek
- Division of Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Monica T. Bondy
- Division of Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Amy L. Paulson
- Division of Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sandrine Bédard
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mihael Abramovic
- Department of Radiology, Swiss Paraplegic Centre, Nottwil, Switzerland
| | - Eva Alonso-Ortiz
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nicole T Atcheson
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Laura R. Barlow
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Robert L. Barry
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Health Sciences & Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Markus Barth
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Marco Battiston
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, UK
| | - Christian Büchel
- Department for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Matthew D. Budde
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Clement J. Zablocki Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Virginie Callot
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRMBM, Marseille, France
- APHM, Hopital Universitaire Timone, CEMEREM, Marseille, France
| | - Anna Combes
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, UK
| | - Benjamin De Leener
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Computer Engineering and Software Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maxime Descoteaux
- Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Lab (SCIL), Computer Science department, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | | | - Marek Dostál
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Brno and Masaryk University, Czech Republic
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Julien Doyon
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Adam V. Dvorak
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Falk Eippert
- Max Planck Research Group Pain Perception, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | - Patrick Freund
- Spinal Cord Injury Center Balgrist, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jürgen Finsterbusch
- Department for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alexandru Foias
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michela Fratini
- Institute of Nanotechnology, CNR, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Neuroimaging Laboratory, Rome, Italy
| | - Issei Fukunaga
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 1-2-1, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
| | - Claudia A. M. Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, UK
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - GianCarlo Germani
- Advanced Imaging and Artificial Intelligence Center, Neuroradiology Department, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Federico Giove
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Neuroimaging Laboratory, Rome, Italy
- CREF - Museo storico della fisica e Centro studi e ricerche Enrico Fermi, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Grussu
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, UK
- Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Akifumi Hagiwara
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 1-2-1, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
| | - Pierre-Gilles Henry
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Tomáš Horák
- Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
- Multimodal and Functional Imaging Laboratory, Central European Institute of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Masaaki Hori
- Department of Radiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 1-2-1, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan
- Department of Radiology, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - James M. Joers
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kouhei Kamiya
- Department of Radiology, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haleh Karbasforoushan
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Miloš Keřkovský
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Brno and Masaryk University, Czech Republic
| | - Ali Khatibi
- Centre of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain (CPR Spine), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Centre for Human Brain Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Joo-won Kim
- Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
- Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Nawal Kinany
- Neuro-X Institute, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hagen Kitzler
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Faculty of Medicine and Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Shannon Kolind
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Division of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Yazhuo Kong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Petr Kudlička
- Multimodal and Functional Imaging Laboratory, Central European Institute of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
- First Department of Neurology, St. Anne’s University Hospital and Medical Faculty of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Paul Kuntke
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Faculty of Medicine and Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Nyoman D. Kurniawan
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | | | | | - Cornelia Laule
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Tobias Leutritz
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yaou Liu
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, China
| | - Sara Llufriu
- Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Laboratory of Advanced Imaging in Neuroimmunological Diseases (ImaginEM), Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona-IDIBAPS and Universitat de Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sean Mackey
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Allan R. Martin
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Eloy Martinez-Heras
- Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Laboratory of Advanced Imaging in Neuroimmunological Diseases (ImaginEM), Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona-IDIBAPS and Universitat de Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain
- Section of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Loan Mattera
- Fondation Campus Biotech Geneva, Genève, Switzerland
| | - Kristin P. O’Grady
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nico Papinutto
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Papp
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Wellcome Centre For Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Deborah Pareto
- Section of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Todd B. Parrish
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Anna Pichiecchio
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Advanced Imaging and Artificial Intelligence Center, Neuroradiology Department, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Ferran Prados
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, UK
- e-Health Center, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Àlex Rovira
- Section of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc J. Ruitenberg
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Rebecca S. Samson
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, UK
| | - Giovanni Savini
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072, Pieve Emanuele (MI), Italy
- Neuroradiology Unit, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Alessandro Manzoni 56, 20089, Rozzano (MI), Italy
| | - Maryam Seif
- Spinal Cord Injury Center Balgrist, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alan C. Seifert
- Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Alex K. Smith
- Wellcome Centre For Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Seth A. Smith
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Zachary A. Smith
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Elisabeth Solana
- Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Unit, Laboratory of Advanced Imaging in Neuroimmunological Diseases (ImaginEM), Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona-IDIBAPS and Universitat de Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yuichi Suzuki
- The University of Tokyo Hospital, Radiology Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - George W Tackley
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Alexandra Tinnermann
- Department for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Valošek
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Mila - Quebec AI Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Neuro-X Institute, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marios C. Yiannakas
- NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, UK
| | - Kenneth A. Weber
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Felix Bloch Institute for Solid State Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, Leipzig University, Linnéstraße 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Richard G. Wise
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, ‘G. D’Annunzio’ University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, ‘G. D’Annunzio’ University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Patrik O. Wyss
- Department of Radiology, Swiss Paraplegic Centre, Nottwil, Switzerland
| | - Junqian Xu
- Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
- Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Julien Cohen-Adad
- NeuroPoly Lab, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Mila - Quebec AI Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Functional Neuroimaging Unit, CRIUGM, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Christophe Lenglet
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Igor Nestrašil
- Division of Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Pediatrics, Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Jellinger KA. Mild cognitive impairment in Huntington's disease: challenges and outlooks. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2024; 131:289-304. [PMID: 38265518 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-024-02744-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Although Huntington's disease (HD) has classically been viewed as an autosomal-dominant inherited neurodegenerative motor disorder, cognitive and/or behavioral changes are predominant and often an early manifestation of disease. About 40% of individuals in the presymptomatic period of HD meet the criteria for mild cognitive impairment, later progressing to dementia. The heterogenous spectrum of cognitive decline is characterized by deficits across multiple domains, particularly executive dysfunctions, but the underlying pathogenic mechanisms are still poorly understood. Investigating the pathophysiology of cognitive changes may give insight into important and early neurodegenerative events. Multimodal imaging revealed circuit-wide gray and white matter degenerative processes in several key brain regions, affecting prefronto-striatal/cortico-basal ganglia circuits and many other functional brain networks. Studies in transgenic animal models indicated early synaptic dysfunction, deficient neurotrophic transport and other molecular changes contributing to neuronal death. Synaptopathy within the cerebral cortex, striatum and hippocampus may be particularly important in mediating cognitive and neuropsychiatric manifestations of HD, although many other neuronal systems are involved. The interaction of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) with tau and its implication for cognitive impairment in HD is a matter of discussion. Further neuroimaging and neuropathological studies are warranted to better elucidate early pathophysiological mechanisms and to develop validated biomarkers to detect patients' cognitive status during the early stages of the condition significantly to implement effective preventing or management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt A Jellinger
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, Alberichgasse 5/13, 1150, Vienna, Austria.
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Vidas-Guscic N, van Rijswijk J, Van Audekerke J, Jeurissen B, Nnah I, Tang H, Muñoz-Sanjuan I, Pustina D, Cachope R, Van der Linden A, Bertoglio D, Verhoye M. Diffusion MRI marks progressive alterations in fiber integrity in the zQ175DN mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 193:106438. [PMID: 38365045 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor and cognitive abilities. Multiple studies have found white matter anomalies in HD-affected humans and animal models of HD. The identification of sensitive white-matter-based biomarkers in HD animal models will be important in understanding disease mechanisms and testing the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. Here we investigated the progression of white matter deficits in the knock-in zQ175DN heterozygous (HET) mouse model of HD at 3, 6 and 11 months of age (M), reflecting different states of phenotypic progression. We compared findings from traditional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and advanced fixel-based analysis (FBA) diffusion metrics for their sensitivity in detecting white matter anomalies in the striatum, motor cortex, and segments of the corpus callosum. FBA metrics revealed progressive and widespread reductions of fiber cross-section and fiber density in myelinated bundles of HET mice. The corpus callosum genu was the most affected structure in HET mice at 6 and 11 M based on the DTI and FBA metrics, while the striatum showed the earliest progressive differences starting at 3 M based on the FBA metrics. Overall, FBA metrics detected earlier and more prominent alterations in myelinated fiber bundles compared to the DTI metrics. Luxol fast blue staining showed no loss in myelin density, indicating that diffusion anomalies could not be explained by myelin reduction but diffusion anomalies in HET mice were accompanied by increased levels of neurofilament light chain protein at 11 M. Altogether, our findings reveal progressive alterations in myelinated fiber bundles that can be measured using diffusion MRI, representing a candidate noninvasive imaging biomarker to study phenotype progression and the efficacy of therapeutic interventions in zQ175DN mice. Moreover, our study exposed higher sensitivity of FBA than DTI metrics, suggesting a potential benefit of adopting these advanced metrics in other contexts, including biomarker development in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Vidas-Guscic
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Joëlle van Rijswijk
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Johan Van Audekerke
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ben Jeurissen
- μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Vision Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Lab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Israel Nnah
- Charles River Laboratories, Shrewsbury, MA, United states
| | - Haiying Tang
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Ignacio Muñoz-Sanjuan
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Dorian Pustina
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Roger Cachope
- CHDI Management, Inc., the company that manages the scientific activities of CHDI Foundation, Inc., Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Daniele Bertoglio
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; μNeuro Center for Excellence, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Singh S A, Ansari MN, M. Elossaily G, Vellapandian C, Prajapati B. Investigating the Potential Impact of Air Pollution on Alzheimer's Disease and the Utility of Multidimensional Imaging for Early Detection. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:8615-8631. [PMID: 38434844 PMCID: PMC10905749 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c06328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Pollution is ubiquitous, and much of it is anthropogenic in nature, which is a severe risk factor not only for respiratory infections or asthma sufferers but also for Alzheimer's disease, which has received a lot of attention recently. This Review aims to investigate the primary environmental risk factors and their profound impact on Alzheimer's disease. It underscores the pivotal role of multidimensional imaging in early disease identification and prevention. Conducting a comprehensive review, we delved into a plethora of literature sources available through esteemed databases, including Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scopus, Cochrane, and PubMed. Our search strategy incorporated keywords such as "Alzheimer Disease", "Alzheimer's", "Dementia", "Oxidative Stress", and "Phytotherapy" in conjunction with "Criteria Pollutants", "Imaging", "Pathology", and "Particulate Matter". Alzheimer's disease is not only a result of complex biological factors but is exacerbated by the infiltration of airborne particles and gases that surreptitiously breach the nasal defenses to traverse the brain, akin to a Trojan horse. Various imaging modalities and noninvasive techniques have been harnessed to identify disease progression in its incipient stages. However, each imaging approach possesses inherent limitations, prompting exploration of a unified technique under a single umbrella. Multidimensional imaging stands as the linchpin for detecting and forestalling the relentless march of Alzheimer's disease. Given the intricate etiology of the condition, identifying a prospective candidate for Alzheimer's disease may take decades, rendering the development of a multimodal imaging technique an imperative. This research underscores the pressing need to recognize the chronic ramifications of invisible particulate matter and to advance our understanding of the insidious environmental factors that contribute to Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankul Singh S
- Department
of Pharmacology, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
| | - Mohd Nazam Ansari
- Department
of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | - Gehan M. Elossaily
- Department
of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, AlMaarefa University, P.O. Box 71666, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Chitra Vellapandian
- Department
of Pharmacology, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 603203, India
| | - Bhupendra Prajapati
- Department
of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy,
Shree S.K. Patel College of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Ganpat University, Gozaria Highway, Mehsana, North Gujarat 384012, India
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6
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Shing K, Sapp E, Boudi A, Liu S, Seeley C, Marchionini D, DiFiglia M, Kegel-Gleason KB. Early whole-body mutant huntingtin lowering averts changes in proteins and lipids important for synapse function and white matter maintenance in the LacQ140 mouse model. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 187:106313. [PMID: 37777020 PMCID: PMC10731584 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Expansion of a triplet repeat tract in exon 1 of the HTT gene causes Huntington's disease (HD). The mutant HTT protein (mHTT) has numerous aberrant interactions with diverse, pleiomorphic effects. Lowering mHTT is a promising approach to treat HD, but it is unclear when lowering should be initiated, how much is necessary, and what duration should occur to achieve benefits. Furthermore, the effects of mHTT lowering on brain lipids have not been assessed. Using a mHtt-inducible mouse model, we analyzed mHtt lowering initiated at different ages and sustained for different time-periods. mHTT protein in cytoplasmic and synaptic compartments of the striatum was reduced 38-52%; however, there was minimal lowering of mHTT in nuclear and perinuclear regions where aggregates formed at 12 months of age. Total striatal lipids were reduced in 9-month-old LacQ140 mice and preserved by mHtt lowering. Subclasses important for white matter structure and function including ceramide (Cer), sphingomyelin (SM), and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), contributed to the reduction in total lipids. Phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and bismethyl phosphatidic acid (BisMePA) were also changed in LacQ140 mice. Levels of all subclasses except ceramide were preserved by mHtt lowering. mRNA expression profiling indicated that a transcriptional mechanism contributes to changes in myelin lipids, and some but not all changes can be prevented by mHtt lowering. Our findings suggest that early and sustained reduction in mHtt can prevent changes in levels of select striatal proteins and most lipids, but a misfolded, degradation-resistant form of mHTT hampers some benefits in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Shing
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Sophia Liu
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Connor Seeley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | | | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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7
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Valenza M, Birolini G, Cattaneo E. The translational potential of cholesterol-based therapies for neurological disease. Nat Rev Neurol 2023; 19:583-598. [PMID: 37644213 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-023-00864-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Cholesterol is an important metabolite and membrane component and is enriched in the brain owing to its role in neuronal maturation and function. In the adult brain, cholesterol is produced locally, predominantly by astrocytes. When cholesterol has been used, recycled and catabolized, the derivatives are excreted across the blood-brain barrier. Abnormalities in any of these steps can lead to neurological dysfunction. Here, we examine how precise interactions between cholesterol production and its use and catabolism in neurons ensures cholesterol homeostasis to support brain function. As an example of a neurological disease associated with cholesterol dyshomeostasis, we summarize evidence from animal models of Huntington disease (HD), which demonstrate a marked reduction in cholesterol biosynthesis with clinically relevant consequences for synaptic activity and cognition. In addition, we examine the relationship between cholesterol loss in the brain and cognitive decline in ageing. We then present emerging therapeutic strategies to restore cholesterol homeostasis, focusing on evidence from HD mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Valenza
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare 'Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi', Milan, Italy.
| | - Giulia Birolini
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare 'Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi', Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Cattaneo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare 'Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi', Milan, Italy.
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8
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Tang Z, Chen S, D’Souza A, Liu D, Calamante F, Barnett M, Cai W, Wang C, Cabezas M. High angular diffusion tensor imaging estimation from minimal evenly distributed diffusion gradient directions. FRONTIERS IN RADIOLOGY 2023; 3:1238566. [PMID: 37766937 PMCID: PMC10520249 DOI: 10.3389/fradi.2023.1238566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion-weighted Imaging (DWI) is a non-invasive imaging technique based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) principles to measure water diffusivity and reveal details of the underlying brain micro-structure. By fitting a tensor model to quantify the directionality of water diffusion a Diffusion Tensor Image (DTI) can be derived and scalar measures, such as fractional anisotropy (FA), can then be estimated from the DTI to summarise quantitative microstructural information for clinical studies. In particular, FA has been shown to be a useful research metric to identify tissue abnormalities in neurological disease (e.g. decreased anisotropy as a proxy for tissue damage). However, time constraints in clinical practice lead to low angular resolution diffusion imaging (LARDI) acquisitions that can cause inaccurate FA value estimates when compared to those generated from high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) acquisitions. In this work, we propose High Angular DTI Estimation Network (HADTI-Net) to estimate an enhanced DTI model from LARDI with a set of minimal and evenly distributed diffusion gradient directions. Extensive experiments have been conducted to show the reliability and generalisation of HADTI-Net to generate high angular DTI estimation from any minimal evenly distributed diffusion gradient directions and to explore the feasibility of applying a data-driven method for this task. The code repository of this work and other related works can be found at https://mri-synthesis.github.io/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Tang
- School of Computer Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sheng Chen
- School of Computer Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Arkiev D’Souza
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dongnan Liu
- School of Computer Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Fernando Calamante
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Imaging, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Barnett
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Neuroimaging Analysis Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Weidong Cai
- School of Computer Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Chenyu Wang
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Neuroimaging Analysis Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mariano Cabezas
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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9
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Hu B, Younes L, Bu X, Liu CF, Ratnanather JT, Paulsen J, Georgiou-Karistianis N, Miller MI, Ross C, Faria AV. Mixed longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses of deep gray matter and white matter using diffusion weighted images in premanifest and manifest Huntington's disease. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 39:103493. [PMID: 37582307 PMCID: PMC10448214 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Changes in the brain of patients with Huntington's disease (HD) begin years before clinical onset, so it remains critical to identify biomarkers to track these early changes. Metrics derived from tensor modeling of diffusion-weighted MRIs (DTI), that indicate the microscopic brain structure, can add important information to regional volumetric measurements. This study uses two large-scale longitudinal, multicenter datasets, PREDICT-HD and IMAGE-HD, to trace changes in DTI of HD participants with a broad range of CAP scores (a product of CAG repeat expansion and age), including those with pre-manifest disease (i.e., prior to clinical onset). Utilizing a fully automated data-driven approach to study the whole brain divided in regions of interest, we traced changes in DTI metrics (diffusivity and fractional anisotropy) versus CAP scores, using sigmoidal and linear regression models. We identified points of inflection in the sigmoidal regression using change-point analysis. The deep gray matter showed more evident and earlier changes in DTI metrics over CAP scores, compared to the deep white matter. In the deep white matter, these changes were more evident and occurred earlier in superior and posterior areas, compared to anterior and inferior areas. The curves of mean diffusivity vs. age of HD participants within a fixed CAP score were different from those of controls, indicating that the disease has an additional effect to age on the microscopic brain structure. These results show the regional and temporal vulnerability of the white matter and deep gray matter in HD, with potential implications for experimental therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beini Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Laurent Younes
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xuan Bu
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Chin-Fu Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - J Tilak Ratnanather
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jane Paulsen
- Department of Psychiatry, Neurology, Psychological Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, USA; Department Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
| | - Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis
- School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Australia
| | - Michael I Miller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christopher Ross
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andreia V Faria
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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10
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Shing K, Sapp E, Boudi A, Liu S, Seeley C, Marchionini D, DiFiglia M, Kegel-Gleason KB. Early whole-body mutant huntingtin lowering averts changes in proteins and lipids important for synapse function and white matter maintenance in the LacQ140 mouse model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.26.525697. [PMID: 36747614 PMCID: PMC9900921 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.26.525697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Expansion of a triplet repeat tract in exon1 of the HTT gene causes Huntington's disease (HD). The mutant HTT protein (mHTT) has numerous aberrant interactions with diverse, pleiomorphic effects. No disease modifying treatments exist but lowering mutant huntingtin (mHTT) by gene therapy is a promising approach to treat Huntington's disease (HD). It is not clear when lowering should be initiated, how much lowering is necessary and for what duration lowering should occur to achieve benefits. Furthermore, the effects of mHTT lowering on brain lipids have not been assessed. Using a mHtt-inducible mouse model we analyzed whole body mHtt lowering initiated at different ages and sustained for different time-periods. Subcellular fractionation (density gradient ultracentrifugation), protein chemistry (gel filtration, western blot, and capillary electrophoresis immunoassay), liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry of lipids, and bioinformatic approaches were used to test effects of mHTT transcriptional lowering. mHTT protein in cytoplasmic and synaptic compartments of the caudate putamen, which is most affected in HD, was reduced 38-52%. Little or no lowering of mHTT occurred in nuclear and perinuclear regions where aggregates formed at 12 months of age. mHtt transcript repression partially or fully preserved select striatal proteins (SCN4B, PDE10A). Total lipids in striatum were reduced in LacQ140 mice at 9 months and preserved by early partial mHtt lowering. The reduction in total lipids was due in part to reductions in subclasses of ceramide (Cer), sphingomyelin (SM), and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), which are known to be important for white matter structure and function. Lipid subclasses phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and bismethyl phosphatidic acid (BisMePA) were also changed in LacQ140 mice. Levels of all subclasses other than ceramide were preserved by early mHtt lowering. Pathway enrichment analysis of RNAseq data imply a transcriptional mechanism is responsible in part for changes in myelin lipids, and some but not all changes can be rescued by mHTT lowering. Our findings suggest that early and sustained reduction in mHtt can prevent changes in levels of select striatal proteins and most lipids but a misfolded, degradation-resistant form of mHTT hampers some benefits in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Shing
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Sophia Liu
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Connor Seeley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | | | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
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11
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Weiss AR, Liguore WA, Brandon K, Wang X, Liu Z, Kroenke CD, McBride JL. Alterations of fractional anisotropy throughout cortico-basal ganglia gray matter in a macaque model of Huntington's Disease. CURRENT RESEARCH IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 4:100090. [PMID: 37397804 PMCID: PMC10313883 DOI: 10.1016/j.crneur.2023.100090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We recently generated a nonhuman primate (NHP) model of the neurodegenerative disorder Huntington's disease (HD) using adeno-associated viral vectors to express a fragment of mutant HTT protein (mHTT) throughout the cortico-basal ganglia circuit. Previous work by our group established that mHTT-treated NHPs exhibit progressive motor and cognitive phenotypes which are accompanied by mild volumetric reductions of cortical-basal ganglia structures and reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the white matter fiber pathways interconnecting these regions, mirroring findings observed in early-stage HD patients. Given the mild structural atrophy observed in cortical and sub-cortical gray matter regions characterized in this model using tensor-based morphometry, the current study sought to query potential microstructural alterations in the same gray matter regions using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to define early biomarkers of neurodegenerative processes in this model. Here, we report that mHTT-treated NHPs exhibit significant microstructural changes in several cortical and subcortical brain regions that comprise the cortico-basal ganglia circuit; with increased FA in the putamen and globus pallidus and decreased FA in the caudate nucleus and several cortical regions. DTI measures also correlated with motor and cognitive deficits such that animals with increased basal ganglia FA, and decreased cortical FA, had more severe motor and cognitive impairment. These data highlight the functional implications of microstructural changes in the cortico-basal ganglia circuit in early-stage HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison R. Weiss
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA, 97006
| | - William A. Liguore
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA, 97006
| | - Kristin Brandon
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA, 97006
| | - Xiaojie Wang
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA, 97006
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA, 97239
| | - Zheng Liu
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA, 97006
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA, 97239
| | - Christopher D. Kroenke
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA, 97006
- Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA, 97239
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA, 97239
| | - Jodi L. McBride
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA, 97006
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA, 97239
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12
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Estevez-Fraga C, Elmalem MS, Papoutsi M, Durr A, Rees EM, Hobbs NZ, Roos RAC, Landwehrmeyer B, Leavitt BR, Langbehn DR, Scahill RI, Rees G, Tabrizi SJ, Gregory S. Progressive alterations in white matter microstructure across the timecourse of Huntington's disease. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e2940. [PMID: 36917716 PMCID: PMC10097137 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whole-brain longitudinal diffusion studies are crucial to examine changes in structural connectivity in neurodegeneration. Here, we investigated the longitudinal alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure across the timecourse of Huntington's disease (HD). METHODS We examined changes in WM microstructure from premanifest to early manifest disease, using data from two cohorts with different disease burden. The TrackOn-HD study included 67 controls, 67 premanifest, and 10 early manifest HD (baseline and 24-month data); the PADDINGTON study included 33 controls and 49 early manifest HD (baseline and 15-month data). Longitudinal changes in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity from baseline to last study visit were investigated for each cohort using tract-based spatial statistics. An optimized pipeline was employed to generate participant-specific templates to which diffusion tensor imaging maps were registered and change maps were calculated. We examined longitudinal differences between HD expansion-carriers and controls, and correlations with clinical scores, including the composite UHDRS (cUHDRS). RESULTS HD expansion-carriers from TrackOn-HD, with lower disease burden, showed a significant longitudinal decline in FA in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus and an increase in MD across subcortical WM tracts compared to controls, while in manifest HD participants from PADDINGTON, there were significant widespread longitudinal increases in diffusivity compared to controls. Baseline scores in clinical scales including the cUHDRS predicted WM microstructural change in HD expansion-carriers. CONCLUSION The present study showed significant longitudinal changes in WM microstructure across the HD timecourse. Changes were evident in larger WM areas and across more metrics as the disease advanced, suggesting a progressive alteration of WM microstructure with disease evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Estevez-Fraga
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Michael S Elmalem
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Marina Papoutsi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alexandra Durr
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), AP-HP, Inserm, CNRS, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | - Nicola Z Hobbs
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Raymund A C Roos
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Huntington's Disease at UBC Hospital, Department of Medical Genetics and Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Rachael I Scahill
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Geraint Rees
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Gregory
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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13
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Zhang S, Li B, Jiang J, Hu X, Li H, Cao L, Zhou Z, Liang K, Zhou H, Zhang L, Gong Q, Huang X. Abnormal focal segments in left uncinate fasciculus in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1128808. [PMID: 37065900 PMCID: PMC10098161 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1128808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although the specific role of the uncinate fasciculus (UF) in emotional processing in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been investigated, the exact focal abnormalities in the UF have not been identified. The aim of the current study was to identify focal abnormalities in the white matter (WM) microstructure of the UF and to determine the associations between clinical features and structural neural substrates. Methods In total, 71 drug-naïve patients with OCD and 81 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included. Automated fiber quantification (AFQ), a tract-based quantitative approach, was adopted to measure alterations in diffusion parameters, including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD) and axial diffusivity (AD), along the trajectory of the UF. Additionally, we utilized partial correlation analyses to explore the relationship between the altered diffusion parameters and clinical characteristics. Results OCD patients showed significantly higher FA and lower RD at the level of the temporal and insular portions in the left UF than HCs. In the insular segments of the left UF, increased FA was positively correlated with the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score, while decreased RD was negatively correlated with the duration of illness. Conclusion We observed specific focal abnormalities in the left UF in adult patients with OCD. Correlations with measures of anxiety and duration of illness underscore the functional importance of the insular portion of left UF disturbance in OCD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suming Zhang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Bin Li
- Mental Health Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiaxin Jiang
- Mental Health Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xinyu Hu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Hailong Li
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Lingxiao Cao
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zilin Zhou
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Kaili Liang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Huan Zhou
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Lianqing Zhang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- *Correspondence: Qiyong Gong,
| | - Xiaoqi Huang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Psychoradiology Research Unit of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Xiaoqi Huang,
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14
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Brown TG, Thayer MN, VanTreeck JG, Zarate N, Hart DW, Heilbronner S, Gomez-Pastor R. Striatal spatial heterogeneity, clustering, and white matter association of GFAP + astrocytes in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1094503. [PMID: 37187609 PMCID: PMC10175581 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1094503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects the striatum, a brain region that controls movement and some forms of cognition. Neuronal dysfunction and loss in HD is accompanied by increased astrocyte density and astrocyte pathology. Astrocytes are a heterogeneous population classified into multiple subtypes depending on the expression of different gene markers. Studying whether mutant Huntingtin (HTT) alters specific subtypes of astrocytes is necessary to understand their relative contribution to HD. Methods Here, we studied whether astrocytes expressing two different markers; glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), associated with astrocyte activation, and S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B), a marker of matured astrocytes and inflammation, were differentially altered in HD. Results First, we found three distinct populations in the striatum of WT and symptomatic zQ175 mice: GFAP+, S100B+, and dual GFAP+S100B+. The number of GFAP+ and S100B+ astrocytes throughout the striatum was increased in HD mice compared to WT, coinciding with an increase in HTT aggregation. Overlap between GFAP and S100B staining was expected, but dual GFAP+S100B+ astrocytes only accounted for less than 10% of all tested astrocytes and the number of GFAP+S100B+ astrocytes did not differ between WT and HD, suggesting that GFAP+ astrocytes and S100B+ astrocytes are distinct types of astrocytes. Interestingly, a spatial characterization of these astrocyte subtypes in HD mice showed that while S100B+ were homogeneously distributed throughout the striatum, GFAP+ preferentially accumulated in "patches" in the dorsomedial (dm) striatum, a region associated with goal-directed behaviors. In addition, GFAP+ astrocytes in the dm striatum of zQ175 mice showed increased clustering and association with white matter fascicles and were preferentially located in areas with low HTT aggregate load. Discussion In summary, we showed that GFAP+ and S100B+ astrocyte subtypes are distinctly affected in HD and exist in distinct spatial arrangements that may offer new insights to the function of these specific astrocytes subtypes and their potential implications in HD pathology.
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Sun Y, Tong H, Yang T, Liu L, Li XJ, Li S. Insights into White Matter Defect in Huntington's Disease. Cells 2022; 11:3381. [PMID: 36359783 PMCID: PMC9656068 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant inherited progressive neurodegenerative disorder. It is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the Huntingtin gene that is translated to an expanded polyglutamine (PolyQ) repeat in huntingtin protein. HD is characterized by mood swings, involuntary movement, and cognitive decline in the late disease stage. HD patients often die 15-20 years after disease onset. Currently, there is no cure for HD. Due to the striking neuronal loss in HD, most studies focused on the investigation of the predominantly neuronal degeneration in specific brain regions. However, the pathology of the white matter area in the brains of HD patients was also reported by clinical imaging studies, which showed white matter abnormalities even before the clinical onset of HD. Since oligodendrocytes form myelin sheaths around the axons in the brain, white matter lesions are likely attributed to alterations in myelin and oligodendrocyte-associated changes in HD. In this review, we summarized the evidence for white matter, myelin, and oligodendrocytes alterations that were previously observed in HD patients and animal models. We also discussed potential mechanisms for white matter changes and possible treatment to prevent glial dysfunction in HD.
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Structure of the Motor Descending Pathways Correlates with the Temporal Kinematics of Hand Movements. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11101482. [PMID: 36290386 PMCID: PMC9598379 DOI: 10.3390/biology11101482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary How hand motor behavior relates to the microstructure of the underlying subcortical white matter pathways is yet to be fully understood. Here we consider two well-known examples of our everyday motor repertoire, reaching and reach-to-grasp, by looking at their temporal unfolding and at the microstructure of descending projection pathways, conveying motor information from the motor cortices towards the more ventral regions of the nervous system. We combine three-dimensional kinematics, describing the temporal profile of hand movements, with diffusion imaging tractography, exploring the microstructure of specific segments of the projection pathways (internal capsule, corticospinal and hand motor tracts). The results indicate that the level of anisotropy characterizing these white matter tracts can influence the temporal unfolding of reaching and reach-to-grasp movements. Abstract The projection system, a complex organization of ascending and descending white matter pathways, is the principal system for conveying sensory and motor information, connecting frontal and sensorimotor regions with ventral regions of the central nervous system. The corticospinal tract (CST), one of the principal projection pathways, carries distal movement-related information from the cortex to the spinal cord, and whether its microstructure is linked to the kinematics of hand movements is still an open question. The aim of the present study was to explore how microstructure of descending branches of the projection system, namely the hand motor tract (HMT), the corticospinal tract (CST) and its sector within the internal capsule (IC), can relate to the temporal profile of reaching and reach-to-grasp movements. Projection pathways of 31 healthy subjects were virtually dissected by means of diffusion tractography and the kinematics of reaching and reach-to-grasp movements were also analyzed. A positive association between Hindrance Modulated Orientation Anisotropy (HMOA) and kinematics was observed, suggesting that anisotropy of the considered tract can influence the temporal unfolding of motor performance. We highlight, for the first time, that hand kinematics and the visuomotor transformation processes underlying reaching and reach-to-grasp movements relate to the microstructure of specific projection fibers subserving these movements.
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17
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Casella C, Chamberland M, Laguna PL, Parker GD, Rosser AE, Coulthard E, Rickards H, Berry SC, Jones DK, Metzler‐Baddeley C. Mutation-related magnetization-transfer, not axon density, drives white matter differences in premanifest Huntington disease: Evidence from in vivo ultra-strong gradient MRI. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:3439-3460. [PMID: 35396899 PMCID: PMC9248323 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
White matter (WM) alterations have been observed in Huntington disease (HD) but their role in the disease-pathophysiology remains unknown. We assessed WM changes in premanifest HD by exploiting ultra-strong-gradient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This allowed to separately quantify magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and hindered and restricted diffusion-weighted signal fractions, and assess how they drove WM microstructure differences between patients and controls. We used tractometry to investigate region-specific alterations across callosal segments with well-characterized early- and late-myelinating axon populations, while brain-wise differences were explored with tract-based cluster analysis (TBCA). Behavioral measures were included to explore disease-associated brain-function relationships. We detected lower MTR in patients' callosal rostrum (tractometry: p = .03; TBCA: p = .03), but higher MTR in their splenium (tractometry: p = .02). Importantly, patients' mutation-size and MTR were positively correlated (all p-values < .01), indicating that MTR alterations may directly result from the mutation. Further, MTR was higher in younger, but lower in older patients relative to controls (p = .003), suggesting that MTR increases are detrimental later in the disease. Finally, patients showed higher restricted diffusion signal fraction (FR) from the composite hindered and restricted model of diffusion (CHARMED) in the cortico-spinal tract (p = .03), which correlated positively with MTR in the posterior callosum (p = .033), potentially reflecting compensatory mechanisms. In summary, this first comprehensive, ultra-strong gradient MRI study in HD provides novel evidence of mutation-driven MTR alterations at the premanifest disease stage which may reflect neurodevelopmental changes in iron, myelin, or a combination of these.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Casella
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging SciencesKing's College London, St Thomas' HospitalLondonUK
| | - Maxime Chamberland
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviorRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Pedro L. Laguna
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Greg D. Parker
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Anne E. Rosser
- Department of Neurology and Psychological MedicineHayden Ellis BuildingCardiffUK
- School of BiosciencesCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | | | - Hugh Rickards
- Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation TrustBirminghamUK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental SciencesUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUK
| | - Samuel C. Berry
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Derek K. Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
| | - Claudia Metzler‐Baddeley
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of PsychologyCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
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18
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Tan B, Shishegar R, Oldham S, Fornito A, Poudel G, Georgiou-Karistianis N. Investigating longitudinal changes to frontal cortico-striatal tracts in Huntington's disease: the IMAGE-HD study. Brain Imaging Behav 2022; 16:2457-2466. [PMID: 35768755 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-022-00699-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The striatum is the principal site of disease pathology in Huntington's disease and contains neural connections to numerous cortical brain regions. Studies examining abnormalities to neural connections find that white matter integrity is compromised in HD; however, further regional, and longitudinal investigation is required. This paper is the first longitudinal investigation into region-based white-matter integrity changes in Huntington's Disease. The aim of this study was to better understand how disease progression impacts white matter tracts connecting the striatum to the prefrontal and motor cortical regions in HD. We used existing neuroimaging data from IMAGE-HD, comprised of 25 pre-symptomatic, 27 symptomatic, and 25 healthy controls at three separate time points (baseline, 18-months, 30-months). Fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity and radial diffusivity were derived as measures of white matter microstructure. The anatomical regions of interest were identified using the Desikan-Killiany brain atlas. A Group by Time repeated measures ANCOVA was conducted for each tract of interest and for each measure. We found significantly lower fractional anisotropy and significantly higher radial diffusivity in the symptomatic group, compared to both the pre-symptomatic group and controls (the latter two groups did not differ from each other), in the rostral middle frontal and superior frontal tracts; as well as significantly higher axial diffusivity in the rostral middle tracts only. We did not find a Group by Time interaction for any of the white matter integrity measures. These findings demonstrate that whilst the microstructure of white matter tracts, extending from the striatum to these regions of interest, are compromised during the symptomatic stages of Huntington's disease, 36-month follow-up did not show progressive changes in these measures. Additionally, no correlations were found between clinical measures and tractography changes, indicating further investigations into the relationship between tractography changes and clinical symptoms in Huntington's disease are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Tan
- School of Psychological Sciences and The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Rosita Shishegar
- School of Psychological Sciences and The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,The Australian E-Health Research Centre, CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia.,Monash Biomedical Imaging, 770 Blackburn Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Stuart Oldham
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, 770 Blackburn Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Alex Fornito
- School of Psychological Sciences and The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,Monash Biomedical Imaging, 770 Blackburn Road, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Govinda Poudel
- School of Psychological Sciences and The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,Sydney Imaging, Brain and Mind Centre, the University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2050, Australia.,The Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis
- School of Psychological Sciences and The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia.
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19
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Classification of Huntington's Disease Stage with Features Derived from Structural and Diffusion-Weighted Imaging. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12050704. [PMID: 35629126 PMCID: PMC9143912 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12050704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to classify Huntington’s disease (HD) stage using support vector machines and measures derived from T1- and diffusion-weighted imaging. The effects of feature selection approach and combination of imaging modalities are assessed. Fourteen premanifest-HD individuals (Pre-HD; on average > 20 years from estimated disease onset), eleven early-manifest HD (Early-HD) patients, and eighteen healthy controls (HC) participated in the study. We compared three feature selection approaches: (i) whole-brain segmented grey matter (GM; voxel-based measure) or fractional anisotropy (FA) values; (ii) GM or FA values from subcortical regions-of-interest (caudate, putamen, pallidum); and (iii) automated selection of GM or FA values with the algorithm Relief-F. We assessed single- and multi-kernel approaches to classify combined GM and FA measures. Significant classifications were achieved between Early-HD and Pre-HD or HC individuals (accuracy: generally, 85% to 95%), and between Pre-HD and controls for the feature FA of the caudate ROI (74% accuracy). The combination of GM and FA measures did not result in higher performances. We demonstrate evidence on the high sensitivity of FA for the classification of the earliest Pre-HD stages, and successful distinction between HD stages.
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20
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Barry J, Bui MTN, Levine MS, Cepeda C. Synaptic pathology in Huntington's disease: Beyond the corticostriatal pathway. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 162:105574. [PMID: 34848336 PMCID: PMC9328779 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a heritable, fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the Huntingtin gene. It is characterized by chorea, as well as cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. Histopathologically, there is a massive loss of striatal projection neurons and less but significant loss in other areas throughout the cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical (CBGTC) loop. The mutant huntingtin protein has been implicated in numerous functions, including an important role in synaptic transmission. Most studies on anatomical and physiological alterations in HD have focused on striatum and cerebral cortex. However, based on recent CBGTC projectome evidence, the need to study other pathways has become increasingly clear. In this review, we examine the current status of our knowledge of morphological and electrophysiological alterations of those pathways in animal models of HD. Based on recent studies, there is accumulating evidence that synaptic disconnection, particularly along excitatory pathways, is pervasive and almost universal in HD, thus supporting a critical role of the huntingtin protein in synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Barry
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Minh T N Bui
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael S Levine
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlos Cepeda
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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21
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Kaye J, Reisine T, Finkbeiner S. Huntington's disease mouse models: unraveling the pathology caused by CAG repeat expansion. Fac Rev 2021; 10:77. [PMID: 34746930 PMCID: PMC8546598 DOI: 10.12703/r/10-77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease that results in motor and cognitive dysfunction, leading to early death. HD is caused by an expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT). Here, we review the mouse models of HD. They have been used extensively to better understand the molecular and cellular basis of disease pathogenesis as well as to provide non-human subjects to test the efficacy of potential therapeutics. The first and best-studied in vivo rodent model of HD is the R6/2 mouse, in which a transgene containing the promoter and exon 1 fragment of human HTT with 150 CAG repeats was inserted into the mouse genome. R6/2 mice express rapid, robust behavioral pathologies and display a number of degenerative abnormalities in neuronal populations most vulnerable in HD. The first conditional full-length mutant huntingtin (mHTT) mouse model of HD was the bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse model of HD (BACHD), which expresses human full-length mHTT with a mixture of 97 CAG-CAA repeats under the control of endogenous HTT regulatory machinery. It has been useful in identifying the role of mHTT in specific neuronal populations in degenerative processes. In the knock-in (KI) model of HD, the expanded human CAG repeats and human exon 1 are inserted into the mouse Htt locus, so a chimera of the full-length mouse protein with the N-terminal human portion is expressed. Many of aspects of the pathology and behavioral deficits in the KI model better mimic disease characteristics found in HD patients than other models. Accordingly, some have proposed that these mice may be preferable models of the disease over others. Indeed, as our understanding of HD advances, so will the design of animal models to test and develop HD therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kaye
- Center for Systems and Therapeutics, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Terry Reisine
- Independent Scientific Consultant, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Steve Finkbeiner
- Center for Systems and Therapeutics, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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22
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Oh SL, Chen CM, Wu YR, Valdes Hernandez M, Tsai CC, Cheng JS, Chen YL, Wu YM, Lin YC, Wang JJ. Fixel-Based Analysis Effectively Identifies White Matter Tract Degeneration in Huntington's Disease. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:711651. [PMID: 34588947 PMCID: PMC8473742 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.711651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microstructure damage in white matter might be linked to regional and global atrophy in Huntington's Disease (HD). We hypothesize that degeneration of subcortical regions, including the basal ganglia, is associated with damage of white matter tracts linking these affected regions. We aim to use fixel-based analysis to identify microstructural changes in the white matter tracts. To further assess the associated gray matter damage, diffusion tensor-derived indices were measured from regions of interest located in the basal ganglia. Diffusion weighted images were acquired from 12 patients with HD and 12 healthy unrelated controls using a 3 Tesla scanner. Reductions in fixel-derived metrics occurs in major white matter tracts, noticeably in corpus callosum, internal capsule, and the corticospinal tract, which were closely co-localized with the regions of increased diffusivity in basal ganglia. These changes in diffusion can be attributed to potential axonal degeneration. Fixel-based analysis is effective in studying white matter tractography and fiber changes in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sher Li Oh
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chiung-Mei Chen
- Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yih-Ru Wu
- Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Maria Valdes Hernandez
- Row Fogo Centre for Research into Ageing and the Brain, Department of Neuroimaging Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Chih-Chien Tsai
- Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Jur-Shan Cheng
- Clinical Informatics and Medical Statistics Research Center, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Emergency Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Yao-Liang Chen
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ming Wu
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Lin
- Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Jiun-Jie Wang
- Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Medical Imaging Research Center, Institute for Radiological Research, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
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23
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Grosso Jasutkar H, Yamamoto A. Do Changes in Synaptic Autophagy Underlie the Cognitive Impairments in Huntington's Disease? J Huntingtons Dis 2021; 10:227-238. [PMID: 33780373 PMCID: PMC8293641 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-200466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Although Huntington's disease (HD) is classically considered from the perspective of the motor syndrome, the cognitive changes in HD are prominent and often an early manifestation of disease. As such, investigating the underlying pathophysiology of cognitive changes may give insight into important and early neurodegenerative events. In this review, we first discuss evidence from both HD patients and animal models that cognitive changes correlate with early pathological changes at the synapse, an observation that is similarly made in other neurodegenerative conditions that primarily affect cognition. We then describe how autophagy plays a critical role supporting synaptic maintenance in the healthy brain, and how autophagy dysfunction in HD may thereby lead to impaired synaptic maintenance and thus early manifestations of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ai Yamamoto
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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24
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Gatto RG, Weissmann C, Amin M, Angeles-López QD, García-Lara L, Castellanos LCS, Deyoung D, Segovia J, Mareci TH, Uchitel OD, Magin RL. Evaluation of early microstructural changes in the R6/1 mouse model of Huntington's disease by ultra-high field diffusion MR imaging. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 102:32-49. [PMID: 33765430 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion MRI (dMRI) has been able to detect early structural changes related to neurological symptoms present in Huntington's disease (HD). However, there is still a knowledge gap to interpret the biological significance at early neuropathological stages. The purpose of this study is two-fold: (i) establish if the combination of Ultra-High Field Diffusion MRI (UHFD-MRI) techniques can add a more comprehensive analysis of the early microstructural changes observed in HD, and (ii) evaluate if early changes in dMRI microstructural parameters can be linked to cellular biomarkers of neuroinflammation. Ultra-high field magnet (16.7T), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) techniques were applied to fixed ex-vivo brains of a preclinical model of HD (R6/1 mice). Fractional anisotropy (FA) was decreased in deep and superficial grey matter (GM) as well as white matter (WM) brain regions with well-known early HD microstructure and connectivity pathology. NODDI parameters associated with the intracellular and extracellular compartment, such as intracellular ventricular fraction (ICVF), orientation dispersion index (ODI), and isotropic volume fractions (IsoVF) were altered in R6/1 mice GM. Further, histological studies in these areas showed that glia cell markers associated with neuroinflammation (GFAP & Iba1) were consistent with the dMRI findings. dMRI can be used to extract non-invasive information of neuropathological events present in the early stages of HD. The combination of multiple imaging techniques represents a better approach to understand the neuropathological process allowing the early diagnosis and neuromonitoring of patients affected by HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo G Gatto
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Carina Weissmann
- Insituto de Fisiología Biología Molecular y Neurociencias-IFIBYNE-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos, Aires, Argentina
| | - Manish Amin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Quetzalli D Angeles-López
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, México City, México
| | - Lucia García-Lara
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, México City, México
| | - Libia C Salinas Castellanos
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, México City, México
| | - Daniel Deyoung
- Department of Biochemistry, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jose Segovia
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, México City, México
| | - Thomas H Mareci
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Osvaldo D Uchitel
- Insituto de Fisiología Biología Molecular y Neurociencias-IFIBYNE-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos, Aires, Argentina
| | - Richard L Magin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Simmons DA, Mills BD, Butler Iii RR, Kuan J, McHugh TLM, Akers C, Zhou J, Syriani W, Grouban M, Zeineh M, Longo FM. Neuroimaging, Urinary, and Plasma Biomarkers of Treatment Response in Huntington's Disease: Preclinical Evidence with the p75 NTR Ligand LM11A-31. Neurotherapeutics 2021; 18:1039-1063. [PMID: 33786806 PMCID: PMC8423954 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-021-01023-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expansion of the CAG repeat in the huntingtin gene leading to preferential neurodegeneration of the striatum. Disease-modifying treatments are not yet available to HD patients and their development would be facilitated by translatable pharmacodynamic biomarkers. Multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and plasma cytokines have been suggested as disease onset/progression biomarkers, but their ability to detect treatment efficacy is understudied. This study used the R6/2 mouse model of HD to assess if structural neuroimaging and biofluid assays can detect treatment response using as a prototype the small molecule p75NTR ligand LM11A-31, shown previously to reduce HD phenotypes in these mice. LM11A-31 alleviated volume reductions in multiple brain regions, including striatum, of vehicle-treated R6/2 mice relative to wild-types (WTs), as assessed with in vivo MRI. LM11A-31 also normalized changes in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics and diminished increases in certain plasma cytokine levels, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6, in R6/2 mice. Finally, R6/2-vehicle mice had increased urinary levels of the p75NTR extracellular domain (ecd), a cleavage product released with pro-apoptotic ligand binding that detects the progression of other neurodegenerative diseases; LM11A-31 reduced this increase. These results are the first to show that urinary p75NTR-ecd levels are elevated in an HD mouse model and can be used to detect therapeutic effects. These data also indicate that multi-modal MRI and plasma cytokine levels may be effective pharmacodynamic biomarkers and that using combinations of these markers would be a viable and powerful option for clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle A Simmons
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Brian D Mills
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Robert R Butler Iii
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Jason Kuan
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Tyne L M McHugh
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Carolyn Akers
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - James Zhou
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Wassim Syriani
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Maged Grouban
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Michael Zeineh
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Frank M Longo
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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Tan B, Shishegar R, Poudel GR, Fornito A, Georgiou-Karistianis N. Cortical morphometry and neural dysfunction in Huntington's disease: a review. Eur J Neurol 2020; 28:1406-1419. [PMID: 33210786 DOI: 10.1111/ene.14648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Numerous neuroimaging techniques have been used to identify biomarkers of disease progression in Huntington's disease (HD). To date, the earliest and most sensitive of these is caudate volume; however, it is becoming increasingly evident that numerous changes to cortical structures, and their interconnected networks, occur throughout the course of the disease. The mechanisms by which atrophy spreads from the caudate to these cortical regions remains unknown. In this review, the neuroimaging literature specific to T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging is summarized and new strategies for the investigation of cortical morphometry and the network spread of degeneration in HD are proposed. This new avenue of research may enable further characterization of disease pathology and could add to a suite of biomarker/s of disease progression for patient stratification that will help guide future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Tan
- School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Rosita Shishegar
- School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Australian e-Health Research Centre, CSIRO, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Monash Biomedical Imaging, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Govinda R Poudel
- School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Sydney Imaging, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alex Fornito
- School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Monash Biomedical Imaging, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis
- School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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27
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Tran HT, Tsai EHR, Lewis AJ, Moors T, Bol JGJM, Rostami I, Diaz A, Jonker AJ, Guizar-Sicairos M, Raabe J, Stahlberg H, van de Berg WDJ, Holler M, Shahmoradian SH. Alterations in Sub-Axonal Architecture Between Normal Aging and Parkinson's Diseased Human Brains Using Label-Free Cryogenic X-ray Nanotomography. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:570019. [PMID: 33324142 PMCID: PMC7724048 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.570019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Gaining insight to pathologically relevant processes in continuous volumes of unstained brain tissue is important for a better understanding of neurological diseases. Many pathological processes in neurodegenerative disorders affect myelinated axons, which are a critical part of the neuronal circuitry. Cryo ptychographic X-ray computed tomography in the multi-keV energy range is an emerging technology providing phase contrast at high sensitivity, allowing label-free and non-destructive three dimensional imaging of large continuous volumes of tissue, currently spanning up to 400,000 μm3. This aspect makes the technique especially attractive for imaging complex biological material, especially neuronal tissues, in combination with downstream optical or electron microscopy techniques. A further advantage is that dehydration, additional contrast staining, and destructive sectioning/milling are not required for imaging. We have developed a pipeline for cryo ptychographic X-ray tomography of relatively large, hydrated and unstained biological tissue volumes beyond what is typical for the X-ray imaging, using human brain tissue and combining the technique with complementary methods. We present four imaged volumes of a Parkinson's diseased human brain and five volumes from a non-diseased control human brain using cryo ptychographic X-ray tomography. In both cases, we distinguish neuromelanin-containing neurons, lipid and melanic pigment, blood vessels and red blood cells, and nuclei of other brain cells. In the diseased sample, we observed several swellings containing dense granular material resembling clustered vesicles between the myelin sheaths arising from the cytoplasm of the parent oligodendrocyte, rather than the axoplasm. We further investigated the pathological relevance of such swollen axons in adjacent tissue sections by immunofluorescence microscopy for phosphorylated alpha-synuclein combined with multispectral imaging. Since cryo ptychographic X-ray tomography is non-destructive, the large dataset volumes were used to guide further investigation of such swollen axons by correlative electron microscopy and immunogold labeling post X-ray imaging, a possibility demonstrated for the first time. Interestingly, we find that protein antigenicity and ultrastructure of the tissue are preserved after the X-ray measurement. As many pathological processes in neurodegeneration affect myelinated axons, our work sets an unprecedented foundation for studies addressing axonal integrity and disease-related changes in unstained brain tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amanda J. Lewis
- Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics (C-CINA), Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tim Moors
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - J. G. J. M. Bol
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Ana Diaz
- Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Allert J. Jonker
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Joerg Raabe
- Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Henning Stahlberg
- Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics (C-CINA), Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Wilma D. J. van de Berg
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Section Clinical Neuroanatomy, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Choompoo N, Bartley OJM, Precious SV, Vinh NN, Schnell C, Garcia A, Roberton VH, Williams NM, Kemp PJ, Kelly CM, Rosser AE. Induced pluripotent stem cells derived from the developing striatum as a potential donor source for cell replacement therapy for Huntington disease. Cytotherapy 2020; 23:111-118. [PMID: 33246883 PMCID: PMC7822401 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2020.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Background Cell replacement therapy (CRT) for Huntington disease (HD) requires a source of striatal (STR) progenitors capable of restoring the function lost due to STR degeneration. Authentic STR progenitors can be collected from the fetal putative striatum, or whole ganglionic eminence (WGE), but these tissues remain impractical for widespread clinical application, and alternative donor sources are required. Here we begin exploring the possibility that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) derived from WGE may retain an epigenetic memory of their tissue of origin, which could enhance their ability to differentiate into STR cells. Results We generate four iPSC lines from human WGE (hWGE) and establish that they have a capacity similar to human embryonic stem cells with regard to their ability to differentiate toward an STR phenotype, as measured by expression and demethylation of key STR genes, while maintaining an overall different methylome. Finally, we demonstrate that these STR-differentiated hWGE iPSCs share characteristics with hWGE (i.e., authentic STR tissues) both in vitro and following transplantation into an HD model. Overall, iPSCs derived from human WGE show promise as a donor source for CRT for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narawadee Choompoo
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phisanulok, Thailand
| | - Oliver J M Bartley
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Sophie V Precious
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Ngoc-Nga Vinh
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Christian Schnell
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Ana Garcia
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Nigel M Williams
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Paul J Kemp
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Claire M Kelly
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Anne E Rosser
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; Wales Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
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Cepeda C, Levine MS. Synaptic Dysfunction in Huntington's Disease: Lessons from Genetic Animal Models. Neuroscientist 2020; 28:20-40. [PMID: 33198566 DOI: 10.1177/1073858420972662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The understanding of the functional and structural changes occurring in the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia in Huntington's disease (HD) has benefited considerably from the generation of genetic animal models. Most studies of synaptic alterations in HD models have focused on the striatum, but a more complete picture of synaptic dysfunction in the cortico-basal ganglia-cortical loop is emerging. Here, we provide a review and analysis of current developments in the study of synaptic alterations in these areas using HD rodent models. Recent evidence indicates that cortical maldevelopment plays a role in synaptic dysfunction along the corticostriatal pathway that may have its roots in the way mutant huntingtin interacts with synaptic proteins. Furthermore, a progressive disconnection in the corticostriatal pathway leads to abnormal function engaging extrasynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptors that contribute to eventual cell degeneration. In addition, biphasic increases followed by decreases in glutamate and dopamine release in the striatum could explain contrasting symptomatology in early and late stages of the disease. Changes in striatal output regions also are beginning to be examined. Finally, we highlight some therapeutic avenues aimed at rescuing synaptic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Cepeda
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael S Levine
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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30
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Gatto RG, Weissmann C. Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Preclinical and Human Studies of Huntington's Disease: What Have we Learned so Far? Curr Med Imaging 2020; 15:521-542. [PMID: 32008561 DOI: 10.2174/1573405614666181115113400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's Disease is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive deterioration of specific brain nerve cells. The current evaluation of cellular and physiological events in patients with HD relies on the development of transgenic animal models. To explore such events in vivo, diffusion tensor imaging has been developed to examine the early macro and microstructural changes in brain tissue. However, the gap in diffusion tensor imaging findings between animal models and clinical studies and the lack of microstructural confirmation by histological methods has questioned the validity of this method. OBJECTIVE This review explores white and grey matter ultrastructural changes associated to diffusion tensor imaging, as well as similarities and differences between preclinical and clinical Huntington's Disease studies. METHODS A comprehensive review of the literature using online-resources was performed (Pub- Med search). RESULTS Similar changes in fractional anisotropy as well as axial, radial and mean diffusivities were observed in white matter tracts across clinical and animal studies. However, comparative diffusion alterations in different grey matter structures were inconsistent between clinical and animal studies. CONCLUSION Diffusion tensor imaging can be related to specific structural anomalies in specific cellular populations. However, some differences between animal and clinical studies could derive from the contrasting neuroanatomy or connectivity across species. Such differences should be considered before generalizing preclinical results into the clinical practice. Moreover, current limitations of this technique to accurately represent complex multicellular events at the single micro scale are real. Future work applying complex diffusion models should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Gabriel Gatto
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, United States
| | - Carina Weissmann
- Insituto de Fisiología Biologia Molecular y Neurociencias-IFIBYNE-CONICET, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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31
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Estevez-Fraga C, Scahill R, Rees G, Tabrizi SJ, Gregory S. Diffusion imaging in Huntington's disease: comprehensive review. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2020; 92:jnnp-2020-324377. [PMID: 33033167 PMCID: PMC7803908 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-324377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenic disorder with 100% penetrance. With the advent of genetic testing in adults, disease-related, structural brain changes can be investigated from the earliest, premorbid stages of HD. While examining macrostructural change characterises global neuronal damage, investigating microstructural alterations provides information regarding brain organisation and its underlying biological properties. Diffusion MRI can be used to track the progression of microstructural anomalies in HD decades prior to clinical disease onset, providing a greater understanding of neurodegeneration. Multiple approaches, including voxelwise, region of interest and tractography, have been used in HD cohorts, showing a centrifugal pattern of white matter (WM) degeneration starting from deep brain areas, which is consistent with neuropathological studies. The corpus callosum, longer WM tracts and areas that are more densely connected, in particular the sensorimotor network, also tend to be affected early during premanifest stages. Recent evidence supports the routine inclusion of diffusion analyses within clinical trials principally as an additional measure to improve understanding of treatment effects, while the advent of novel techniques such as multitissue compartment models and connectomics can help characterise the underpinnings of progressive functional decline in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Estevez-Fraga
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rachael Scahill
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Geraint Rees
- Wellcome Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sarah Gregory
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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Beyond Alzheimer's disease: Can bilingualism be a more generalized protective factor in neurodegeneration? Neuropsychologia 2020; 147:107593. [PMID: 32882240 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Bilingualism has been argued to have an impact on cognition and brain structure. Effects have been reported across the lifespan: from healthy children to ageing adults, including clinical (ageing) populations. It has been argued that active bilingualism may significantly contribute to the delaying of the expression of Alzheimer's disease symptoms. If bilingualism plays an ameliorative role against the expression of neurodegeneration in dementia, it is possible that it could have similar effects for other neurodegenerative disorders, including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's and Huntington's Diseases. To date, however, direct relevant evidence remains limited, not least because the necessary scientific motivations for investigating this with greater depth have not yet been fully articulated. Herein, we provide a roadmap that reviews the relevant literatures, highlighting potential links across neurodegenerative disorders and bilingualism more generally.
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Lowe AJ, Sjödin S, Rodrigues FB, Byrne LM, Blennow K, Tortelli R, Zetterberg H, Wild EJ. Cerebrospinal fluid endo-lysosomal proteins as potential biomarkers for Huntington's disease. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233820. [PMID: 32804976 PMCID: PMC7430717 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular markers derived from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) represent an accessible means of exploring the pathobiology of Huntington's disease (HD) in vivo. The endo-lysosomal/autophagy system is dysfunctional in HD, potentially contributing to disease pathogenesis and representing a potential target for therapeutic intervention. Several endo-lysosomal proteins have shown promise as biomarkers in other neurodegenerative diseases; however, they have yet to be fully explored in HD. We performed parallel reaction monitoring mass spectrometry analysis (PRM-MS) of multiple endo-lysosomal proteins in the CSF of 60 HD mutation carriers and 20 healthy controls. Using generalised linear models controlling for age and CAG, none of the 18 proteins measured displayed significant differences in concentration between HD patients and controls. This was affirmed by principal component analysis, in which no significant difference across disease stage was found in any of the three components representing lysosomal hydrolases, binding/transfer proteins and innate immune system/peripheral proteins. However, several proteins were associated with measures of disease severity and cognition: most notably amyloid precursor protein, which displayed strong correlations with composite Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale, UHDRS Total Functional Capacity, UHDRS Total Motor Score, Symbol Digit Modalities Test and Stroop Word Reading. We conclude that although endo-lysosomal proteins are unlikely to have value as disease state CSF biomarkers for Huntington's disease, several proteins demonstrate associations with clinical severity, thus warranting further, targeted exploration and validation in larger, longitudinal samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Lowe
- UCL Huntington’s Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Sjödin
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Filipe B. Rodrigues
- UCL Huntington’s Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lauren M. Byrne
- UCL Huntington’s Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Rosanna Tortelli
- UCL Huntington’s Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- UCL Huntington’s Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Edward J. Wild
- UCL Huntington’s Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Pini L, Youssov K, Sambataro F, Bachoud‐Levi A, Vallesi A, Jacquemot C. Striatal connectivity in pre‐manifest Huntington’s disease is differentially affected by disease burden. Eur J Neurol 2020; 27:2147-2157. [DOI: 10.1111/ene.14423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. Pini
- Department of Neuroscience & Padova Neuroscience Center University of Padova Padova Italy
| | - K. Youssov
- Département d'Études Cognitives École Normale Supérieure PSL University ParisFrance
- Faculté de Santé Université Paris‐Est Créteil CréteilFrance
- Inserm U955 Equipe E01 NeuroPsychologie Interventionnelle Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale CréteilFrance
- Centre de référence Maladie de Huntington Service de Neurologie Hôpital Henri Mondor, AP‐HP Créteil France
| | - F. Sambataro
- Department of Neuroscience & Padova Neuroscience Center University of Padova Padova Italy
| | - A.‐C. Bachoud‐Levi
- Département d'Études Cognitives École Normale Supérieure PSL University ParisFrance
- Faculté de Santé Université Paris‐Est Créteil CréteilFrance
- Inserm U955 Equipe E01 NeuroPsychologie Interventionnelle Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale CréteilFrance
- Centre de référence Maladie de Huntington Service de Neurologie Hôpital Henri Mondor, AP‐HP Créteil France
| | - A. Vallesi
- Department of Neuroscience & Padova Neuroscience Center University of Padova Padova Italy
- Brain Imaging and Neural Dynamics Research Group IRCCS San Camillo Hospital Venice Italy
| | - C. Jacquemot
- Département d'Études Cognitives École Normale Supérieure PSL University ParisFrance
- Faculté de Santé Université Paris‐Est Créteil CréteilFrance
- Inserm U955 Equipe E01 NeuroPsychologie Interventionnelle Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale CréteilFrance
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Goodliffe J, Rubakovic A, Chang W, Pathak D, Luebke J. Structural and functional features of medium spiny neurons in the BACHDΔN17 mouse model of Huntington's Disease. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234394. [PMID: 32574176 PMCID: PMC7310706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the BACHD mouse model of Huntington’s disease (HD), deletion of the N17 domain of the Huntingtin gene (BACHDΔN17, Q97) has been reported to lead to nuclear accumulation of mHTT and exacerbation of motor deficits, neuroinflammation and striatal atrophy (Gu et al., 2015). Here we characterized the effect of N17 deletion on dorsolateral striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in BACHDΔN17 (Q97) and BACWTΔN17 (Q31) mice by comparing them to MSNs in wildtype (WT) mice. Mice were characterized on a series of motor tasks and subsequently whole cell patch clamp recordings with simultaneous biocytin filling of MSNs in in vitro striatal slices from these mice were used to comprehensively assess their physiological and morphological features. Key findings include that: Q97 mice exhibit impaired gait and righting reflexes but normal tail suspension reflexes and normal coats while Q31 mice do not differ from WT; intrinsic membrane and action potential properties are altered -but differentially so- in MSNs from Q97 and from Q31 mice; excitatory and inhibitory synaptic currents exhibit higher amplitudes in Q31 but not Q97 MSNs, while excitatory synaptic currents occur at lower frequency in Q97 than in WT and Q31 MSNs; there is a reduced total dendritic length in Q31 -but not Q97- MSNs compared to WT, while spine density and number did not differ in MSNs in the three groups. The findings that Q31 MSNs differed from Q97 and WT neurons with regard to some physiological features and structurally suggest a novel role of the N17 domain in the function of WT Htt. The motor phenotype seen in Q97 mice was less robust than that reported in an earlier study (Gu et al., 2015), and the alterations to MSN physiological properties were largely consistent with changes reported previously in a number of other mouse models of HD. Together this study indicates that N17 plays a role in the modulation of the properties of MSNs in both mHtt and WT-Htt mice, but does not markedly exacerbate HD-like pathogenesis in the BACHD model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Goodliffe
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Anastasia Rubakovic
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Wayne Chang
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Dhruba Pathak
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Luebke
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Casella C, Lipp I, Rosser A, Jones DK, Metzler-Baddeley C. A Critical Review of White Matter Changes in Huntington's Disease. Mov Disord 2020; 35:1302-1311. [PMID: 32537844 PMCID: PMC9393936 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder. White matter alterations have recently been identified as a relevant pathophysiological feature of Huntington’s disease, but their etiology and role in disease pathogenesis and progression remain unclear. Increasing evidence suggests that white matter changes in this disorder are attributed to alterations in myelin‐associated biological processes. This review first discusses evidence from neurochemical studies lending support to the demyelination hypothesis of Huntington’s disease, demonstrating aberrant myelination and changes in oligodendrocytes in the Huntington’s brain. Next, evidence from neuroimaging studies is reviewed, the limitations of the described methodologies are discussed, and suggested interpretations of findings from published studies are challenged. Although our understanding of Huntington’s associated pathological changes in the brain will increasingly rely on neuroimaging techniques, the shortcomings of these methodologies must not be forgotten. Advances in magnetic resonance imaging techniques and tissue modeling will enable a better in vivo, longitudinal characterization of the biological properties of white matter microstructure. This in turn will facilitate identification of disease‐related biomarkers and the specification of outcome measures in clinical trials. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Casella
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ilona Lipp
- Department of Neurophysics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anne Rosser
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Derek K Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.,Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Claudia Metzler-Baddeley
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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Montanaro D, Vavla M, Frijia F, Aghakhanyan G, Baratto A, Coi A, Stefan C, Girardi G, Paparella G, De Cori S, Totaro P, Lombardo F, Piccoli G, Martinuzzi A. Multimodal MRI Longitudinal Assessment of White and Gray Matter in Different SPG Types of Hereditary Spastic Paraparesis. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:325. [PMID: 32581663 PMCID: PMC7287014 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSP) are a group of genetically and clinically heterogeneous neurologic disorders. Hereby we describe a relatively large group of patients (pts) affected by HSP studied at baseline (31 pts) and at follow-up (mean period 28.9 ± 8.4 months; 23 pts) with multimodal advanced MRI: high-resolution T1 images for voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). An age-matched healthy control (HC) group underwent the same neuroimaging protocol in a time schedule matched with the HSP patients. At baseline, VBM showed gray matter (GM) reduction in HSP in the right pre-frontal cortex and bilaterally in the thalami. MRS at baseline depicted in HSP patients compared to the HC group reduction of NAA/Cr ratio in the right pre-frontal region, increase of Cho/Cr ratio in the right pre-central regions, and increase of mI/Cr ratio on the left pre-central area. At cross-sectional follow-up analysis and longitudinal evaluation, no VBM and MRS statistically significant results were obtained. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis showed widespread DTI brain white matter (WM) alterations in patients compared to HC at baseline, which are characterized by reduction of fractional anisotropy (FA) and increase of mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity, as confirmed on cross-analysis of the follow-up dataset. A longitudinal analysis with TBSS in HSP patients did not show significant variations, while upon applying region-based analysis we found increased FA and decreased MD and AD in specific brain WM fiber complex during follow-up. The changes were not correlated with the clinical presentation (pure vs complicated HSP), motor function, and motility indexes or history of specific treatments (botulinum toxin). In conclusion, the cross-sectional analysis of the multiparametric MRI data in our HSP patients confirmed the non-prominent involvement of the cortex in the primary motor regions but rather of other more associative areas. On the contrary, DTI demonstrated a widespread involvement of the brain WM, including the primary motor regions, which was confirmed at follow-up. The longitudinal analysis revealed an apparent inversion of tendency when considering the expected evolution of a neurodegenerative process: we detected an increase of FA and a decrease of MD and AD. These time-related modifications may suggest a repair attempt by the residual central WM fibers, which requires confirmation with a larger group of patients and with a longer time interval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Montanaro
- U.O.C. Risonanza Magnetica Specialistica e Neuroradiologia, Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa, Italy
| | - M Vavla
- Severe Developmental Disabilities Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Conegliano, Italy
| | - F Frijia
- U.O.C Bioengineering and Clinical Technology, Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa, Italy
| | - G Aghakhanyan
- Department of Translational Research on New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, Regional Center of Nuclear Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Baratto
- Department of Radiology S. Maria dei Battuti Hospital - Conegliano, ULSS2-Marca Trevigiana, Conegliano, Italy
| | - A Coi
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council, Pisa, Italy
| | - C Stefan
- Acquired Neuropsychological Disease Rehabilitation Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Pieve di Soligo, Italy
| | - G Girardi
- Acquired Neuropsychological Disease Rehabilitation Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Pieve di Soligo, Italy
| | - G Paparella
- Acquired Neuropsychological Disease Rehabilitation Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Pieve di Soligo, Italy
| | - S De Cori
- U.O.C. Risonanza Magnetica Specialistica e Neuroradiologia, Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa, Italy
| | - P Totaro
- U.O.C. Risonanza Magnetica Specialistica e Neuroradiologia, Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa, Italy
| | - F Lombardo
- U.O.C. Risonanza Magnetica Specialistica e Neuroradiologia, Fondazione CNR/Regione Toscana G. Monasterio, Pisa, Italy
| | - G Piccoli
- Department of Radiology S. Maria dei Battuti Hospital - Conegliano, ULSS2-Marca Trevigiana, Conegliano, Italy
| | - Andrea Martinuzzi
- Severe Developmental Disabilities Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Conegliano, Italy
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Cepeda C, Oikonomou KD, Cummings D, Barry J, Yazon VW, Chen DT, Asai J, Williams CK, Vinters HV. Developmental origins of cortical hyperexcitability in Huntington's disease: Review and new observations. J Neurosci Res 2019; 97:1624-1635. [PMID: 31353533 PMCID: PMC6801077 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD), an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that principally affects striatum and cerebral cortex, is generally thought to have an adult onset. However, a small percentage of cases develop symptoms before 20 years of age. This juvenile variant suggests that brain development may be altered in HD. Indeed, recent evidence supports an important role of normal huntingtin during embryonic brain development and mutations in this protein cause cortical abnormalities. Functional studies also demonstrated that the cerebral cortex becomes hyperexcitable with disease progression. In this review, we examine clinical and experimental evidence that cortical development is altered in HD. We also provide preliminary evidence that cortical pyramidal neurons from R6/2 mice, a model of juvenile HD, are hyperexcitable and display dysmorphic processes as early as postnatal day 7. Further, some symptomatic mice present with anatomical abnormalities reminiscent of human focal cortical dysplasia, which could explain the occurrence of epileptic seizures in this genetic mouse model and in children with juvenile HD. Finally, we discuss recent treatments aimed at correcting abnormal brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Cepeda
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Katerina D. Oikonomou
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Damian Cummings
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joshua Barry
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vannah-Wila Yazon
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dickson T. Chen
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Janelle Asai
- IDDRC, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher K. Williams
- Section of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Harry V. Vinters
- Section of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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The effect of impulsivity and inhibitory control deficits in the saccadic behavior of premanifest Huntington's disease individuals. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2019; 14:246. [PMID: 31703597 PMCID: PMC6839196 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-019-1218-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aims to test response inhibition in premanifest Huntington's disease individuals (Pre-HD), in the context of a saccadic paradigm with working memory demands and fronto-executive load as a way to measure inhibitory control deficits and impulsive behavior in Huntington's disease (HD). METHODS The oculomotor function of 15 Pre-HD and 22 Control individuals was assessed using an experimental paradigm comprising four horizontal saccadic tasks: prosaccade (PS), antisaccade (AS), 1- or 2-back memory prosaccade (MPS), and 1- or 2-back memory antisaccade (MAS). Success rate, latency, directional and timing errors were calculated for each task. A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests was also used to assess the overall cognitive functioning of study participants. Statistical correlations between oculomotor, clinical and cognitive measures were computed for the Pre-HD group. RESULTS Pre-HD participants showed reduced success rate in the AS task, increased direction errors in the AS and MAS tasks and decreased latency in the MAS task when compared to Controls, despite presenting similar executive and memory scores in the conventional neuropsychological tests applied. Significant associations were identified between specific AS and MAS parameters and disease-related measures, cognitive skills and other oculomotor results of Pre-HD participants. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that oculomotor performance in premanifest Huntington's disease deteriorates once inhibitory control, working memory and/or fronto-executive load are added to the task. A more automatic pattern of performance, including a faster response time and directionally erroneous eye movements were detected in the oculomotor behavior of the Pre-HD group-these alterations were significantly correlated with disease stage and cognitive status. Our saccadic paradigm was able to capture impulsivity and inhibitory control deficits in a group of Pre-HD individuals on average far from symptom onset, thus holding the potential to identify the earliest disease-related changes.
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40
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Waters S, Tedroff J, Ponten H, Klamer D, Sonesson C, Waters N. Pridopidine: Overview of Pharmacology and Rationale for its Use in Huntington's Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 7:1-16. [PMID: 29480206 PMCID: PMC5836399 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-170267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite advances in understanding the pathophysiology of Huntington’s disease (HD), there are currently no effective pharmacological agents available to treat core symptoms or to stop or prevent the progression of this hereditary neurodegenerative disorder. Pridopidine, a novel small molecule compound, has demonstrated potential for both symptomatic treatment and disease modifying effects in HD. While pridopidine failed to achieve its primary efficacy outcomes (Modified motor score) in two trials (MermaiHD and HART) there were consistent effects on secondary outcomes (TMS). In the most recent study (PrideHD) pridiopidine did not differ from placebo on TMS, possibly due to a large enduring placebo effect. This review describes the process, based on in vivo systems response profiling, by which pridopidine was discovered and discusses its pharmacological profile, aiming to provide a model for the system-level effects, and a rationale for the use of pridopidine in patients affected by HD. Considering the effects on brain neurochemistry, gene expression and behaviour in vivo, pridopidine displays a unique effect profile. A hallmark feature in the behavioural pharmacology of pridopidine is its state-dependent inhibition or activation of dopamine-dependent psychomotor functions. Such effects are paralleled by strengthening of synaptic connectivity in cortico-striatal pathways suggesting pridopidine has potential to modify phenotypic expression as well as progression of HD. The preclinical pharmacological profile is discussed with respect to the clinical results for pridopidine, and proposals are made for further investigation, including preclinical and clinical studies addressing disease progression and effects at different stages of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Waters
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Integrative Research Laboratories AB, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Joakim Tedroff
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.,Integrative Research Laboratories AB, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Henrik Ponten
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Daniel Klamer
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Clas Sonesson
- Integrative Research Laboratories AB, Gothenburg, Sweden
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41
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Banez-Coronel M, Ranum LPW. Repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation: insights from pathology. J Transl Med 2019; 99:929-942. [PMID: 30918326 PMCID: PMC7219275 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-019-0241-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 40 different neurological diseases are caused by microsatellite repeat expansions. Since the discovery of repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation by Zu et al. in 2011, nine expansion disorders have been identified as RAN-positive diseases. RAN proteins are translated from different types of nucleotide repeat expansions and can be produced from both sense and antisense transcripts. In some diseases, RAN proteins have been shown to accumulate in affected brain regions. Here we review the pathological and molecular aspects associated with RAN protein accumulation for each particular disorder, the correlation between disease pathology and the available in vivo models and the common aspects shared by some of the newly discovered RAN proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Banez-Coronel
- Center for NeuroGenetics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Laura P W Ranum
- Center for NeuroGenetics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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42
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Zeun P, Scahill RI, Tabrizi SJ, Wild EJ. Fluid and imaging biomarkers for Huntington's disease. Mol Cell Neurosci 2019; 97:67-80. [PMID: 30807825 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative condition for which there is no disease-modifying treatment. The known genetic cause of Huntington's disease makes it possible to identify individuals destined to develop the disease and instigate treatments before the onset of symptoms. Multiple trials are already underway that target the cause of HD, yet clinical measures are often insensitive to change over typical clinical trial duration. Robust biomarkers of drug target engagement, disease severity and progression are required to evaluate the efficacy of treatments and concerted efforts are underway to achieve this. Biofluid biomarkers have potential advantages of direct quantification of biological processes at the molecular level, whilst imaging biomarkers can quantify related changes at a structural level in the brain. The most robust biofluid and imaging biomarkers can offer complementary information, providing a more comprehensive evaluation of disease stage and progression to inform clinical trial design and endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Zeun
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
| | - Rachael I Scahill
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
| | - Edward J Wild
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
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43
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Johnson EB, Gregory S. Huntington's disease: Brain imaging in Huntington's disease. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2019; 165:321-369. [PMID: 31481169 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) gene-carriers show prominent neuronal loss by end-stage disease, and the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been increasingly used to quantify brain changes during earlier stages of the disease. MRI offers an in vivo method of measuring structural and functional brain change. The images collected via MRI are processed to measure different anatomical features, such as brain volume, macro- and microstructural changes within white matter and functional brain activity. Structural imaging has demonstrated significant volume loss across multiple white and gray matter regions in HD, particularly within subcortical structures. There also appears to be increasing disorganization of white matter tracts and between-region connectivity with increasing disease progression. Finally, functional changes are thought to represent changes in brain activity underlying compensatory mechanisms in HD. This chapter will provide an overview of the principles of MRI and practicalities associated with using MRI in HD studies, and summarize findings from MRI studies investigating brain structure and function in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileanoir B Johnson
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Gregory
- Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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44
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Intrinsic mutant HTT-mediated defects in oligodendroglia cause myelination deficits and behavioral abnormalities in Huntington disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:9622-9627. [PMID: 31015293 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1818042116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
White matter abnormalities are a nearly universal pathological feature of neurodegenerative disorders including Huntington disease (HD). A long-held assumption is that this white matter pathology is simply a secondary outcome of the progressive neuronal loss that manifests with advancing disease. Using a mouse model of HD, here we show that white matter and myelination abnormalities are an early disease feature appearing before the manifestation of any behavioral abnormalities or neuronal loss. We further show that selective inactivation of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) in the NG2+ oligodendrocyte progenitor cell population prevented myelin abnormalities and certain behavioral deficits in HD mice. Strikingly, the improvements in behavioral outcomes were seen despite the continued expression of mHTT in nonoligodendroglial cells including neurons, astrocytes, and microglia. Using RNA-seq and ChIP-seq analyses, we implicate a pathogenic mechanism that involves enhancement of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) activity by mHTT in the intrinsic oligodendroglial dysfunction and myelination deficits observed in HD. Our findings challenge the long-held dogma regarding the etiology of white matter pathology in HD and highlight the contribution of epigenetic mechanisms to the observed intrinsic oligodendroglial dysfunction. Our results further suggest that ameliorating white matter pathology and oligodendroglial dysfunction may be beneficial for HD.
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45
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Rangel-Barajas C, Rebec GV. Overview of Huntington's Disease Models: Neuropathological, Molecular, and Behavioral Differences. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 83:e47. [PMID: 30040221 DOI: 10.1002/cpns.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic mouse models of Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative condition caused by a single gene mutation, have been transformative in their ability to reveal the molecular processes and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the HD behavioral phenotype. Three model categories have been generated depending on the genetic context in which the mutation is expressed: truncated, full-length, and knock-in. No single model, however, broadly replicates the behavioral symptoms and massive neuronal loss that occur in human patients. The disparity between model and patient requires careful consideration of what each model has to offer when testing potential treatments. Although the translation of animal data to the clinic has been limited, each model can make unique contributions toward an improved understanding of the neurobehavioral underpinnings of HD. Thus, conclusions based on data obtained from more than one model are likely to have the most success in the search for new treatment targets. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Rangel-Barajas
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
| | - George V Rebec
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
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46
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Teo RTY, Ferrari Bardile C, Tay YL, Yusof NABM, Kreidy CA, Tan LJ, Pouladi MA. Impaired Remyelination in a Mouse Model of Huntington Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:6873-6882. [PMID: 30937636 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-1579-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
White matter (WM) abnormalities are a well-established feature of Huntington disease (HD), although their nature is not fully understood. Here, we asked whether remyelination as a measure of WM plasticity is impaired in a model of HD. Using the cuprizone assay, we examined demyelination and remyelination responses in YAC128 HD mice. Treatment with 0.2% cuprizone (CPZ) for 6 weeks resulted in significant reduction in mature (GSTπ-positive) oligodendrocyte counts and FluoroMyelin staining in the corpus callosum, leading to similar demyelination states in YAC128 and wild-type (WT) mice. Six weeks following cessation of CPZ, we observed robust remyelination in WT mice as indicated by an increase in mature oligodendrocyte counts and FluoroMyelin staining. In contrast, YAC128 mice exhibited an impaired remyelination response. The increase in mature oligodendrocyte counts in YAC128 HD mice following CPZ cessation was lower than that of WT. Furthermore, there was no increase in FluoroMyelin staining compared to the demyelinated state in YAC128 mice. We confirmed these findings using electron microscopy where the CPZ-induced reduction in myelinated axons was reversed following CPZ cessation in WT but not YAC128 mice. Our findings demonstrate that remyelination is impaired in YAC128 mice and suggest that WM plasticity may be compromised in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Tang Yi Teo
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Costanza Ferrari Bardile
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Yi Lin Tay
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Nur Amirah Binte Mohammad Yusof
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Charbel A Kreidy
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Liang Juin Tan
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Mahmoud A Pouladi
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, Singapore, 138648, Singapore.
- Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
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47
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Petrella LI, Castelhano JM, Ribeiro M, Sereno JV, Gonçalves SI, Laço MN, Hayden MR, Rego AC, Castelo-Branco M. A whole brain longitudinal study in the YAC128 mouse model of Huntington's disease shows distinct trajectories of neurochemical, structural connectivity and volumetric changes. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 27:2125-2137. [PMID: 29668904 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder causing cognitive and motor impairments, evolving to death within 15-20 years after symptom onset. We previously established a mouse model with the entire human HD gene containing 128 CAG repeats (YAC128) which accurately recapitulates the natural history of the human disease. Defined time points in this natural history enable the understanding of longitudinal trajectories from the neurochemical and structural points of view using non-invasive high-resolution multi-modal imaging. Accordingly, we designed a longitudinal structural imaging (MRI and DTI) and spectroscopy (1H-MRS) study in YAC128, at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age, at 9.4 T. Structural analysis (MRI/DTI), confirmed that the striatum is the earliest affected brain region, but other regions were also identified through connectivity analysis (pre-frontal cortex, hippocampus, globus pallidus and thalamus), suggesting a striking homology with the human disease. Importantly, we found for the first time, a negative correlation between striatal and hippocampal changes only in YAC128. In fact, the striatum showed accelerated volumetric decay in HD, as opposed to the hippocampus. Neurochemical analysis of the HD striatum suggested early neurometabolic alterations in neurotransmission and metabolism, with a significant increase in striatal GABA levels, and specifically anticorrelated levels of N-acetyl aspartate and taurine, suggesting that the later is homeostatically adjusted for neuroprotection, as neural loss, indicated by the former, is progressing. These results provide novel insights into the natural history of HD and prove a valuable role for longitudinal multi-modal panels of structural and metabolite/neurotransmission in the YAC128 model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena I Petrella
- Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João M Castelhano
- Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Mario Ribeiro
- Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - José V Sereno
- Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sónia I Gonçalves
- Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Neuroplasticity and Neural Activity Laboratory, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mário N Laço
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - A Cristina Rego
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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Gatto RG, Ye AQ, Colon-Perez L, Mareci TH, Lysakowski A, Price SD, Brady ST, Karaman M, Morfini G, Magin RL. Detection of axonal degeneration in a mouse model of Huntington's disease: comparison between diffusion tensor imaging and anomalous diffusion metrics. MAGNETIC RESONANCE MATERIALS IN PHYSICS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2019; 32:461-471. [PMID: 30771034 DOI: 10.1007/s10334-019-00742-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The goal of this work is to study the changes in white matter integrity in R6/2, a well-established animal model of Huntington's disease (HD) that are captured by ex vivo diffusion imaging (DTI) using a high field MRI (17.6 T). MATERIALS AND METHODS DTI and continuous time random walk (CTRW) models were used to fit changes in the diffusion-weighted signal intensity in the corpus callosum of controls and in R6/2 mice. RESULTS A significant 13% decrease in fractional anisotropy, a 7% increase in axial diffusion, and a 33% increase in radial diffusion were observed between R6/2 and control mice. No change was observed in the CTRW beta parameter, but a significant decrease in the alpha parameter (- 21%) was measured. Histological analysis of the corpus callosum showed a decrease in axonal organization, myelin alterations, and astrogliosis. Electron microscopy studies demonstrated ultrastructural changes in degenerating axons, such as an increase in tortuosity in the R6/2 mice. CONCLUSIONS DTI and CTRW diffusion models display quantitative changes associated with the microstructural alterations observed in the corpus callosum of the R6/2 mice. The observed increase in the diffusivity and decrease in the alpha CTRW parameter providing support for the use of these diffusion models for non-invasive detection of white matter alterations in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo G Gatto
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 851 S Morgan St, 218 SEO (MC 063), Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Allen Q Ye
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 851 S Morgan St, 218 SEO (MC 063), Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Luis Colon-Perez
- Department of Neurology and Behavior, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Thomas H Mareci
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Anna Lysakowski
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Steven D Price
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Scott T Brady
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Muge Karaman
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 851 S Morgan St, 218 SEO (MC 063), Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.,Center for MR Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gerardo Morfini
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Richard L Magin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 851 S Morgan St, 218 SEO (MC 063), Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
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49
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Loss-of-Huntingtin in Medial and Lateral Ganglionic Lineages Differentially Disrupts Regional Interneuron and Projection Neuron Subtypes and Promotes Huntington's Disease-Associated Behavioral, Cellular, and Pathological Hallmarks. J Neurosci 2019; 39:1892-1909. [PMID: 30626701 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2443-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging studies are providing compelling evidence that the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder with frequent midlife onset, encompasses developmental components. Moreover, our previous studies using a hypomorphic model targeting huntingtin during the neurodevelopmental period indicated that loss-of-function mechanisms account for this pathogenic developmental component (Arteaga-Bracho et al., 2016). In the present study, we specifically ascertained the roles of subpallial lineage species in eliciting the previously observed HD-like phenotypes. Accordingly, we used the Cre-loxP system to conditionally ablate the murine huntingtin gene (Httflx) in cells expressing the subpallial patterning markers Gsx2 (Gsx2-Cre) or Nkx2.1 (Nkx2.1-Cre) in Httflx mice of both sexes. These genetic manipulations elicited anxiety-like behaviors, hyperkinetic locomotion, age-dependent motor deficits, and weight loss in both Httflx;Gsx2-Cre and Httflx;Nkx2.1-Cre mice. In addition, these strains displayed unique but complementary spatial patterns of basal ganglia degeneration that are strikingly reminiscent of those seen in human cases of HD. Furthermore, we observed early deficits of somatostatin-positive and Reelin-positive interneurons in both Htt subpallial null strains, as well as early increases of cholinergic interneurons, Foxp2+ arkypallidal neurons, and incipient deficits with age-dependent loss of parvalbumin-positive neurons in Httflx;Nkx2.1-Cre mice. Overall, our findings indicate that selective loss-of-huntingtin function in subpallial lineages differentially disrupts the number, complement, and survival of forebrain interneurons and globus pallidus GABAergic neurons, thereby leading to the development of key neurological hallmarks of HD during adult life. Our findings have important implications for the establishment and deployment of neural circuitries and the integrity of network reserve in health and disease.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive degenerative disorder caused by aberrant trinucleotide expansion in the huntingtin gene. Mechanistically, this mutation involves both loss- and gain-of-function mechanisms affecting a broad array of cellular and molecular processes. Although huntingtin is widely expressed during adult life, the mutant protein only causes the demise of selective neuronal subtypes. The mechanisms accounting for this differential vulnerability remain elusive. In this study, we have demonstrated that loss-of-huntingtin function in subpallial lineages not only differentially disrupts distinct interneuron species early in life, but also leads to a pattern of neurological deficits that are reminiscent of HD. This work suggests that early disruption of selective neuronal subtypes may account for the profiles of enhanced regional cellular vulnerability to death in HD.
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50
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Ciarochi JA, Johnson HJ, Calhoun VD, Liu J, Espinoza FA, Bockholt HJ, Misiura M, Caprihan A, Plis S, Paulsen JS, Turner JA. Concurrent Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analyses of Multivariate White Matter Profiles and Clinical Functioning in Pre-Diagnosis Huntington Disease. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 8:199-219. [PMID: 30932891 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-180332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gray matter (GM) atrophy in the striatum and across the brain is a consistently reported feature of the Huntington Disease (HD) prodrome. More recently, widespread prodromal white matter (WM) degradation has also been detected. However, longitudinal WM studies are limited and conflicting, and most analyses comparing WM and clinical functioning have also been cross-sectional. OBJECTIVE We simultaneously assessed changes in WM and cognitive and motor functioning at various prodromal HD stages. METHODS Data from 1,336 (1,047 prodromal, 289 control) PREDICT-HD participants were analyzed (3,700 sessions). MRI images were used to create GM, WM, and cerebrospinal fluid probability maps. Using source-based morphometry, independent component analysis was applied to WM probability maps to extract covarying spatial patterns and their subject profiles. WM profiles were analyzed in two sets of linear mixed model (LMM) analyses: one to compare WM profiles across groups cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and one to concurrently compare WM profiles and clinical variables cross-sectionally and longitudinally within each group. RESULTS Findings illustrate widespread prodromal changes in GM-adjacent-WM, with premotor, supplementary motor, middle frontal and striatal changes early in the prodrome that subsequently extend sub-gyrally with progression. Motor functioning agreed most with WM until the near-onset prodromal stage, when Stroop interference was the best WM indicator. Across groups, Trail-Making Test part A outperformed other cognitive variables in its similarity to WM, particularly cross-sectionally. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that distinct regions coincide with cognitive compared to motor functioning. Furthermore, at different prodromal stages, distinct regions appear to align best with clinical functioning. Thus, the informativeness of clinical measures may vary according to the type of data available (cross-sectional or longitudinal) as well as age and CAG-number.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hans J Johnson
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 1402 Seamans Center for the Engineering Arts and Science, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jingyu Liu
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | | | - Maria Misiura
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Sergey Plis
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jane S Paulsen
- Department of Psychiatry, Iowa Mental Health Clinical Research Center, University of Iowa, IA, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Psychology, University of Iowa, IA, USA
| | - Jessica A Turner
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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