1
|
Huang Z, Jordan JD, Zhang Q. Myelin Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease: Potential Therapeutic Opportunities. Aging Dis 2024; 15:698-713. [PMID: 37548935 PMCID: PMC10917545 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.0628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline. Despite significant efforts over several decades, our understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease is still incomplete. Myelin is a multi-layered membrane structure ensheathing neuronal axons, which is essential for the fast and effective propagation of action potentials along the axons. Recent studies highlight the critical involvement of myelin in memory consolidation and reveal its vulnerability in various pathological conditions. Notably, apart from the classic amyloid hypothesis, myelin degeneration has been proposed as another critical pathophysiological feature of AD, which could occur prior to the development of amyloid pathology. Here, we review recent works supporting the critical role of myelin in cognition and myelin pathology during AD progression, with a focus on the mechanisms underlying myelin degeneration in AD. We also discuss the complex intersections between myelin pathology and typical AD pathophysiology, as well as the therapeutic potential of pro-myelinating approaches for this disease. Overall, these findings implicate myelin degeneration as a critical contributor to AD-related cognitive deficits and support targeting myelin repair as a promising therapeutic strategy for AD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhihai Huang
- Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71103 USA
| | - J. Dedrick Jordan
- Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71103 USA
| | - Quanguang Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71103 USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jamet M, Dupuis L, Gonzalez De Aguilar JL. Oligodendrocytes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia: the new players on stage. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1375330. [PMID: 38585368 PMCID: PMC10995329 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1375330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are fatal adult-onset neurodegenerative disorders that share clinical, neuropathological and genetic features, which forms part of a multi-system disease spectrum. The pathological process leading to ALS and FTD is the result of the combination of multiple mechanisms that operate within specific populations of neurons and glial cells. The implication of oligodendrocytes has been the subject of a number of studies conducted on patients and related animal models. In this review we summarize our current knowledge on the alterations specific to myelin and the oligodendrocyte lineage occurring in ALS and FTD. We also consider different ways by which specific oligodendroglial alterations influence neurodegeneration and highlight the important role of oligodendrocytes in these two intrinsically associated neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jose-Luis Gonzalez De Aguilar
- Strasbourg Translational Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Vacchiano V, Bonan L, Liguori R, Rizzo G. Primary Lateral Sclerosis: An Overview. J Clin Med 2024; 13:578. [PMID: 38276084 PMCID: PMC10816328 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13020578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder which causes the selective deterioration of the upper motor neurons (UMNs), sparing the lower motor neuron (LMN) system. The clinical course is defined by a progressive motor disability due to muscle spasticity which typically involves lower extremities and bulbar muscles. Although classically considered a sporadic disease, some familiar cases and possible causative genes have been reported. Despite it having been recognized as a rare but distinct entity, whether it actually represents an extreme end of the motor neuron diseases continuum is still an open issue. The main knowledge gap is the lack of specific biomarkers to improve the clinical diagnostic accuracy. Indeed, the diagnostic imprecision, together with some uncertainty about overlap with UMN-predominant ALS and Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), has become an obstacle to the development of specific therapeutic trials. In this study, we provided a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature, including neuropathological, clinical, neuroimaging, and neurophysiological features of the disease, and highlighting the controversies still unsolved in the differential diagnoses and the current diagnostic criteria. We also discussed the current knowledge gaps still present in both diagnostic and therapeutic fields when approaching this rare condition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veria Vacchiano
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC Clinica Neurologica, 40139 Bologna, Italy; (V.V.); (R.L.)
| | - Luigi Bonan
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Rocco Liguori
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC Clinica Neurologica, 40139 Bologna, Italy; (V.V.); (R.L.)
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Rizzo
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC Clinica Neurologica, 40139 Bologna, Italy; (V.V.); (R.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Xie M, Pallegar PN, Parusel S, Nguyen AT, Wu LJ. Regulation of cortical hyperexcitability in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: focusing on glial mechanisms. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:75. [PMID: 37858176 PMCID: PMC10585818 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00665-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of both upper and lower motor neurons, resulting in muscle weakness, atrophy, paralysis, and eventually death. Motor cortical hyperexcitability is a common phenomenon observed at the presymptomatic stage of ALS. Both cell-autonomous (the intrinsic properties of motor neurons) and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms (cells other than motor neurons) are believed to contribute to cortical hyperexcitability. Decoding the pathological relevance of these dynamic changes in motor neurons and glial cells has remained a major challenge. This review summarizes the evidence of cortical hyperexcitability from both clinical and preclinical research, as well as the underlying mechanisms. We discuss the potential role of glial cells, particularly microglia, in regulating abnormal neuronal activity during the disease progression. Identifying early changes such as neuronal hyperexcitability in the motor system may provide new insights for earlier diagnosis of ALS and reveal novel targets to halt the disease progression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manling Xie
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Praveen N Pallegar
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Sebastian Parusel
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Aivi T Nguyen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Long-Jun Wu
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA.
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Şişman M, Nguyen TD, Roberts AG, Romano DJ, Dimov AV, Kovanlikaya I, Spincemaille P, Wang Y. Microstructure-Informed Myelin Mapping (MIMM) from Gradient Echo MRI using Stochastic Matching Pursuit. medRxiv 2023:2023.09.22.23295993. [PMID: 37808826 PMCID: PMC10557811 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.22.23295993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Quantification of the myelin content of the white matter is important for studying demyelination in neurodegenerative diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), particularly for longitudinal monitoring. A novel noninvasive MRI method, called Microstructure-Informed Myelin Mapping (MIMM), is developed to quantify the myelin volume fraction (MVF) by utilizing a multi gradient echo sequence (mGRE) and a detailed biophysical model of tissue microstructure. Myelin is modeled as anisotropic negative susceptibility source based on the Hollow Cylindrical Fiber Model (HCFM), and iron as isotropic positive susceptibility source in the extracellular region. Voxels with a range of biophysical parameters are simulated to create a dictionary of MR echo time magnitude signals and total susceptibility values. MRI signals measured using a mGRE sequence are then matched voxel-by-voxel to the created dictionary to obtain the spatial distributions of myelin and iron. Three different MIMM versions are presented to deal with the fiber orientation dependent susceptibility effects of the myelin sheaths: a basic variation, which assumes fiber orientation is an unknown to fit, two orientation informed variations, which assume the fiber orientation distribution is available either from a separate diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) acquisition or from a DTI atlas based fiber orientation map. While all showed a significant linear correlation with the reference method based on T2-relaxometry (p < 0.0001), DTI orientation informed and atlas orientation informed variations reduced overestimation at white matter tracts compared to the basic variation. Finally, the implications and usefulness of attaining an additional iron susceptibility distribution map are discussed. Highlights novel stochastic matching pursuit algorithm called microstructure-informed myelin mapping (MIMM) is developed to quantify Myelin Volume Fraction (MVF) using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and microstructural modeling.utilizes a detailed biophysical model to capture the susceptibility effects on both magnitude and phase to quantify myelin and iron.matter fiber orientation effects are considered for the improved MVF quantification in the major fiber tracts.acquired myelin and iron maps may be utilized to monitor longitudinal disease progress.
Collapse
|
6
|
Svirin E, de Munter J, Umriukhin A, Sheveleva E, Kalueff AV, Svistunov A, Morozov S, Walitza S, Strekalova T. Aberrant Ganglioside Functions to Underpin Dysregulated Myelination, Insulin Signalling, and Cytokine Expression: Is There a Link and a Room for Therapy? Biomolecules 2022; 12:1434. [PMID: 36291644 PMCID: PMC9599472 DOI: 10.3390/biom12101434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gangliosides are molecules widely present in the plasma membranes of mammalian cells, participating in a variety of processes, including protein organization, transmembrane signalling and cell adhesion. Gangliosides are abundant in the grey matter of the brain, where they are critically involved in postnatal neural development and function. The common precursor of the majority of brain gangliosides, GM3, is formed by the sialylation of lactosylceramide, and four derivatives of its a- and b-series, GM1, GD1a, GD1b and GT1b, constitute 95% of all the brain gangliosides. Impairments in ganglioside metabolism due to genetic abnormalities of GM-synthases are associated with severe neurological disorders. Apart from that, the latest genome-wide association and translational studies suggest a role of genes involved in brain ganglioside synthesis in less pervasive psychiatric disorders. Remarkably, the most recent animal studies showed that abnormal ganglioside functions result in dysregulated neuroinflammation, aberrant myelination and altered insulin receptor signalling. At the same time, these molecular features are well established as accompanying developmental psychiatric disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This led us to hypothesize a role of deficient ganglioside function in developmental neuropsychiatric disorders and warrants further gene association clinical studies addressing this question. Here, we critically review the literature to discuss this hypothesis and focus on the recent studies on ST3GAL5-deficient mice. In addition, we elaborate on the therapeutic potential of various anti-inflammatory remedies for treatment of developmental neuropsychiatric conditions related to aberrant ganglioside functions.
Collapse
|
7
|
McDowell AR, Petrova N, Carassiti D, Miquel ME, Thomas DL, Barker GJ, Schmierer K, Wood TC. High-resolution quantitative MRI of multiple sclerosis spinal cord lesions. Magn Reson Med 2022; 87:2914-2921. [PMID: 35014736 PMCID: PMC9208576 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Validation of quantitative MR measures for myelin imaging in the postmortem multiple sclerosis spinal cord. METHODS Four fixed spinal cord samples were imaged first with a 3T clinical MR scanner to identify areas of interest for scanning, and then with a 7T small bore scanner using a multicomponent-driven equilibrium single-pulse observation of T1 and T2 protocol to produce apparent proton density, T1 , T2 , myelin water, intracellular water, and free-water fraction maps. After imaging, the cords were sectioned and stained with histological markers (hematoxylin and eosin, myelin basic protein, and neurofilament protein), which were quantitatively compared with the MR maps. RESULTS Excellent correspondence was found between high-resolution MR parameter maps and histology, particularly for apparent proton density MRI and myelin basic protein staining. CONCLUSION High-resolution quantitative MRI of the spinal cord provides biologically meaningful measures, and could be beneficial to diagnose and track multiple sclerosis lesions in the spinal cord.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy R McDowell
- Queen Square Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Natalia Petrova
- The Blizard Institute (Neuroscience, Surgery & Trauma), Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniele Carassiti
- The Blizard Institute (Neuroscience, Surgery & Trauma), Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marc E Miquel
- Clinical Physics, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - David L Thomas
- Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Klaus Schmierer
- The Blizard Institute (Neuroscience, Surgery & Trauma), Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, London, United Kingdom.,Clinical Board Medicine (Neuroscience), Barts Health NHS Trust, The Royal London Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ishaque A, Ta D, Khan M, Zinman L, Korngut L, Genge A, Dionne A, Briemberg H, Luk C, Yang YH, Beaulieu C, Emery D, Eurich DT, Frayne R, Graham S, Wilman A, Dupré N, Kalra S. Distinct patterns of progressive gray and white matter degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 43:1519-1534. [PMID: 34908212 PMCID: PMC8886653 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Progressive cerebral degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains poorly understood. Here, three-dimensional (3D) texture analysis was used to study longitudinal gray and white matter cerebral degeneration in ALS from routine T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Participants were included from the Canadian ALS Neuroimaging Consortium (CALSNIC) who underwent up to three clinical assessments and MRI at four-month intervals, up to 8 months after baseline (T0 ). Three-dimensional maps of the texture feature autocorrelation were computed from T1-weighted images. One hundred and nineteen controls and 137 ALS patients were included, with 81 controls and 84 ALS patients returning for at least one follow-up. At baseline, texture changes in ALS patients were detected in the motor cortex, corticospinal tract, insular cortex, and bilateral frontal and temporal white matter compared to controls. Longitudinal comparison of texture maps between T0 and Tmax (last follow-up visit) within ALS patients showed progressive texture alterations in the temporal white matter, insula, and internal capsule. Additionally, when compared to controls, ALS patients had greater texture changes in the frontal and temporal structures at Tmax than at T0 . In subgroup analysis, slow progressing ALS patients had greater progressive texture change in the internal capsule than the fast progressing patients. Contrastingly, fast progressing patients had greater progressive texture changes in the precentral gyrus. These findings suggest that the characteristic longitudinal gray matter pathology in ALS is the progressive involvement of frontotemporal regions rather than a worsening pathology within the motor cortex, and that phenotypic variability is associated with distinct progressive spatial pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Ishaque
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Daniel Ta
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Muhammad Khan
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Lorne Zinman
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Lawrence Korngut
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Angela Genge
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Canada
| | - Annie Dionne
- Département des Sciences Neurologiques, Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus, CHU de Québec, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Hannah Briemberg
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Collin Luk
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Yee-Hong Yang
- Department of Computing Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton
| | - Christian Beaulieu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Derek Emery
- Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Dean T Eurich
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Richard Frayne
- Department of Radiology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.,Seaman Family MR Research Centre, Foothills Medical Centre, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Canada
| | - Simon Graham
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Alan Wilman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Nicolas Dupré
- Neuroscience Axis, CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Sanjay Kalra
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.,Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
McKenna MC, Corcia P, Couratier P, Siah WF, Pradat PF, Bede P. Frontotemporal Pathology in Motor Neuron Disease Phenotypes: Insights From Neuroimaging. Front Neurol 2021; 12:723450. [PMID: 34484106 PMCID: PMC8415268 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.723450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal involvement has been extensively investigated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) but remains relatively poorly characterized in other motor neuron disease (MND) phenotypes such as primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), progressive muscular atrophy (PMA), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), post poliomyelitis syndrome (PPS), and hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP). This review focuses on insights from structural, metabolic, and functional neuroimaging studies that have advanced our understanding of extra-motor disease burden in these phenotypes. The imaging literature is limited in the majority of these conditions and frontotemporal involvement has been primarily evaluated by neuropsychology and post mortem studies. Existing imaging studies reveal that frontotemporal degeneration can be readily detected in ALS and PLS, varying degree of frontotemporal pathology may be captured in PMA, SBMA, and HSP, SMA exhibits cerebral involvement without regional predilection, and there is limited evidence for cerebral changes in PPS. Our review confirms the heterogeneity extra-motor pathology across the spectrum of MNDs and highlights the role of neuroimaging in characterizing anatomical patterns of disease burden in vivo. Despite the contribution of neuroimaging to MND research, sample size limitations, inclusion bias, attrition rates in longitudinal studies, and methodological constraints need to be carefully considered. Frontotemporal involvement is a quintessential clinical facet of MND which has important implications for screening practices, individualized management strategies, participation in clinical trials, caregiver burden, and resource allocation. The academic relevance of imaging frontotemporal pathology in MND spans from the identification of genetic variants, through the ascertainment of presymptomatic changes to the design of future epidemiology studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Clare McKenna
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Philippe Corcia
- Department of Neurology-Neurophysiology, CRMR ALS, Tours, France.,UMR 1253 iBrain, University of Tours, Tours, France.,LITORALS, Federation of ALS Centres: Tours-Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - Philippe Couratier
- LITORALS, Federation of ALS Centres: Tours-Limoges, Limoges, France.,ALS Centre, Limoges University Hospital (CHU de Limoges), Limoges, France
| | - We Fong Siah
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Peter Bede
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bede P, Pradat PF, Lope J, Vourc'h P, Blasco H, Corcia P. Primary Lateral Sclerosis: Clinical, radiological and molecular features. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2021; 178:196-205. [PMID: 34243936 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2021.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS) is an uncommon motor neuron disorder. Despite the well-recognisable constellation of clinical manifestations, the initial diagnosis can be challenging and therapeutic options are currently limited. There have been no recent clinical trials of disease-modifying therapies dedicated to this patient cohort and awareness of recent research developments is limited. The recent consensus diagnostic criteria introduced the category 'probable' PLS which is likely to curtail the diagnostic journey of patients. Extra-motor clinical manifestations are increasingly recognised, challenging the view of PLS as a 'pure' upper motor neuron condition. The post mortem literature of PLS has been expanded by seminal TDP-43 reports and recent PLS studies increasingly avail of meticulous genetic profiling. Research in PLS has gained unprecedented momentum in recent years generating novel academic insights, which may have important clinical ramifications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P Bede
- Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Sorbonne University, Paris, France; Computational Neuroimaging Group, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
| | - P-F Pradat
- Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - J Lope
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - P Vourc'h
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, CHRU Bretonneau, Tours, France; UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, France
| | - H Blasco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, CHRU Bretonneau, Tours, France; UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, France
| | - P Corcia
- UMR 1253 iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, France; ALS and MND centre (FILSLAN), University of Tours, "iBrain", inserm, France
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Traiffort E, Morisset-Lopez S, Moussaed M, Zahaf A. Defective Oligodendroglial Lineage and Demyelination in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22073426. [PMID: 33810425 PMCID: PMC8036314 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor neurons and their axons reaching the skeletal muscle have long been considered as the best characterized targets of the degenerative process observed in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the involvement of glial cells was also more recently reported. Although oligodendrocytes have been underestimated for a longer time than other cells, they are presently considered as critically involved in axonal injury and also conversely constitute a target for the toxic effects of the degenerative neurons. In the present review, we highlight the recent advances regarding oligodendroglial cell involvement in the pathogenesis of ALS. First, we present the oligodendroglial cells, the process of myelination, and the tight relationship between axons and myelin. The histological abnormalities observed in ALS and animal models of the disease are described, including myelin defects and oligodendroglial accumulation of pathological protein aggregates. Then, we present data that establish the existence of dysfunctional and degenerating oligodendroglial cells, the chain of events resulting in oligodendrocyte degeneration, and the most recent molecular mechanisms supporting oligodendrocyte death and dysfunction. Finally, we review the arguments in support of the primary versus secondary involvement of oligodendrocytes in the disease and discuss the therapeutic perspectives related to oligodendrocyte implication in ALS pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Traiffort
- Diseases and Hormones of the Nervous System U1195 INSERM, Paris Saclay University, 80 Rue du Général Leclerc, 94276 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France;
- Correspondence:
| | - Séverine Morisset-Lopez
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, UPR 4301 CNRS, Orléans University, INSERM, rue Charles Sadron, CEDEX 02, 45071 Orleans, France; (S.M.-L.); (M.M.)
| | - Mireille Moussaed
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, UPR 4301 CNRS, Orléans University, INSERM, rue Charles Sadron, CEDEX 02, 45071 Orleans, France; (S.M.-L.); (M.M.)
| | - Amina Zahaf
- Diseases and Hormones of the Nervous System U1195 INSERM, Paris Saclay University, 80 Rue du Général Leclerc, 94276 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France;
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Pioro EP, Turner MR, Bede P. Neuroimaging in primary lateral sclerosis. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2020; 21:18-27. [PMID: 33602015 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2020.1837176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Increased interest in the underlying pathogenesis of primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) and its relationship to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has corresponded to a growing number of CNS imaging studies, especially in the past decade. Both its rarity and uncertainty of definite diagnosis prior to 4 years from symptom onset have resulted in PLS being less studied than ALS. In this review, we highlight most relevant papers applying magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and positron emission tomography (PET) to analyzing CNS changes in PLS, often in relation to ALS. In patients with PLS, mostly brain, but also spinal cord has been evaluated since significant neurodegeneration is essentially restricted to upper motor neuron (UMN) structures and related pathways. Abnormalities of cortex and subcortical white matter tracts have been identified by structural and functional MRI and MRS studies, while metabolic and cell-specific changes in PLS brain have been revealed using various PET radiotracers. Future neuroimaging studies will continue to explore the interface between the PLS-ALS continuum, identify more changes unique to PLS, apply novel MRI and MRS sequences showing greater structural and neurochemical detail, as well as expand the repertoire of PET radiotracers that reveal various cellular pathologies. Neuroimaging has the potential to play an important role in the evaluation of novel therapies for patients with PLS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erik P Pioro
- Section of ALS & Related Disorders, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Martin R Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Peter Bede
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Gao J, Jiang M, Magin RL, Gatto RG, Morfini G, Larson AC, Li W. Multicomponent diffusion analysis reveals microstructural alterations in spinal cord of a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ex vivo. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231598. [PMID: 32310954 PMCID: PMC7170503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The microstructure changes associated with degeneration of spinal axons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be reflected in altered water diffusion properties, potentially detectable with diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI. Prior work revealed the classical mono-exponential model fails to precisely depict decay in DW signal at high b-values. In this study, we aim to investigate signal decay behaviors at ultra-high b-values for non-invasive assessment of spinal cord alterations in the transgenic SOD1G93A mouse model of ALS. A multiexponential diffusion analysis using regularized non-negative least squares (rNNLS) algorithm was applied to a series of thirty DW MR images with b-values ranging from 0 to 858,022 s/mm2 on ex vivo spinal cords of transgenic SOD1G93A and age-matched control mice. We compared the distributions of measured diffusion coefficient fractions between the groups. The measured diffusion weighted signals in log-scale showed non-linear decay behaviors with increased b-values. Faster signal decays were observed with diffusion gradients applied parallel to the long axis of the spinal cord compared to when oriented in the transverse direction. Multiexponential analysis at the lumbar level in the spinal cord identified ten subintervals. A significant decrease of diffusion coefficient fractions was found in the ranges of [1.63×10−8,3.70×10−6] mm2/s (P = 0.0002) and of [6.01×10−6,4.20×10−5] mm2/s (P = 0.0388) in SOD1G93A mice. Anisotropic diffusion signals persisted at ultra-high b-value DWIs of the mouse spinal cord and multiexponential diffusion analysis offers the potential to evaluate microstructural alterations of ALS-affected spinal cord non-invasively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Gao
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Research Resource Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Mingchen Jiang
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Richard L. Magin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Rodolfo G. Gatto
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Gerardo Morfini
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Andrew C. Larson
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Weiguo Li
- Research Resource Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Müller HP, Dreyhaupt J, Roselli F, Schlecht M, Ludolph AC, Huppertz HJ, Kassubek J. Focal alterations of the callosal area III in primary lateral sclerosis: An MRI planimetry and texture analysis. Neuroimage Clin 2020; 26:102223. [PMID: 32114375 PMCID: PMC7049663 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The regional pattern of cerebral alterations in PLS includes the area III of the CC. Callosal alterations of the texture parameters entropy and homogeneity were shown in PLS. Texture and macrostructure of the callosal area III is targeted as a neuroimaging marker in PLS.
Background The regional distribution of cerebral morphological alterations in primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is considered to include the area III of the corpus callosum (CC). Objective The study was designed to investigate regional white matter (WM) alterations in the callosal area III by T1 weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T1w-MRI) data in PLS patients compared with healthy controls, in order to identify atrophy and texture changes in vivo. Methods T1w-MRI-based white matter mapping was used to perform an operator-independent CC-segmentation for the different areas of the CC in 67 PLS patients vs 82 matched healthy controls and vs 85 ALS patients. The segmentation was followed by texture analysis of the separated CC areas for the PLS patients vs controls and vs ALS patients. Results PLS was associated with significant atrophy in the area III of the CC (but not in the other callosal segments), while the alterations in the ALS patients were much more variable and were not significant at the group level. Furthermore, significant regional alterations of the texture parameters entropy and homogeneity in this area were shown in PLS patients and in ALS patients. Conclusions This T1w-MRI study demonstrated focused regional CC atrophy and texture alterations limited to the callosal area III (which comprises fibers projecting into the primary motor cortices) in PLS, in comparison to a higher variability in CC size in ALS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jens Dreyhaupt
- Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, University of Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Mitsumoto H, Chiuzan C, Gilmore M, Zhang Y, Simmons Z, Paganoni S, Kisanuki YY, Zinman L, Jawdat O, Sorenson E, Floeter MK, Pioro EP, Fernandes Filho JAM, Heitzman D, Fournier CN, Oskarsson B, Heiman‐Patterson T, Maragakis N, Joyce N, Hayat G, Nations S, Scelsa S, Walk D, Elman L, Hupf J, McHale B. Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) functional rating scale: PLS‐specific clinimetric scale. Muscle Nerve 2019; 61:163-172. [DOI: 10.1002/mus.26765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Mitsumoto
- Department of Neurology, Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS CenterColumbia University Irvine Medical Center New York New York
| | - Codruta Chiuzan
- Department of BiostatisticsMailman School of Medicine, Columbia University New York New York
| | - Madison Gilmore
- Department of Neurology, Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS CenterColumbia University Irvine Medical Center New York New York
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of BiostatisticsMailman School of Medicine, Columbia University New York New York
| | - Zachary Simmons
- Department of NeurologyPennsylvania State University Hershey Pennsylvania
| | - Sabrina Paganoni
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Department of NeurologyMassachusetts General Hospital Boston Massachusetts
- Department of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationSpaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts
| | | | - Lorne Zinman
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Toronto, Sunnybrook Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Omar Jawdat
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Kansas Kansas City Kansas
| | - Eric Sorenson
- Department of NeurologyMayo Clinic, Minnesota Rochester Minnesota
| | - Mary Kay Floeter
- Clinical Unit, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke Bethesda Maryland
| | - Erik P. Pioro
- Department of NeurologyCleveland Clinic Cleveland Ohio
| | | | | | | | - Bjorn Oskarsson
- Department of NeurologyMayo Clinic Jacksonville Jacksonville Florida
| | | | | | - Nanette Joyce
- Department of Neurology University of California Davis Davis California
| | - Ghazala Hayat
- Department of NeurologySt Louis University St Louis Missouri
| | - Sharon Nations
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Texas Southwestern Dallas Texas
| | - Stephen Scelsa
- Department of NeurologyMount Sinai/Beth Israel Hospital New York New York
| | - David Walk
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota
| | - Lauren Elman
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pennsylvania
| | - Jonathan Hupf
- Department of Neurology, Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS CenterColumbia University Irvine Medical Center New York New York
| | - Brittany McHale
- Department of Neurology, Eleanor and Lou Gehrig ALS CenterColumbia University Irvine Medical Center New York New York
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Affiliation(s)
- John D Port
- From the Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Mayo West 2, Rochester, MN 55905
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Dvorak AV, Ljungberg E, Vavasour IM, Liu H, Johnson P, Rauscher A, Kramer JLK, Tam R, Li DKB, Laule C, Barlow L, Briemberg H, MacKay AL, Traboulsee A, Kozlowski P, Cashman N, Kolind SH. Rapid myelin water imaging for the assessment of cervical spinal cord myelin damage. Neuroimage Clin 2019; 23:101896. [PMID: 31276928 PMCID: PMC6611998 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.101896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Background Rapid myelin water imaging (MWI) using a combined gradient and spin echo (GRASE) sequence can produce myelin specific metrics for the human brain. Spinal cord MWI could be similarly useful, but technical challenges have hindered routine application. GRASE rapid MWI was recently successfully implemented for imaging of healthy cervical spinal cord and may complement other advanced imaging methods, such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and quantitative T1 (qT1). Objective To demonstrate the feasibility of cervical cord GRASE rapid MWI in multiple sclerosis (MS), primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMO), with comparison to DTI and qT1 metrics. Methods GRASE MWI, DTI and qT1 data were acquired in 2 PLS, 1 relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), 1 primary-progressive MS (PPMS) and 2 NMO subjects, as well as 6 age (±3 yrs) and sex matched healthy controls (HC). Internal cord structure guided template registrations, used for region of interest (ROI) analysis. Z score maps were calculated for the difference between disease subject and mean HC metric values. Results PLS subjects had low myelin water fraction (MWF) in the lateral funiculi compared to HC. RRMS subject MWF was heterogeneous within the cord. The PPMS subject showed no trends in ROI results but had a region of low MWF Z score corresponding to a focal lesion. The NMO subject with a longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis lesion had low values for whole cord mean MWF of 12.8% compared to 24.3% (standard deviation 2.2%) for HC. The NMO subject without lesions also had low MWF compared to HC. DTI and qT1 metrics showed similar trends, corroborating the MWF results and providing complementary information. Conclusion GRASE is sufficiently sensitive to detect decreased myelin within MS spinal cord plaques, NMO lesions, and PLS diffuse spinal cord injury. Decreased MWF in PLS is consistent with demyelination secondary to motor neuron degeneration. GRASE MWI is a feasible method for rapid assessment of myelin content in the cervical spinal cord and provides complementary information to that of DTI and qT1 measures. Downstream myelin changes in motor tracts of primary lateral sclerosis spinal cord. Low myelin water fraction in multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica cord lesions. Diffuse demyelination evidence in neuromyelitis optica normal-appearing white matter. Myelin water imaging provides complementary information to diffusion and T1 metrics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam V Dvorak
- Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, 818 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada.
| | - Emil Ljungberg
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park PO89, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Irene M Vavasour
- Radiology, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Hanwen Liu
- Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, 818 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Poljanka Johnson
- Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Alexander Rauscher
- Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada; Radiology, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, 4480 Oak Street BC Children's Hospital Vancouver, BC V6H 3V4, Canada; UBC MRI Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - John L K Kramer
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, 818 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, 210-6081 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Roger Tam
- Radiology, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2222 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - David K B Li
- Radiology, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; Medicine (Neurology), University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada; UBC MRI Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Cornelia Laule
- Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada; Radiology, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, 818 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Laura Barlow
- Radiology, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; UBC MRI Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Hannah Briemberg
- Medicine (Neurology), University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Alex L MacKay
- Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada; Radiology, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Anthony Traboulsee
- Medicine (Neurology), University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Piotr Kozlowski
- Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada; Radiology, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, 818 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; UBC MRI Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Neil Cashman
- Medicine (Neurology), University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada
| | - Shannon H Kolind
- Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada; Radiology, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, 818 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada; Medicine (Neurology), University of British Columbia, 2211 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 2B5, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Dai X, Hadjipantelis P, Wang JL, Deoni SCL, Müller HG. Longitudinal associations between white matter maturation and cognitive development across early childhood. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:4130-4145. [PMID: 31187920 PMCID: PMC6771612 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
From birth to 5 years of age, brain structure matures and evolves alongside emerging cognitive and behavioral abilities. In relating concurrent cognitive functioning and measures of brain structure, a major challenge that has impeded prior investigation of their time‐dynamic relationships is the sparse and irregular nature of most longitudinal neuroimaging data. We demonstrate how this problem can be addressed by applying functional concurrent regression models (FCRMs) to longitudinal cognitive and neuroimaging data. The application of FCRM in neuroimaging is illustrated with longitudinal neuroimaging and cognitive data acquired from a large cohort (n = 210) of healthy children, 2–48 months of age. Quantifying white matter myelination by using myelin water fraction (MWF) as imaging metric derived from MRI scans, application of this methodology reveals an early period (200–500 days) during which whole brain and regional white matter structure, as quantified by MWF, is positively associated with cognitive ability, while we found no such association for whole brain white matter volume. Adjusting for baseline covariates including socioeconomic status as measured by maternal education (SES‐ME), infant feeding practice, gender, and birth weight further reveals an increasing association between SES‐ME and cognitive development with child age. These results shed new light on the emerging patterns of brain and cognitive development, indicating that FCRM provides a useful tool for investigating these evolving relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiongtao Dai
- Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
| | | | - Jane-Ling Wang
- Department of Statistics, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Sean C L Deoni
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, Providence, Rhode Island.,Children's Hospital Imaging of Learning & Development Lab, Department of Radiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Hans-Georg Müller
- Department of Statistics, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Chipika RH, Finegan E, Li Hi Shing S, Hardiman O, Bede P. Tracking a Fast-Moving Disease: Longitudinal Markers, Monitoring, and Clinical Trial Endpoints in ALS. Front Neurol 2019; 10:229. [PMID: 30941088 PMCID: PMC6433752 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) encompasses a heterogeneous group of phenotypes with different progression rates, varying degree of extra-motor involvement and divergent progression patterns. The natural history of ALS is increasingly evaluated by large, multi-time point longitudinal studies, many of which now incorporate presymptomatic and post-mortem assessments. These studies not only have the potential to characterize patterns of anatomical propagation, molecular mechanisms of disease spread, but also to identify pragmatic monitoring markers. Sensitive markers of progressive neurodegenerative change are indispensable for clinical trials and individualized patient care. Biofluid markers, neuroimaging indices, electrophysiological markers, rating scales, questionnaires, and other disease-specific instruments have divergent sensitivity profiles. The discussion of candidate monitoring markers in ALS has a dual academic and clinical relevance, and is particularly timely given the increasing number of pharmacological trials. The objective of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and critical review of longitudinal studies in ALS, focusing on the sensitivity profile of established and emerging monitoring markers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Eoin Finegan
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Stacey Li Hi Shing
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Orla Hardiman
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Peter Bede
- Computational Neuroimaging Group, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Gazulla J, Ferrer I, Izquierdo-Alvarez S, Alvarez S, Sánchez-Alcudia R, Bestué-Cardiel M, Seral M, Benavente I, Sierra-Martínez E, Berciano J. Hereditary primary lateral sclerosis and progressive nonfluent aphasia. J Neurol 2019; 266:1079-1090. [DOI: 10.1007/s00415-019-09235-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
21
|
Finegan E, Chipika RH, Shing SLH, Hardiman O, Bede P. Primary lateral sclerosis: a distinct entity or part of the ALS spectrum? Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2019; 20:133-145. [PMID: 30654671 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2018.1550518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) has been traditionally viewed as a distinct upper motor neuron condition (UMN) but is increasingly regarded as a sub-phenotype within the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) spectrum. Despite established diagnostic criteria, formal diagnosis can be challenging and the protracted diagnostic journey and uncertainty about longer-term prognosis cause considerable distress to patients and caregivers. PLS patients are invariably excluded from ALS clinical trials, while PLS pharmacological trials are lacking. There remains an unmet need for diagnostic biomarkers for upper motor neuron predominant conditions and prognostic indicators regarding prognosis, survival, and risk of conversion to ALS. Validated biomarkers will not only have implications for individualized patient care but also serve as outcome measures in pharmaceutical trials. Given the paucity of post-mortem studies in PLS, novel pathological insights are generally inferred from state-of-the-art imaging studies. Computational neuroimaging has already contributed significantly to the characterization of PLS-associated pathology in vivo and has underscored the role of neuro-inflammation, the presence of extra-motor changes, and confirmed pathological patterns similar to ALS. This systematic review assesses the current state of PLS research across clinical, neuroimaging and neuropathological domains from a combined clinical and academic perspective. We discuss patterns of pathological overlap with other ALS phenotypes, examine if the biological processes of PLS warrant therapeutic strategies distinct from ALS, and evaluate the evidence that classes PLS as a distinct clinico-pathological entity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eoin Finegan
- a Computational Neuroimaging Group, Academic Unit of Neurology , Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Rangariroyashe H Chipika
- a Computational Neuroimaging Group, Academic Unit of Neurology , Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Stacey Li Hi Shing
- a Computational Neuroimaging Group, Academic Unit of Neurology , Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Orla Hardiman
- a Computational Neuroimaging Group, Academic Unit of Neurology , Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Peter Bede
- a Computational Neuroimaging Group, Academic Unit of Neurology , Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College , Dublin , Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Müller HP, Agosta F, Gorges M, Kassubek R, Spinelli EG, Riva N, Ludolph AC, Filippi M, Kassubek J. Cortico-efferent tract involvement in primary lateral sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A two-centre tract of interest-based DTI analysis. Neuroimage Clin 2018; 20:1062-1069. [PMID: 30343251 PMCID: PMC6198122 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Background After the demonstration of a corticoefferent propagation pattern in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by neuropathological studies, this concept has been used for in vivo staging of individual patients by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) techniques, both in `classical` ALS and in restricted phenotypes such as primary lateral sclerosis (PLS). Objective The study was designed to investigate that microstructural changes according to the neuropathologically defined ALS alteration pattern in PLS patients could be confirmed to be identical to ´classical´ ALS patients. The novelty in this approach is that the results were independent of the subject samples and the data acquisition parameters (as was validated in two samples from two different centres). That way, reproducibility across (international) centres in addition to harmonisation/standardisation of data analysis has been addressed, for the possible use of MRI-based staging to stratify patients in clinical trials. Methods Tractwise analysis of fractional anisotropy (FA) maps according to the ALS-staging pattern was applied to DTI data (pooled from two ALS centres) of 88 PLS patients and 88 ALS patients with a ‘classical’ phenotype in comparison to 88 matched controls in order to identify white matter integrity alterations. Results In the tract-specific analysis, alterations were identical for PLS and ALS in the tract systems corresponding to the ALS staging pattern, independent of the subject samples and the data acquisition parameters. The individual categorisation into ALS stages did not differ between PLS and ALS patients. Conclusions This DTI study in a two-centre setting demonstrated that the neuropathological stages can be mapped in vivo in PLS with high reproducibility and that PLS-associated cerebral propagation, although showing the same corticofugal patterns as ALS, might have a different time course of neuropathology, in analogy to its much slower clinical progression rates. Neuropathological ALS-stages are mapped in vivo in PLS with high reproducibility. Bicentric DTI supports the hypothesis that PLS is a phenotype variant of ALS. PLS-associated propagation shows corticofugal patterns resembling those observed in ALS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Federica Agosta
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Edoardo Gioele Spinelli
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Nilo Riva
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Massimo Filippi
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Department of Neurology, Institute of Experimental Neurology, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Jan Kassubek
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Clark MG, Smallwood Shoukry R, Huang CJ, Danielian LE, Bageac D, Floeter MK. Loss of functional connectivity is an early imaging marker in primary lateral sclerosis. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2018; 19:562-569. [PMID: 30299161 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2018.1517180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The clinical diagnosis of primary lateral sclerosis can only be made after upper motor neuron symptoms have progressed for several years without developing lower motor neuron signs. The goal of the study was to identify neuroimaging changes that occur early in primary lateral sclerosis, prior to clinical diagnosis. METHODS MRI scans were obtained on 13 patients with adult-onset progressive spasticity for five years or less who were followed longitudinally to confirm a clinical diagnosis of primary lateral sclerosis. Resting state functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, and anatomical images were obtained. These "pre-PLS" patients were compared to 18 patients with longstanding, established primary lateral sclerosis and 28 controls. RESULTS Pre-PLS patients had a marked reduction in seed-based resting-state motor network connectivity compared to the controls and patients with longstanding disease. White matter regions with reduced fractional anisotropy were similar in the two patient groups compared to the controls. Patients with longstanding disease had cortical thinning of the precentral gyrus. A slight thinning of the right precentral gyrus was detected in initial pre-PLS patients' scans. Follow-up scans in eight pre-PLS patients 1-2 years later showed increasing motor connectivity, thinning of the precentral gyrus, and no change in diffusion measures of the corticospinal tract or callosal motor region. CONCLUSIONS Loss of motor functional connectivity is an early imaging marker in primary lateral sclerosis. This differs from literature descriptions of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, warranting further studies to test whether resting-state functional MRI can differentiate between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and primary lateral sclerosis at early disease stages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael G Clark
- a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Rachel Smallwood Shoukry
- a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Caleb J Huang
- a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Laura E Danielian
- a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Devin Bageac
- a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Mary Kay Floeter
- a National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Laule C, Moore GW. Myelin water imaging to detect demyelination and remyelination and its validation in pathology. Brain Pathol 2018; 28:750-764. [PMID: 30375119 PMCID: PMC8028667 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Damage to myelin is a key feature of multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revolutionized our ability to detect and monitor MS pathology in vivo. Proton density, T1 and T2 can provide qualitative contrast weightings that yield superb in vivo visualization of central nervous system tissue and have proved invaluable as diagnostic and patient management tools in MS. However, standard clinical MR methods are not specific to the types of tissue damage they visualize, and they cannot detect subtle abnormalities in tissue that appears otherwise normal on conventional MRIs. Myelin water imaging is an MR method that provides in vivo measurement of myelin. Histological validation work in both human brain and spinal cord tissue demonstrates a strong correlation between myelin water and staining for myelin, validating myelin water as a marker for myelin. Myelin water varies throughout the brain and spinal cord in healthy controls, and shows good intra- and inter-site reproducibility. MS plaques show variably decreased myelin water fraction, with older lesions demonstrating the greatest myelin loss. Longitudinal study of myelin water can provide insights into the dynamics of demyelination and remyelination in plaques. Normal appearing brain and spinal cord tissues show reduced myelin water, an abnormality which becomes progressively more evident over a timescale of years. Diffusely abnormal white matter, which is evident in 20%-25% of MS patients, also shows reduced myelin water both in vivo and postmortem, and appears to originate from a primary lipid abnormality with relative preservation of myelin proteins. Active research is ongoing in the quest to refine our ability to image myelin and its perturbations in MS and other disorders of the myelin sheath.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Laule
- RadiologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
- Pathology & Laboratory MedicineUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
- Physics & AstronomyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD)University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
| | - G.R. Wayne Moore
- Pathology & Laboratory MedicineUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD)University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
- Medicine (Neurology)University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Jurick SM, Hoffman SN, Sorg S, Keller AV, Evangelista ND, DeFord NE, Sanderson-Cimino M, Bangen KJ, Delano-Wood L, Deoni S, Jak AJ. Pilot investigation of a novel white matter imaging technique in Veterans with and without history of mild traumatic brain injury. Brain Inj 2018; 32:1256-1265. [DOI: 10.1080/02699052.2018.1493225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Jurick
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Scott Sorg
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Amber V. Keller
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Nicole E. DeFord
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Mark Sanderson-Cimino
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Katherine J. Bangen
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Lisa Delano-Wood
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sean Deoni
- Department of Pediatrics, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Amy J. Jak
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Garbuzova-Davis S, Haller E, Navarro S, Besong TE, Boccio KJ, Hailu S, Khatib M, Sanberg PR, Appel SH, Borlongan CV. Transplantation of human bone marrow stem cells into symptomatic ALS mice enhances structural and functional blood-spinal cord barrier repair. Exp Neurol 2018; 310:33-47. [PMID: 30172620 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2018.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence shows alterations in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) in ALS patients and in animal models of disease, mainly by endothelial cell (EC) damage. Repair of the altered barrier in the CNS by replacement of ECs via cell transplantation may be a new therapeutic approach for ALS. Recently, we demonstrated positive effects towards BSCB repair by intravenous administration of unmodified human bone marrow CD34+ (hBM34+) cells at different doses into symptomatic ALS mice. However, particular benefits of these transplanted cells on microvascular integrity in symptomatic ALS mice are still unclear. The aim of the present study was to determine the structural and functional spinal cord capillary integrity in symptomatic ALS mice after intravenous administration of hBM34+ cells. The G93A mice at 13 weeks of age intravenously received one of three different cell doses (5 × 104, 5 × 105, or 1 × 106) and were euthanized at 17 weeks of age (4 weeks post-transplant). Control groups were media-treated and non-carrier mutant SOD1 gene mice. Capillary ultrastructural (electron microscopy), immunohistochemical (laminin and HuNu), and histological (myelin and capillary density) analyses were performed in the cervical and lumbar spinal cords. Capillary permeability in the spinal cords was determined by Evans Blue (EB) injection. Results showed significant restoration of ultrastructural capillary morphology, improvement of basement membrane integrity, enhancement of axonal myelin coherence, and stabilization of capillary density in the spinal cords primarily of ALS mice receiving the high dose of 1 × 106 cells. Moreover, substantial reduction of parenchymal EB levels was determined in these mice, confirming our previous results on capillary permeability. Additionally, transplanted cells were detected in blood smears of sacrificed late symptomatic mice by HuNu marker. Altogether, these results provide novel evidence that unmodified bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell treatment at optimal dose might be beneficial for structural and functional repair of the damaged BSCB in advanced stage of ALS, potentially resulting in delayed disease progression by increased motor neuron survival.
Collapse
|
27
|
Gatto RG, Li W, Gao J, Magin RL. In vivo diffusion MRI detects early spinal cord axonal pathology in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. NMR Biomed 2018; 31:e3954. [PMID: 30117615 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exhibits contrast that identifies macro- and microstructural changes in neurodegenerative diseases. Previous studies have shown that MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can observe changes in spinal cord white matter in animals and humans affected with symptomatic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The goal of this preclinical work was to investigate the sensitivity of DTI for the detection of signs of tissue damage before symptoms appear. High-field MRI data were acquired using a 9.4-T animal scanner to examine the spinal cord of an ALS mouse model at pre- and post-symptomatic stages (days 80 and 120, respectively). The MRI results were validated using yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) via optical microscopy of spinal cord tissue slices collected from the YFP,G93A-SOD1 mouse strain. DTI maps of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) signal intensity, mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD) and radial diffusivity (RD) were computed for axial slices of the lumbar region of the spinal cord. Significant changes were observed in FA (6.7% decrease, p < 0.01), AD (19.5% decrease, p < 0.01) and RD (16.1% increase, p < 0.001) at postnatal day 80 (P80). These differences were correlated with changes in axonal fluorescence intensity and membrane cellular markers. This study demonstrates the value of DTI as a potential tool to detect the underlying pathological progression associated with ALS, and may accelerate the discovery of therapeutic strategies for patients with this disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo G Gatto
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Weiguo Li
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Bioengineering, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jin Gao
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Bioengineering, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Richard L Magin
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Bioengineering, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Spader HS, Dean DC, LaFrance WC, Raukar NP, Cosgrove GR, Eyerly-Webb SA, Ellermeier A, Correia S, Deoni SCL, Rogg J. Prospective study of myelin water fraction changes after mild traumatic brain injury in collegiate contact sports. J Neurosurg 2018:1-9. [PMID: 29712487 DOI: 10.3171/2017.12.jns171597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVEMild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in athletes, including concussion, is increasingly being found to have long-term sequelae. Current imaging techniques have not been able to identify early damage caused by mTBI that is predictive of long-term symptoms or chronic traumatic encephalopathy. In this preliminary feasibility study, the authors investigated the use of an emerging magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, multicomponent driven equilibrium single pulse observation of T1 and T2 (mcDESPOT), in visualizing acute and chronic white matter changes after mTBI in collegiate football and rugby players.METHODSThis study was a nonrandomized, nonblinded prospective trial designed to quantify changes in the myelin water fraction (MWF), used as a surrogate MRI measure of myelin content, in a group of male collegiate football and rugby players, classified here as a contact sport player (CSP) cohort, at the time of mTBI diagnosis and 3 months after injury when the acute symptoms of the injury had resolved. In addition, differences in the MWF between the CSP cohort and a control cohort of noncontact sport players (NCSPs) were quantified. T-tests and a threshold-free cluster enhancement (TFCE) statistical analysis technique were used to identify brain structures with significant changes in the MWF between the CSP and NCSP cohorts and between immediately postinjury and follow-up images obtained in the CSP cohort.RESULTSBrain MR images of 12 right-handed male CSPs were analyzed and compared with brain images of 10 right-handed male NCSPs from the same institution. A comparison of CSP and NCSP baseline images using TFCE showed significantly higher MWFs in the bilateral basal ganglia, anterior and posterior corpora callosa, left corticospinal tract, and left anterior and superior temporal lobe (p < 0.05). At the 3-month follow-up examination, images from the CSP cohort still showed significantly higher MWFs than those identified on baseline images from the NCSP cohort in the bilateral basal ganglia, anterior and posterior corpora callosa, and left anterior temporal lobe, and also in the bilateral corticospinal tracts, parahippocampal gyrus, and bilateral juxtapositional (previously known as supplemental motor) areas (p < 0.05). In the CSP cohort, a t-test comparing the MWF at the time of injury and 3 months later showed a significant increase in the overall MWF at follow-up (p < 0.005). These increases were greatest in the bilateral basal ganglia and deep white matter. MWF decreases were seen in more superficial white matter (p < 0.005).CONCLUSIONSIn this preliminary study, MWF was found to be increased in the brains of CSPs compared with the brains of controls, suggesting acute/chronic MWF alterations in CSPs from previous injuries. Increases in the MWF were also demonstrated in the brains of CSPs 3 months after the players sustained an mTBI. The full clinical significance of an increased MWF and whether this reflects axon neuropathology or disorderly remyelination leading to hypermyelination has yet to be determined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather S Spader
- 1Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, and
| | - Douglas C Dean
- 2Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin
| | - W Curt LaFrance
- 3Division of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology.,5Department of Neurology, and
| | | | - G Rees Cosgrove
- 10Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Stephen Correia
- 4Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior.,9Providence VA Medical Center, Providence; and
| | - Sean C L Deoni
- 11Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, School of Engineering, Brown University; and.,12Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, Pawtucket, Rhode Island; and
| | - Jeffrey Rogg
- 7Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Rhode Island Hospital
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Thompson AG, Gray E, Thézénas ML, Charles PD, Evetts S, Hu MT, Talbot K, Fischer R, Kessler BM, Turner MR. Cerebrospinal fluid macrophage biomarkers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ann Neurol 2018; 83:258-268. [PMID: 29331073 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The neurodegenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome involving multiple molecular pathways. The development of biomarkers for use in therapeutic trials is a priority. We sought to use a high-throughput proteomic method to identify novel biomarkers in individual cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. METHODS Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry with label-free quantification was used to identify CSF proteins using samples from a well-characterized longitudinal cohort comprising patients with ALS (n = 43), the upper motor neuron variant, primary lateral sclerosis (PLS; n = 6), and cross-sectional healthy (n = 20) and disease controls (Parkinsons' disease, n = 20; ALS mimic disorders, n = 12). RESULTS Three macrophage-derived chitinases showed increased abundance in ALS: chitotriosidase (CHIT1), chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1), and chitinase-3-like protein 2 (CHI3L2). Elevated CHI3L1 was common to ALS and PLS, whereas CHIT1 and CHI3L2 levels differed. Chitinase levels correlated with disease progression rate (CHIT1, r = 0.56, p < 0.001; CHI3L1, r = 0.31; p = 0.028; CHI3L2, r = 0.29, p = 0.044). CHIT1, CHI3L1, and CHI3L2 levels correlated with phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (pNFH; r = 0.62, p < 0.001; r = 0.49, p < 0.001; r = 0.41, p < 0.001). CHI3L1 levels, but not CHIT1 or CHI3L2, increased over time in those with low initial levels (gradient = 0.005 log abundance units/month, p = 0.001). High CHIT1 was associated with shortened survival (hazard ratio [HR] 2.84; p = 0.009). Inclusion of pNFH in survival models left only an association of pNFH and survival (HR 1.26; p = 0.019). INTERPRETATION Neuroinflammatory mechanisms have been consistently implicated through various experimental paradigms. These results support a key role for macrophage activity in ALS pathogenesis, offering novel target engagement and pharmacodynamic biomarkers for neuroinflammation-focused ALS therapy. Ann Neurol 2018;83:258-268.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Thompson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Gray
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Philip D Charles
- Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Evetts
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Michele T Hu
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Talbot
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Roman Fischer
- Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Benedikt M Kessler
- Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Martin R Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Gatto RG. Diffusion tensor imaging as a tool to detect presymptomatic axonal degeneration in a preclinical spinal cord model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neural Regen Res 2018; 13:425-426. [PMID: 29623925 PMCID: PMC5900503 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.228723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Gabriel Gatto
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Deoni S, Dean D, Joelson S, O'Regan J, Schneider N. Early nutrition influences developmental myelination and cognition in infants and young children. Neuroimage 2017; 178:649-659. [PMID: 29277402 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.12.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout early neurodevelopment, myelination helps provide the foundation for brain connectivity and supports the emergence of cognitive and behavioral functioning. Early life nutrition is an important and modifiable factor that can shape myelination and, consequently, cognitive outcomes. Differences in the nutritional composition between human breast and formula milk may help explain the functional and cognitive disparity often observed between exclusively breast versus formula-fed children. However, past cognitive and brain imaging studies comparing breast and formula feeding are often: cross-sectional; performed in older children and adolescents relying on parental recall of infant feeding; and generally treat formula-fed children as a single group despite the variability between formula compositions. Here we address some of these weakness by examining longitudinal trajectories of brain and neurocognitive development in children who were exclusively breastfed versus formula-fed for at least 3 months. We further examine development between children who received different formula compositions. Results reveal significantly improved overall myelination in breastfed children accompanied by increased general, verbal, and non-verbal cognitive abilities compared to children who were exclusively formula-fed. These differences were found to persist into childhood even with groups matched for important socioeconomic and demographic factors. We also find significant developmental differences depending on formula composition received and that, in particular, long-chain fatty acids, iron, choline, sphingomyelin and folic acid are significantly associated with early myelination trajectories. These results add to the consensus that prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding plays an important role in early neurodevelopment and childhood cognitive outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sean Deoni
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, Pawtucket, RI, United States.
| | - Douglas Dean
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Waisman Centre, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Sarah Joelson
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, Pawtucket, RI, United States
| | | | - Nora Schneider
- Nestle Research Centre, Nestec Ltd, Neurodevelopment & Cognition, Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Heath F, Hurley SA, Johansen-Berg H, Sampaio-Baptista C. Advances in noninvasive myelin imaging. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 78:136-151. [PMID: 29082667 PMCID: PMC5813152 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Myelin is important for the normal development and healthy function of the nervous system. Recent developments in MRI acquisition and tissue modeling aim to provide a better characterization and more specific markers for myelin. This allows for specific monitoring of myelination longitudinally and noninvasively in the healthy brain as well as assessment of treatment and intervention efficacy. Here, we offer a nontechnical review of MRI techniques developed to specifically monitor myelin such as magnetization transfer (MT) and myelin water imaging (MWI). We further summarize recent studies that employ these methods to measure myelin in relation to development and aging, learning and experience, and neuropathology and psychiatric disorders. © 2017 The Authors. Developmental Neurobiology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 78: 136–151, 2018
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florence Heath
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel A Hurley
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom.,Departments of Neuroscience and Radiology, 1111 Highland Ave, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53705
| | - Heidi Johansen-Berg
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Cassandra Sampaio-Baptista
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Cercignani M, Bouyagoub S. Brain microstructure by multi-modal MRI: Is the whole greater than the sum of its parts? Neuroimage 2017; 182:117-127. [PMID: 29097317 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.10.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The MRI signal is dependent upon a number of sub-voxel properties of tissue, which makes it potentially able to detect changes occurring at a scale much smaller than the image resolution. This "microstructural imaging" has become one of the main branches of quantitative MRI. Despite the exciting promise of unique insight beyond the resolution of the acquired images, its widespread application is limited by the relatively modest ability of each microstructural imaging technique to distinguish between differing microscopic substrates. This is mainly due to the fact that MRI provides a very indirect measure of the tissue properties in which we are interested. A strategy to overcome this limitation lies in the combination of more than one technique, to exploit the relative contributions of differing physiological and pathological substrates to selected MRI contrasts. This forms the basis of multi-modal MRI, a broad concept that refers to many different ways of effectively combining information from more than one MRI contrast. This paper will review a range of methods that have been proposed to maximise the output of this combination, primarily falling into one of two approaches. The first one relies on data-driven methods, exploiting multivariate analysis tools able to capture overlapping and complementary information. The second approach, which we call "model-driven", aims at combining parameters extracted by existing biophysical or signal models to obtain new parameters, which are believed to be more accurate or more specific than the original ones. This paper will attempt to provide an overview of the advantages and limitations of these two philosophies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mara Cercignani
- Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RR, Brighton, East Sussex, UK; Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179, Rome, Italy.
| | - Samira Bouyagoub
- Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, Department of Neuroscience, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RR, Brighton, East Sussex, UK
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Lee JY, Lee YJ, Park DW, Nam Y, Kim SH, Park J, Kim YS, Kim HY, Oh KW. Quantitative susceptibility mapping of the motor cortex: a comparison of susceptibility among patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cerebrovascular disease, and healthy controls. Neuroradiology 2017; 59:1213-1222. [DOI: 10.1007/s00234-017-1933-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
|
35
|
Fabes J, Matthews L, Filippini N, Talbot K, Jenkinson M, Turner MR. Quantitative FLAIR MRI in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Acad Radiol 2017; 24:1187-94. [PMID: 28572001 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2017.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Revised: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) hyperintensity assessed visually in the corticospinal tract (CST) lacks sensitivity for a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We sought to explore a quantitative approach to fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI intensity across a range of ALS phenotypes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-three classical ALS patients, 10 with a flail arm presentation, and six with primary lateral sclerosis underwent MRI at 3 Tesla. Comparisons of quantitative FLAIR intensity in the CST and corpus callosum were made between 21 healthy controls and within patient phenotypic subgroups, some of whom were studied longitudinally. RESULTS Mean FLAIR intensity was greater in patient groups. The cerebral peduncle intensity provided the strongest subgroup classification. FLAIR intensity increased longitudinally. The rate of change of FLAIR within CST correlated with rate of decline in executive function and ALS functional rating score. CONCLUSIONS FLAIR MRI encodes quantifiable information of potential diagnostic, stratification, and monitoring value.
Collapse
|
36
|
de Vries BS, Rustemeijer LM, van der Kooi AJ, Raaphorst J, Schröder CD, Nijboer TC, Hendrikse J, Veldink JH, van den Berg LH, van Es MA. A case series of PLS patients with frontotemporal dementia and overview of the literature. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2017; 18:534-548. [DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2017.1354996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bálint S. de Vries
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands,
| | - Laura M.M. Rustemeijer
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands,
| | - Anneke J. van der Kooi
- Department of Neurology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
| | - Joost Raaphorst
- Department of Neurology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
- Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,
| | - Carin D. Schröder
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus and Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht and De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands,
| | - Tanja C.W. Nijboer
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus and Center of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht and De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, The Netherlands,
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands, and
| | - Jeroen Hendrikse
- Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H. Veldink
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands,
| | - Leonard H. van den Berg
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands,
| | - Michael A. van Es
- Department of Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands,
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Affiliation(s)
- Martin R Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Ricarda A L Menke
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Abstract
Myelin is critical for healthy brain function. An accurate in vivo measure of myelin content has important implications for understanding brain plasticity and neurodegenerative diseases. Myelin water imaging is a magnetic resonance imaging method which can be used to visualize myelination in the brain and spinal cord in vivo. This review presents an overview of myelin water imaging data acquisition and analysis, post-mortem validation work, findings in both animal and human studies and a brief discussion about other MR techniques purported to provide in vivo myelin content. Multi-echo T2 relaxation approaches continue to undergo development and whole-brain imaging time now takes less than 10 minutes; the standard analysis method for this type of data acquisition is a non-negative least squares approach. Alternate methods including the multi-flip angle gradient echo mcDESPOT are also being used for myelin water imaging. Histological validation studies in animal and human brain and spinal cord tissue demonstrate high specificity of myelin water imaging for myelin. Potential confounding factors for in vivo myelin water fraction measurement include the presence of myelin debris and magnetization exchange processes. Myelin water imaging has successfully been used to study animal models of injury, applied in healthy human controls and can be used to assess damage and injury in conditions such as multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, schizophrenia, phenylketonuria, neurofibromatosis, niemann pick’s disease, stroke and concussion. Other quantitative magnetic resonance approaches that are sensitive to, but not specific for, myelin exist including magnetization transfer, diffusion tensor imaging and T1 weighted imaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex L MacKay
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Cornelia Laule
- Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Dean DC, Sojkova J, Hurley S, Kecskemeti S, Okonkwo O, Bendlin BB, Theisen F, Johnson SC, Alexander AL, Gallagher CL. Alterations of Myelin Content in Parkinson's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Neuroimaging Study. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163774. [PMID: 27706215 PMCID: PMC5051727 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations to myelin may be a core pathological feature of neurodegenerative diseases. Although white matter microstructural differences have been described in Parkinson's disease (PD), it is unknown whether such differences include alterations of the brain’s myelin content. Thus, the objective of the current study is to measure and compare brain myelin content between PD patients and age-matched controls. In this cross-sectional study, 63 participants from the Longitudinal MRI in Parkinson's Disease study underwent brain MRI, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scoring, and cognitive asessments. Subjects were imaged with the mcDEPSOT (multi-component driven equilibrium single pulse observation of T1 and T2), a multicomponent relaxometry technique that quantifies longitudinal and transverse relaxation rates (R1 and R2, respectively) and the myelin water fraction (VFM), a surrogate for myelin content. A voxel-wise approach was used to compare R1, R2, and VFM measures between PD and control groups, and to evaluate relationships with age as well as disease duration, UPDRS scores, and daily levodopa equivalent dose. PD subjects had higher VFM than controls in frontal and temporal white matter and bilateral thalamus. Greater age was strongly associated with lower VFM in both groups, while an age-by-group interaction suggested a slower rate of VFM decline in the left putamen with aging in PD. Within the PD group, measures of disease severity, including UPDRS, daily levodopa equivalent dose, and disease duration, were observed to be related with myelin content in diffuse brain regions. The age-by-group interaction suggests that either PD or dopaminergic therapies allay observed age-related myelin changes. The relationships between VFM and disease severity measures suggests that VFM may provide a surrogate marker for microstructural changes related to Parkinson’s disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas C Dean
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Jitka Sojkova
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.,Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Samuel Hurley
- Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Kecskemeti
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Ozioma Okonkwo
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Barbara B Bendlin
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Frances Theisen
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.,Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Sterling C Johnson
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.,Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Andrew L Alexander
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.,Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Catherine L Gallagher
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.,Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.,Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Proudfoot M, Rohenkohl G, Quinn A, Colclough GL, Wuu J, Talbot K, Woolrich MW, Benatar M, Nobre AC, Turner MR. Altered cortical beta-band oscillations reflect motor system degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 38:237-254. [PMID: 27623516 PMCID: PMC5215611 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Revised: 08/07/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Continuous rhythmic neuronal oscillations underpin local and regional cortical communication. The impact of the motor system neurodegenerative syndrome amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on the neuronal oscillations subserving movement might therefore serve as a sensitive marker of disease activity. Movement preparation and execution are consistently associated with modulations to neuronal oscillation beta (15–30 Hz) power. Cortical beta‐band oscillations were measured using magnetoencephalography (MEG) during preparation for, execution, and completion of a visually cued, lateralized motor task that included movement inhibition trials. Eleven “classical” ALS patients, 9 with the primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) phenotype, and 12 asymptomatic carriers of ALS‐associated gene mutations were compared with age‐similar healthy control groups. Augmented beta desynchronization was observed in both contra‐ and ipsilateral motor cortices of ALS patients during motor preparation. Movement execution coincided with excess beta desynchronization in asymptomatic mutation carriers. Movement completion was followed by a slowed rebound of beta power in all symptomatic patients, further reflected in delayed hemispheric lateralization for beta rebound in the PLS group. This may correspond to the particular involvement of interhemispheric fibers of the corpus callosum previously demonstrated in diffusion tensor imaging studies. We conclude that the ALS spectrum is characterized by intensified cortical beta desynchronization followed by delayed rebound, concordant with a broader concept of cortical hyperexcitability, possibly through loss of inhibitory interneuronal influences. MEG may potentially detect cortical dysfunction prior to the development of overt symptoms, and thus be able to contribute to the assessment of future neuroprotective strategies. Hum Brain Mapp 38:237–254, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Malcolm Proudfoot
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.,Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gustavo Rohenkohl
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Quinn
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Giles L Colclough
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne Wuu
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Florida
| | - Kevin Talbot
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mark W Woolrich
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Benatar
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Florida
| | - Anna C Nobre
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Martin R Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Abstract
The neuropathologic molecular signature common to almost all sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and most familial ALS is TDP-43 immunoreactive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions. The neuropathologic and molecular neuropathologic features of ALS variants, primarily lateral sclerosis and progressive muscular atrophy, are less certain but also seem to share the primary features of ALS. Genetic causes, including mutations in SOD1, TDP-43, FUS, and C9orf72, all have distinctive molecular neuropathologic signatures. Neuropathology will continue to play an increasingly key role in solving the puzzle of ALS pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shahram Saberi
- Department of Neurosciences, ALS Translational Research, University of California (San Diego), 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0624, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jennifer E Stauffer
- Department of Neurosciences, ALS Translational Research, University of California (San Diego), 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0624, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Derek J Schulte
- Department of Neurosciences, ALS Translational Research, University of California (San Diego), 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0624, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - John Ravits
- Department of Neurosciences, ALS Translational Research, University of California (San Diego), 9500 Gilman Drive, MC0624, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Kolind S, Seddigh A, Combes A, Russell-Schulz B, Tam R, Yogendrakumar V, Deoni S, Sibtain NA, Traboulsee A, Williams SCR, Barker GJ, Brex PA. Brain and cord myelin water imaging: a progressive multiple sclerosis biomarker. Neuroimage Clin 2015; 9:574-80. [PMID: 26594633 PMCID: PMC4625204 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to diagnose and monitor inflammatory disease in relapsing remitting (RR) multiple sclerosis (MS). In the less common primary progressive (PP) form of MS, in which focal inflammation is less evident, biomarkers are still needed to enable evaluation of novel therapies in clinical trials. Our objective was to characterize the association - across the brain and cervical spinal cord - between clinical disability measures in PPMS and two potential biomarkers (one for myelin, and one for atrophy, both resulting from the same imaging technique). METHODS Multi-component driven equilibrium single pulse observation of T1 and T2 (mcDESPOT) MRI of the brain and cervical spinal cord were obtained for 15 PPMS patients and 11 matched controls. Data were analysed to estimate the signal related to myelin water (VFM), as well as volume measurements. MS disability was assessed using the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite score, which includes measures of cognitive processing (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test), manual dexterity (9-Hole Peg Test) and ambulatory function (Timed 25-Foot Walk); and the Expanded Disability Status Scale. RESULTS Brain and spinal cord volumes were different in PPMS compared to controls, particularly ventricular (+ 46%, p = 0.0006) and cervical spinal cord volume (- 16%, p = 0.0001). Brain and spinal cord myelin (VFM) were also reduced in PPMS (brain: - 11%, p = 0.01; spine: - 19%, p = 0.000004). Cognitive processing correlated with brain ventricular volume (p = 0.009). Manual dexterity correlated with brain ventricular volume (p = 0.007), and both brain and spinal cord VFM (p = 0.01 and 0.06, respectively). Ambulation correlated with spinal cord volume (p = 0.04) and spinal cord VFM (p = 0.04). INTERPRETATION In this study we demonstrated that mcDESPOT can be used to measure myelin and atrophy in the brain and spinal cord. Results correlate well with clinical disability scores in PPMS representing cognitive, fine motor and ambulatory disability.
Collapse
Key Words
- 9HPT, 9-Hole Peg Test
- Atrophy
- CCV, cervical cord volume
- CSF, cerebrospinal fluid
- EDSS, Expanded Disability Status Scale
- FOV, field of view
- MR, magnetic resonance
- MRI, magnetic resonance imaging
- MS, multiple sclerosis
- MSFC, Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite
- Myelin
- Myelin water imaging
- PASAT, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test
- PP, primary progressive
- Primary progressive multiple sclerosis
- RR, relapsing remitting
- SPGR, spoiled gradient echo
- SSFP, steady state free precession
- Spinal cord
- T25FW, Timed 25-Foot Walk
- TE, echo time
- TR, repetition time
- VFM, myelin water volume fraction
- mcDESPOT, Multi-component driven equilibrium single pulse observation of T1 & T2
- vCSF, ventricular cerebrospinal fluid
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Kolind
- Department of Medicine (Division of Neurology), University of BC, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Arshia Seddigh
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Anna Combes
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | | | - Roger Tam
- Department of Radiology, University of BC, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Vignan Yogendrakumar
- Department of Medicine (Division of Neurology), University of BC, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sean Deoni
- Department of Pediatric Radiology, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver, CO, USA ; Department of Radiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO, USA
| | | | - Anthony Traboulsee
- Department of Medicine (Division of Neurology), University of BC, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Steven C R Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Gareth J Barker
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Peter A Brex
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Abstract
Primary lateral sclerosis is characterized by insidious onset of progressive upper motor neuron dysfunction in the absence of clinical signs of lower motor neuron involvement. Patients experience stiffness; decreased balance and coordination; mild weakness; and, if the bulbar region is affected, difficulty speaking and swallowing, and emotional lability. The diagnosis is made based on clinical history, typical examination findings, and diagnostic testing negative for other causes of upper motor neuron dysfunction. Electromyogram is normal, or only shows mild neurogenic findings in a few muscles, not meeting El Escorial criteria. Treatment is largely supportive.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Statland
- Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Mailstop 2012, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
| | - Richard J Barohn
- Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Mailstop 2012, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Mazen M Dimachkie
- Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Mailstop 2012, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Mary Kay Floeter
- Human Spinal Physiology Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Building 10, Room 7-5680, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hiroshi Mitsumoto
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, 710 West 168th Street, New York City, NY 10032, USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Menke RAL, Gray E, Lu CH, Kuhle J, Talbot K, Malaspina A, Turner MR. CSF neurofilament light chain reflects corticospinal tract degeneration in ALS. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2015; 2:748-55. [PMID: 26273687 PMCID: PMC4531057 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is sensitive to white matter tract pathology. A core signature involving the corticospinal tracts (CSTs) has been identified in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Raised neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is thought to reflect axonal damage in a range of neurological disorders. The relationship between these two measures was explored. Methods CSF and serum NfL concentrations and DTI acquired at 3 Tesla on the same day were obtained from ALS patients (n = 25 CSF, 40 serum) and healthy, age-similar controls (n = 17 CSF, 25 serum). Within-group correlations between NfL and DTI measures of microstructural integrity in major white matter tracts (CSTs, superior longitudinal fasciculi [SLF], and corpus callosum) were performed using tract-based spatial statistics. Results NfL levels were higher in patients compared to controls. CSF levels correlated with clinical upper motor neuron burden and rate of disease progression. Higher NfL levels were significantly associated with lower DTI fractional anisotropy and increased radial diffusivity in the CSTs of ALS patients, but not in controls. Interpretation Elevated CSF and serum NfL is, in part, a result of CST degeneration in ALS. This highlights the wider potential for combining neurochemical and neuroimaging-based biomarkers in neurological disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ricarda A L Menke
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Gray
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ching-Hua Lu
- Centre for Neuroscience and Trauma, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London London, United Kingdom
| | - Jens Kuhle
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kevin Talbot
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Malaspina
- Centre for Neuroscience and Trauma, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London London, United Kingdom
| | - Martin R Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford Oxford, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
de Munck E, Muñoz-Sáez E, Miguel BG, Solas MT, Martínez A, Arahuetes RM. Morphometric and neurochemical alterations found in l-BMAA treated rats. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 2015; 39:1232-45. [PMID: 26002186 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2015.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive muscle paralysis that reflects the motoneurons' degeneration. Several studies support the relationship between β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (l-BMAA), a neurotoxic amino acid produced by cyanobacteria and diatoms, and the sporadic occurrence of ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the study of its neurotoxicity mechanisms has assumed great relevance in recent years. Recently, our research team has proposed a sporadic ALS animal model by l-BMAA administration in rats, which displays many pathophysiological features of human ALS. In this paper, we deepen the characterization of this model corroborating the occurrence of alterations present in ALS patients such as decreased muscle volume, thinning of the motor cortex, enlarged brain's lateral ventricles, and alteration of both bulbar nuclei and neurotransmitters' levels. Therefore, we conclude that l-BMAA treated rats could be a good model which mimics degenerative features that ALS causes in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía de Munck
- Departamento de Biología Animal II, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Emma Muñoz-Sáez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Begoña G Miguel
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - M Teresa Solas
- Departamento de Biología Celular (Morfología Microscópica), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ana Martínez
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Rosa M Arahuetes
- Departamento de Biología Animal II, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Meadowcroft MD, Mutic NJ, Bigler DC, Wang JL, Simmons Z, Connor JR, Yang QX. Histological-MRI correlation in the primary motor cortex of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Magn Reson Imaging 2015; 41:665-75. [PMID: 24615949 PMCID: PMC4145061 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.24582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 01/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To establish the relationship between ALS histopathology and quantitative MRI metrics. MATERIALS AND METHODS ALS patients (N = 8) in advanced stages of the disease were enrolled and, immediately after death, the brain of each patient was removed. Freshly excised ALS tissue was imaged at 3.0 Tesla with T1 and T2 mapping protocols and subsequently stained with astrocyte, myelin, and neuronal markers. Measures of ALS histological stains were compared with the internal control (primary visual cortex) and longitudinal parametric maps. RESULTS Post-mortem T1 -weighted images demonstrate diminished contrast between gray and white matter and alterations in T1 relaxation within the primary motor cortex. An increase in astrocyte number and reactivity as well as evident neuronal loss, a decrease in axonal density, and unraveling of the myelin sheaths in subcortical white matter were found in the ALS primary motor cortex exhibiting significant T1 relaxation and contrast changes. CONCLUSION This study provides a histopathological basis for differences in MR T1 contrast and relaxation seen in the ALS brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark D. Meadowcroft
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Pennsylvania State University – College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Department of Radiology (Center for NMR Research), The Pennsylvania State University – College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Nathan J. Mutic
- Department of Radiology (Center for NMR Research), The Pennsylvania State University – College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Don C. Bigler
- Department of Radiology (Center for NMR Research), The Pennsylvania State University – College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Jian-li Wang
- Department of Radiology (Center for NMR Research), The Pennsylvania State University – College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Zachary Simmons
- Department of Neurology, The Pennsylvania State University – College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - James R. Connor
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Pennsylvania State University – College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Qing X. Yang
- Department of Radiology (Center for NMR Research), The Pennsylvania State University – College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Deoni SCL, O'Muircheartaigh J, Elison JT, Walker L, Doernberg E, Waskiewicz N, Dirks H, Piryatinsky I, Dean DC, Jumbe NL. White matter maturation profiles through early childhood predict general cognitive ability. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 221:1189-203. [PMID: 25432771 PMCID: PMC4771819 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0947-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Infancy and early childhood are periods of rapid brain development, during which brain structure and function mature alongside evolving cognitive ability. An important neurodevelopmental process during this postnatal period is the maturation of the myelinated white matter, which facilitates rapid communication across neural systems and networks. Though prior brain imaging studies in children (4 years of age and above), adolescents, and adults have consistently linked white matter development with cognitive maturation and intelligence, few studies have examined how these processes are related throughout early development (birth to 4 years of age). Here, we show that the profile of white matter myelination across the first 5 years of life is strongly and specifically related to cognitive ability. Using a longitudinal design, coupled with advanced magnetic resonance imaging, we demonstrate that children with above-average ability show differential trajectories of myelin development compared to average and below average ability children, even when controlling for socioeconomic status, gestation, and birth weight. Specifically, higher ability children exhibit slower but more prolonged early development, resulting in overall increased myelin measures by ~3 years of age. These results provide new insight into the early neuroanatomical correlates of cognitive ability, and suggest an early period of prolonged maturation with associated protracted white matter plasticity may result in strengthened neural networks that can better support later development. Further, these results reinforce the necessity of a longitudinal perspective in investigating typical or suspected atypical cognitive maturation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sean C L Deoni
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| | | | - Jed T Elison
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Lindsay Walker
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Ellen Doernberg
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Nicole Waskiewicz
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Holly Dirks
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Irene Piryatinsky
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Doug C Dean
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, 184 Hope Street, Box D, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - N L Jumbe
- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Hartung V, Prell T, Gaser C, Turner MR, Tietz F, Ilse B, Bokemeyer M, Witte OW, Grosskreutz J. Voxel-based MRI intensitometry reveals extent of cerebral white matter pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104894. [PMID: 25133577 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by progressive loss of upper and lower motor neurons. Advanced MRI techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging have shown great potential in capturing a common white matter pathology. However the sensitivity is variable and diffusion tensor imaging is not yet applicable to the routine clinical environment. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) has revealed grey matter changes in ALS, but the bias-reducing algorithms inherent to traditional VBM are not optimized for the assessment of the white matter changes. We have developed a novel approach to white matter analysis, namely voxel-based intensitometry (VBI). High resolution T1-weighted MRI was acquired at 1.5 Tesla in 30 ALS patients and 37 age-matched healthy controls. VBI analysis at the group level revealed widespread white matter intensity increases in the corticospinal tracts, corpus callosum, sub-central, frontal and occipital white matter tracts and cerebellum. VBI results correlated with disease severity (ALSFRS-R) and patterns of cerebral involvement differed between bulbar- and limb-onset. VBI would be easily translatable to the routine clinical environment, and once optimized for individual analysis offers significant biomarker potential in ALS.
Collapse
|
49
|
Menke RAL, Körner S, Filippini N, Douaud G, Knight S, Talbot K, Turner MR. Widespread grey matter pathology dominates the longitudinal cerebral MRI and clinical landscape of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 137:2546-55. [PMID: 24951638 PMCID: PMC4132644 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awu162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Menke/Koerner et al. use structural MRI to explore the extent of longitudinal changes in cerebral pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and their relationship to clinical features. A characteristic white matter tract pathological signature is seen cross-sectionally, while cortical involvement dominates longitudinally. This has implications for the development of biomarkers for diagnosis versus therapeutic monitoring. Diagnosis, stratification and monitoring of disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis currently rely on clinical history and examination. The phenotypic heterogeneity of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, including extramotor cognitive impairments is now well recognized. Candidate biomarkers have shown variable sensitivity and specificity, and studies have been mainly undertaken only cross-sectionally. Sixty patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (without a family history of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or dementia) underwent baseline multimodal magnetic resonance imaging at 3 T. Grey matter pathology was identified through analysis of T1-weighted images using voxel-based morphometry. White matter pathology was assessed using tract-based spatial statistics analysis of indices derived from diffusion tensor imaging. Cross-sectional analyses included group comparison with a group of healthy controls (n = 36) and correlations with clinical features, including regional disability, clinical upper motor neuron signs and cognitive impairment. Patients were offered 6-monthly follow-up MRI, and the last available scan was used for a separate longitudinal analysis (n = 27). In cross-sectional study, the core signature of white matter pathology was confirmed within the corticospinal tract and callosal body, and linked strongly to clinical upper motor neuron burden, but also to limb disability subscore and progression rate. Localized grey matter abnormalities were detected in a topographically appropriate region of the left motor cortex in relation to bulbar disability, and in Broca’s area and its homologue in relation to verbal fluency. Longitudinal analysis revealed progressive and widespread changes in the grey matter, notably including the basal ganglia. In contrast there was limited white matter pathology progression, in keeping with a previously unrecognized limited change in individual clinical upper motor neuron scores, despite advancing disability. Although a consistent core white matter pathology was found cross-sectionally, grey matter pathology was dominant longitudinally, and included progression in clinically silent areas such as the basal ganglia, believed to reflect their wider cortical connectivity. Such changes were significant across a range of apparently sporadic patients rather than being a genotype-specific effect. It is also suggested that the upper motor neuron lesion in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may be relatively constant during the established symptomatic period. These findings have implications for the development of effective diagnostic versus therapeutic monitoring magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may be characterized initially by a predominantly white matter tract pathological signature, evolving as a widespread cortical network degeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ricarda A L Menke
- 1 Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance of the Brain, University of Oxford, UK2 Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Sonja Körner
- 3 Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Germany
| | - Nicola Filippini
- 1 Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance of the Brain, University of Oxford, UK4 Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Gwenaëlle Douaud
- 1 Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance of the Brain, University of Oxford, UK2 Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Steven Knight
- 5 Oxford Centre for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Kevin Talbot
- 2 Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Martin R Turner
- 1 Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance of the Brain, University of Oxford, UK2 Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, UK5 Oxford Centre for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research, University of Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Dean DC, O'Muircheartaigh J, Dirks H, Waskiewicz N, Walker L, Doernberg E, Piryatinsky I, Deoni SCL. Characterizing longitudinal white matter development during early childhood. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 220:1921-33. [PMID: 24710623 PMCID: PMC4481335 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0763-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 03/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Post-mortem studies have shown the maturation of the brain’s myelinated
white matter, crucial for efficient and coordinated brain communication, follows a nonlinear spatio-temporal pattern that corresponds with the onset and refinement of cognitive functions and behaviors. Unfortunately, investigation of myelination in vivo is challenging and, thus, little is known about the normative pattern of myelination, or its association with functional development. Using a novel quantitative magnetic resonance imaging technique sensitive to myelin we examined longitudinal white matter development in 108 typically developing children ranging in age from 2.5 months to 5.5 years. Using nonlinear mixed effects modeling, we provide the first in vivo longitudinal description of myelin water fraction development. Moreover, we show distinct male and female developmental patterns, and demonstrate significant relationships between myelin content and measures of cognitive function. These findings advance a new understanding of healthy brain development and provide a foundation from which to assess atypical development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas C Dean
- Advanced Baby Imaging Laboratory, School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA,
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|