Outcomes of Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment With Lewy Bodies or Alzheimer Disease at 3 and 5 Years After Diagnosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Retrospective studies indicate that dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) may be preceded by a mild cognitive impairment (MCI) prodrome. Research criteria for the prospective identification of MCI with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB) have been developed. We aimed to assess the prognosis of a prospectively identified MCI-LB cohort at 2 key milestones, 3- and 5 years after diagnosis, to examine classification stability over time and rates of adverse outcomes (dementia or death). METHODS: This was a retrospective examination of data from 2 longitudinal observational cohort studies where participants with MCI were prospectively recruited from North East England and differentially classified as MCI due to Alzheimer disease (MCI-AD), possible MCI-LB, or probable MCI-LB. Adverse outcomes (DLB/other dementia or death) and stability of disease-specific classifications were examined in each group. RESULTS: Of 152 participants with baseline MCI (54 MCI-AD, 29 possible MCI-LB, and 69 probable MCI-LB), 126 were followed for up to 3 years (mean age 75.3 years; 40% female). We found that prospective probable MCI-LB classifications were both sensitive (91%) and specific (94%) to classifications either remaining as probable MCI-LB or progressing to DLB (in some cases autopsy confirmed) for 3 or more years after. Classifications were at least as stable as those in MCI-AD. In this cohort with disease-specific MCI classifications, rates of progression to dementia were high: 55% of MCI-LB had developed DLB within 3 years. Dementia occurred in 47% of MCI-AD over the same duration (odds ratio 1.68, 95% CI 0.66-4.26, p = 0.278). Premature death was a common competing risk, occurring in 9% of MCI-AD and 11% of MCI-LB within 3 years. DISCUSSION: These findings support that prospectively identified probable MCI-LB is a prodromal presentation of DLB and that disease-specific classifications of MCI may reliably identify different prodromal dementias.

Gene Association Study of the Urokinase Plasminogen Activator and Its Receptor Gene in Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: The role of the innate immune system has long been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is now accumulating evidence that the soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor pathway, and its genes, PLAU and PLAUR may be important in AD, and yet there have been few genetic association studies to explore this. Objective: This study utilizes the DNA bank of the Brains for Dementia Research cohort to investigate the genetic association of common polymorphisms across the PLAU and PLAUR genes with AD. Methods: TaqMan genotyping assays were used with standard procedures followed by association analysis in PLINK. Results: No association was observed between the PLAU gene and AD; however, two SNPs located in the PLAUR gene were indicative of a trend towards association but did not surpass multiple testing significance thresholds. Conclusions: Further genotyping studies and exploration of the consequences of these SNPs on gene expression and alternative splicing are warranted to fully uncover the role this system may have in AD.

Associations between multimorbidity and neuropathology in dementia: consideration of functional cognitive disorders, psychiatric illness and dementia mimics.

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more health conditions, has been identified as a possible risk factor for clinical dementia. It is unclear whether this is due to worsening brain health and underlying neuropathology, or other factors. In some cases, conditions may reflect the same disease process as dementia (e.g. Parkinson's disease, vascular disease), in others, conditions may reflect a prodromal stage of dementia (e.g. depression, anxiety and psychosis). AIMS: To assess whether multimorbidity in later life was associated with more severe dementia-related neuropathology at autopsy. METHOD: We examined ante-mortem and autopsy data from 767 brain tissue donors from the UK, identifying physical multimorbidity in later life and specific brain-related conditions. We assessed associations between these purported risk factors and dementia-related neuropathological changes at autopsy (Alzheimer's-disease related neuropathology, Lewy body pathology, cerebrovascular disease and limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy) with logistic models. RESULTS: Physical multimorbidity was not associated with greater dementia-related neuropathological changes. In the presence of physical multimorbidity, clinical dementia was less likely to be associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology. Conversely, conditions which may be clinical or prodromal manifestations of dementia-related neuropathology (Parkinson's disease, cerebrovascular disease, depression and other psychiatric conditions) were associated with dementia and neuropathological changes. CONCLUSIONS: Physical multimorbidity alone is not associated with greater dementia-related neuropathological change; inappropriate inclusion of brain-related conditions in multimorbidity measures and misdiagnosis of neurodegenerative dementia may better explain increased rates of clinical dementia in multimorbidity.

Case Study: The Weighty Issue of Treatment Options for Obese Dialysis Patients.

Obesity is a complex chronic disease and common comorbidity in kidney failure and is the leading causes of death and disability in this population. Guidelines do not specifically address the preferred weight management option(s) for obesity while on dialysis. Large body size is a limiting factor for consideration of a kidney transplantation. We report on a successful bariatric surgery with a young adult after 5.5 years on dialysis with hope for a future transplant. Success was demonstrated with progressive weight loss without adverse changes in renal clinical markers accompanied by improvements in exercise tolerance and health status thereby improving her suitability for a kidney transplant. Further studies and guidelines are needed to address weight loss options for those with obesity on dialysis and want to lose weight.

Dementias Platform UK: Bringing genetics into life.

INTRODUCTION: The Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) Data Portal is a data repository bringing together a wide range of cohorts. Neurodegenerative dementias are a group of diseases with highly heterogeneous pathology and an overlapping genetic component that is poorly understood. The DPUK collection of independent cohorts can facilitate research in neurodegeneration by combining their genetic and phenotypic data. METHODS: For genetic data processing, pipelines were generated to perform quality control analysis, genetic imputation, and polygenic risk score (PRS) derivation with six genome-wide association studies of neurodegenerative diseases. Pipelines were applied to five cohorts. DISCUSSION: The data processing pipelines, research-ready imputed genetic data, and PRS scores are now available on the DPUK platform and can be accessed upon request though the DPUK application process. Harmonizing genome-wide data for multiple datasets increases scientific opportunity and allows the wider research community to access and process data at scale and pace.

Adapted problem adaptation therapy for depression in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease dementia: A randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Trials of effectiveness of treatment options for depression in dementia are an important priority. METHODS: Randomized controlled trial to assess adapted Problem Adaptation Therapy (PATH) for depression in mild/moderate dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease. RESULTS: Three hundred thirty-six participants with mild or moderate dementia, >7 on Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), randomized to adapted PATH or treatment as usual. Mean age 77.0 years, 39.0% males, mean Mini-Mental State Examination 21.6, mean CSDD 12.9. For primary outcome (CSDD at 6 months), no statistically significant benefit with adapted PATH on the CSDD (6 months: -0.58; 95% CI -1.71 to 0.54). The CSDD at 3 months showed a small benefit with adapted PATH (-1.38; 95% CI -2.54 to -0.21) as did the EQ-5D (-4.97; 95% CI -9.46 to -0.48). DISCUSSION: An eight-session course of adapted PATH plus two booster sessions administered within NHS dementia services was not effective treatment for depression in people with mild and moderate dementia. Future studies should examine the effect of more intensive and longer-term therapy.

Identifying parkinsonism in mild cognitive impairment.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical parkinsonism is a core diagnostic feature for mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB) but can be challenging to identify. A five-item scale derived from the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) has been recommended for the assessment of parkinsonism in dementia. This study aimed to determine whether the five-item scale is effective to identify parkinsonism in MCI. METHODS: Participants with MCI from two cohorts (n = 146) had a physical examination including the UPDRS and [123I]-FP-CIT SPECT striatal dopaminergic imaging. Participants were classified as having clinical parkinsonism (P+) or no parkinsonism (P-), and with abnormal striatal dopaminergic imaging (D+) or normal imaging (D-). The five-item scale was the sum of UPDRS tremor at rest, bradykinesia, action tremor, facial expression, and rigidity scores. The ability of the scale to differentiate P+D+ and P-D- participants was examined. RESULTS: The five-item scale had an AUROC of 0.92 in Cohort 1, but the 7/8 cut-off defined for dementia had low sensitivity to identify P+D+ participants (sensitivity 25%, specificity 100%). Optimal sensitivity and specificity was obtained at a 3/4 cut-off (sensitivity 83%, specificity 88%). In Cohort 2, the five-item scale had an AUROC of 0.97, and the 3/4 cut-off derived from Cohort 1 showed sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 82% to differentiate P+D+ from P-D- participants. The five-item scale was not effective in differentiating D+ from D- participants. CONCLUSIONS: The five-item scale is effective to identify parkinsonism in MCI, but a lower threshold must be used in MCI compared with dementia.

Regional AT-8 reactive tau species correlate with intracellular Aß levels in cases of low AD neuropathologic change.

The amyloid cascade hypothesis states that Aß aggregates induce pathological changes in tau, leading to neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and cell death. A caveat with this hypothesis is the spatio-temporal divide between plaques and NFTs. This has been addressed by the inclusion of soluble Aß and tau species in the revised amyloid cascade hypothesis. Nevertheless, despite the potential for non-plaque Aß to contribute to tau pathology, few studies have examined relative correlative strengths between total Aß, plaque Aß and intracellular Aß with tau pathology within a single tissue cohort. Employing frozen and fixed frontal cortex grey and white matter tissue from non-AD controls (Con; n = 39) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases (n = 21), biochemical and immunohistochemical (IHC) measures of Aß and AT-8 phosphorylated tau were assessed. Biochemical native-state dot blots from crude tissue lysates demonstrated robust correlations between total Aß and AT-8 tau, when considered as a combined cohort (Con and AD) and when as Con and AD cases, separately. In contrast, no associations between Aß plaques and AT-8 were reported when using IHC measurements in either Con or AD cases. However, when intracellular Aß was measured via the Aß specific antibody MOAB-2, a correlative relationship with AT-8 tau was reported in non-AD controls but not in AD cases. Collectively the data suggests that accumulating intracellular Aß may influence AT-8 pathology, early in AD-related neuropathological change. Despite the lower levels of phospho-tau and Aß in controls, the robust correlative relationships observed suggest a physiological association of Aß production and tau phosphorylation, which may be modified during disease. This study is supportive of a revised amyloid cascade hypothesis and demonstrates regional associative relationships between tau pathology and intracellular Aß, but not extracellular Aß plaques.

Prevalence, distribution, and severity of cerebral amyloid angiopathy differ between Lewy body diseases and Alzheimer's disease.

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD), and Parkinson's disease (PD) collectively known as Lewy body diseases (LBDs) are neuropathologically characterised by α-synuclein deposits (Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites). However, LBDs also exhibit pathology associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (i.e. hyperphosphorylated tau and amyloid ß (Aß). Aß can be deposited in the walls of blood vessels in the brains of individuals with AD, termed cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). The aim of this study was to investigate the type and distribution of CAA in DLB, PDD, and PD and determine if this differs from AD. CAA type, severity, and topographical distribution was assessed in 94 AD, 30 DLB, 17 PDD, and 11 PD cases, and APOE genotype evaluated in a subset of cases where available. 96.3% AD cases, 70% DLB cases and 82.4% PDD cases exhibited CAA (type 1 or type 2). However only 45.5% PD cases had CAA. Type 1 CAA accounted for 37.2% of AD cases, 10% of DLB cases, and 5.9% of PDD cases, and was not observed in PD cases. There was a hierarchical topographical distribution in regions affected by CAA where AD and DLB displayed the same distribution pattern that differed from PDD and PD. APOE ε4 was associated with severity of CAA in AD cases. Topographical patterns and severity of CAA in DLB more closely resembled AD rather than PDD, and as type 1 CAA is associated with clinical dementia in AD, further investigations are warranted into whether the increased presence of type 1 CAA in DLB compared to PDD are related to the onset of cognitive symptoms and is a distinguishing factor between LBDs. Possible alignment of the the topographical distribution of CAA and microbleeds in DLB warrants further investigation. CAA in DLB more closely resembles AD rather than PDD or PD, and should be taken into consideration when stratifying patients for clinical trials or designing disease modifying therapies.

Long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life of people with dementia and their family carers.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have longitudinally mapped quality of life (QoL) trajectories of newly diagnosed people with dementia and their carers, particularly during coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: In a UK cohort study, 261 newly diagnosed people with dementia and 206 family carers were assessed prior to the pandemic (July 2019-March 2020), followed up after the first lockdown (July-October 2020) and then again a year and 2 years later. Latent growth curve modelling examined the level and change of QoL over the four time-points using dementia-specific QoL measures (DEMQOL and C-DEMQOL). RESULTS: Despite variations in individual change scores, our results suggest that generally people with dementia maintained their QoL during the pandemic and experienced some increase towards the end of the period. This contrasted with carers who reported a general deterioration in their QoL over the same period. 'Confidence in future' and 'Feeling supported' were the only carer QoL subscales to show some recovery post-pandemic. DISCUSSION: It is positive that even during a period of global disruption, decline in QoL is not inevitable following the onset of dementia. However, it is of concern that carer QoL declined during this same period even after COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted. Carers play an invaluable role in the lives of people with dementia and wider society, and our findings suggest that, post-pandemic, they may require greater support to maintain their QoL.

PBRM-1/PBAF-regulated genes in a multipotent progenitor in Caenorhabditis elegans.

The Caenorhabditis elegans somatic gonadal precursors (SGPs) are multipotent progenitors that generate all somatic cells of the adult reproductive system. The 2 SGPs originate in the mesodermal layer and are born through a division that produces one SGP and one head mesodermal cell (hmc). One hmc terminally differentiates, and the other dies by programmed cell death. The polybromo-associated BAF (PBAF) chromatin remodeling complex promotes the multipotent SGP fate. The complete loss of PBAF causes lethality, so we used a combination of Cre/lox recombination and GFP nanobody-directed protein degradation to eliminate PBRM-1, the signature subunit of the PBAF complex, from 83 mesodermal cells, including SGPs, body muscles, and the hmc. We used RNA sequencing to identify genes acting downstream of PBAF in these cells and identified 1,955 transcripts that were significantly differentially expressed between pbrm-1(-) and pbrm-1(+) in the mesoderm of L1 larvae. We found that genes involved in muscle cell function were overrepresented; most of these genes had lower expression in the absence of PBRM-1, suggesting that PBAF promotes muscle differentiation. Among the differentially expressed genes were 125 that are normally expressed at higher levels in SGP vs hmc and positively regulated by pbrm-1 and 53 that are normally expressed at higher levels in hmc vs SGP and are negatively regulated by pbrm-1; these are candidate regulators of the SGP/hmc fate decision. We validated one candidate gene using a fluorescent reporter; the hsp-12.3 reporter was derepressed in SGPs in pbrm-1 mutants, suggesting that hsp-12.3 expression is normally repressed by pbrm-1 in SGPs.

Plasma metabolites distinguish dementia with Lewy bodies from Alzheimer's disease: a cross-sectional metabolomic analysis.

Background: In multifactorial diseases, alterations in the concentration of metabolites can identify novel pathological mechanisms at the intersection between genetic and environmental influences. This study aimed to profile the plasma metabolome of patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), two neurodegenerative disorders for which our understanding of the pathophysiology is incomplete. In the clinical setting, DLB is often mistaken for AD, highlighting a need for accurate diagnostic biomarkers. We therefore also aimed to determine the overlapping and differentiating metabolite patterns associated with each and establish whether identification of these patterns could be leveraged as biomarkers to support clinical diagnosis. Methods: A panel of 630 metabolites (Biocrates MxP Quant 500) and a further 232 metabolism indicators (biologically informative sums and ratios calculated from measured metabolites, each indicative for a specific pathway or synthesis; MetaboINDICATOR) were analyzed in plasma from patients with probable DLB (n = 15; age 77.6 ± 8.2 years), probable AD (n = 15; 76.1 ± 6.4 years), and age-matched cognitively healthy controls (HC; n = 15; 75.2 ± 6.9 years). Metabolites were quantified using a reversed-phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography column and triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, or by using flow injection analysis in MRM mode. Data underwent multivariate (PCA analysis), univariate and receiving operator characteristic (ROC) analysis. Metabolite data were also correlated (Spearman r) with the collected clinical neuroimaging and protein biomarker data. Results: The PCA plot separated DLB, AD and HC groups (R2 = 0.518, Q2 = 0.348). Significant alterations in 17 detected metabolite parameters were identified (q ≤ 0.05), including neurotransmitters, amino acids and glycerophospholipids. Glutamine (Glu; q = 0.045) concentrations and indicators of sphingomyelin hydroxylation (q = 0.039) distinguished AD and DLB, and these significantly correlated with semi-quantitative measurement of cardiac sympathetic denervation. The most promising biomarker differentiating AD from DLB was Glu:lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC a 24:0) ratio (AUC = 0.92; 95%CI 0.809-0.996; sensitivity = 0.90; specificity = 0.90). Discussion: Several plasma metabolomic aberrations are shared by both DLB and AD, but a rise in plasma glutamine was specific to DLB. When measured against plasma lysoPC a C24:0, glutamine could differentiate DLB from AD, and the reproducibility of this biomarker should be investigated in larger cohorts.

An alternative method of SNP inclusion to develop a generalized polygenic risk score analysis across Alzheimer's disease cohorts.

Introduction: Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have great clinical potential for detecting late-onset diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), allowing the identification of those most at risk years before the symptoms present. Although many studies use various and complicated machine learning algorithms to determine the best discriminatory values for PRSs, few studies look at the commonality of the Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) utilized in these models. Methods: This investigation focussed on identifying SNPs that tag blocks of linkage disequilibrium across the genome, allowing for a generalized PRS model across cohorts and genotyping panels. PRS modeling was conducted on five AD development cohorts, with the best discriminatory models exploring for a commonality of linkage disequilibrium clumps. Clumps that contributed to the discrimination of cases from controls that occurred in multiple cohorts were used to create a generalized model of PRS, which was then tested in the five development cohorts and three further AD cohorts. Results: The model developed provided a discriminability accuracy average of over 70% in multiple AD cohorts and included variants of several well-known AD risk genes. Discussion: A key element of devising a polygenic risk score that can be used in the clinical setting is one that has consistency in the SNPs that are used to calculate the score; this study demonstrates that using a model based on commonality of association findings rather than meta-analyses may prove useful.