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Stouffer KM, Grande X, Düzel E, Johansson M, Creese B, Witter MP, Miller MI, Wisse LEM, Berron D. Amidst an amygdala renaissance in Alzheimer's disease. Brain 2024; 147:816-829. [PMID: 38109776 PMCID: PMC10907090 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad411] [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: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala was highlighted as an early site for neurofibrillary tau tangle pathology in Alzheimer's disease in the seminal 1991 article by Braak and Braak. This knowledge has, however, only received traction recently with advances in imaging and image analysis techniques. Here, we provide a cross-disciplinary overview of pathology and neuroimaging studies on the amygdala. These studies provide strong support for an early role of the amygdala in Alzheimer's disease and the utility of imaging biomarkers of the amygdala in detecting early changes and predicting decline in cognitive functions and neuropsychiatric symptoms in early stages. We summarize the animal literature on connectivity of the amygdala, demonstrating that amygdala nuclei that show the earliest and strongest accumulation of neurofibrillary tangle pathology are those that are connected to brain regions that also show early neurofibrillary tangle accumulation. Additionally, we propose an alternative pathway of neurofibrillary tangle spreading within the medial temporal lobe between the amygdala and the anterior hippocampus. The proposed existence of this pathway is strengthened by novel experimental data on human functional connectivity. Finally, we summarize the functional roles of the amygdala, highlighting the correspondence between neurofibrillary tangle accumulation and symptomatic profiles in Alzheimer's disease. In summary, these findings provide a new impetus for studying the amygdala in Alzheimer's disease and a unique perspective to guide further study on neurofibrillary tangle spreading and the occurrence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin M Stouffer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Center for Imaging Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Xenia Grande
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Emrah Düzel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
- Institute for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Maurits Johansson
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, 205 02, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Clinical Sciences, Helsingborg, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, 221 84, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Psychiatry, Helsingborg Hospital, 252 23, Helsingborg, Sweden
| | - Byron Creese
- Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, EX4 4PY, Exeter, UK
- Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, UB8 3PH, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Menno P Witter
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
- KG. Jebsen Centre for Alzheimer’s Disease, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Michael I Miller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Center for Imaging Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Laura E M Wisse
- Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, 211 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - David Berron
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, 205 02, Lund, Sweden
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