The role of human cognitive neuroscience in drug discovery for the dementias

Ferric-Tannic Nanoparticles Increase Neuronal Cellular Clearance

Targeting cellular clearance function in brain cells provides new opportunities for the prevention of dementia by clearance of potentially dangerous molecules. Herein, we present a new approach to enhancing neuroactive and neuroprotective activities in a neuronal cell line using ferric-tannic nanoparticles (FTs). Major biological functions mediated by FTs were clearly found to promote neuronal tube growth through the activation of axon guidance pathways. A number of neuronal tubes were found to increase under stimulation of amyloid beta-peptides, oxidative stress, and serum deprivation. The neuronal tubes generated play a role in clearing debris and amyloid beta-peptides. Another key function in cellular clearance mediated by FTs was their capability of inducing autophagy with the activation of lysosomes. Therefore, FTs are a promising new strategy for brain cell protection through the activation of the cellular clearance function. Hopefully, our findings will pave the way for the development of new methods for the prevention and therapy of dementia.

Effect of Chlorogenic Acids on Cognitive Function: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

(1) Background: Chlorogenic acids (CGAs) have been attracting interest of late, owing to their health benefits. Here, we performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to investigate whether CGAs improved cognitive function in humans. (2) Methods: Thirty-eight healthy participants were assigned to either the CGA group, which was given CGA-added beverage daily for 16 weeks, or the placebo group. Cognitive functions were assessed using the Japanese version of the CNS Vital Signs (Cognitrax). (3) Results: The CGA group showed significant increase in the Cognitrax domain scores for motor speed, psychomotor speed, and executive function compared with the placebo group, as well as an improvement in the shifting attention test scores. In blood analysis, the CGA group showed increased levels of apolipoprotein A1 and transthyretin, both of which are putative biomarkers for early-stage cognitive decline. (4) Conclusions: These results suggest that CGAs may improve some cognitive functions, which would help in the efficient performance of complex tasks.

Utility, reliability, sensitivity and validity of an online test system designed to monitor changes in cognitive function in clinical trials

OBJECTIVE

The advent of long-term remotely conducted clinical trials requires assessments which can be administered online. This paper considers the utility, reliability, sensitivity and validity of an internet-based system for measuring changes in cognitive function which is being used in one such trial.

METHODS

The Platform for Research Online to investigate Genetics and Cognition in Ageing is a 10-year longitudinal and entirely remote study launched in November 2015. The CogTrack^TM System is being used to monitor changes in important aspects of cognitive function using tests of attention, information processing and episodic memory. On study entry, the participants performed CogTrack^TM up to three times over seven days, and these data are evaluated in this paper.

RESULTS

During the first six months of the study, 14 531 individuals aged 50 to 94 years enrolled and performed the CogTrack^TM System, 8627 of whom completed three test sessions. On the first administration, 99.4% of the study tasks were successfully completed. Repeated testing showed training/familiarisation effects on four of the ten measures which had largely stabilised by the third test session. The factor structure of the various measures was found to be robust. Evaluation of the influence of age identified clinically relevant declines over the age range of the population on one or more measures from all tasks.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of these analyses identify CogTrack^TM to be a practical and valid method to reliably, sensitively, remotely and repeatedly collect cognitive data from large samples of individuals aged 50 and over. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nutrition for the ageing brain: Towards evidence for an optimal diet

As people age they become increasingly susceptible to chronic and extremely debilitating brain diseases. The precise cause of the neuronal degeneration underlying these disorders, and indeed normal brain ageing remains however elusive. Considering the limits of existing preventive methods, there is a desire to develop effective and safe strategies. Growing preclinical and clinical research in healthy individuals or at the early stage of cognitive decline has demonstrated the beneficial impact of nutrition on cognitive functions. The present review is the most recent in a series produced by the Nutrition and Mental Performance Task Force under the auspice of the International Life Sciences Institute Europe (ILSI Europe). The latest scientific advances specific to how dietary nutrients and non-nutrient may affect cognitive ageing are presented. Furthermore, several key points related to mechanisms contributing to brain ageing, pathological conditions affecting brain function, and brain biomarkers are also discussed. Overall, findings are inconsistent and fragmented and more research is warranted to determine the underlying mechanisms and to establish dose-response relationships for optimal brain maintenance in different population subgroups. Such approaches are likely to provide the necessary evidence to develop research portfolios that will inform about new dietary recommendations on how to prevent cognitive decline.

Temporal lobe proteins implicated in synaptic failure exhibit differential expression and deamidation in vascular dementia

Progressive synaptic failure precedes the loss of neurons and decline in cognitive function in neurodegenerative disorders, but the specific proteins and posttranslational modifications that promote synaptic failure in vascular dementia (VaD) remain largely unknown. We therefore used an isobaric tag for relative and absolute proteomic quantitation (iTRAQ) to profile the synapse-associated proteome of post-mortem human cortex from vascular dementia patients and age-matched controls. Brain tissue from VaD patients exhibited significant down-regulation of critical synaptic proteins including clathrin (0.29; p < 1.0⋅10(-3)) and GDI1 (0.51; p = 3.0⋅10(-3)), whereas SNAP25 (1.6; p = 5.5⋅10(-3)), bassoon (1.4; p = 1.3⋅10(-3)), excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (2.6; p = 9.2⋅10(-3)) and Ca(2+)/calmodulin dependent kinase II (1.6; p = 3.0⋅10(-2)) were substantially up-regulated. Our analyses further revealed divergent patterns of protein modification in the dementia patient samples, including a specific deamidation of synapsin1 predicted to compromise protein structure. Our results reveal potential molecular targets for intervention in synaptic failure and prevention of cognitive decline in VaD.