Different inflammatory signatures based on CSF biomarkers relate to preserved or diminished brain structure and cognition.

Neuroinflammation is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and both positive and negative associations of individual inflammation-related markers with brain structure and cognitive function have been described. We aimed to identify inflammatory signatures of CSF immune-related markers that relate to changes of brain structure and cognition across the clinical spectrum ranging from normal aging to AD. A panel of 16 inflammatory markers, Aß42/40 and p-tau181 were measured in CSF at baseline in the DZNE DELCODE cohort (n = 295); a longitudinal observational study focusing on at-risk stages of AD. Volumetric maps of gray and white matter (GM/WM; n = 261) and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs, n = 249) were derived from baseline MRIs. Cognitive decline (n = 204) and the rate of change in GM volume was measured in subjects with at least 3 visits (n = 175). A principal component analysis on the CSF markers revealed four inflammatory components (PCs). Of these, the first component PC1 (highly loading on sTyro3, sAXL, sTREM2, YKL-40, and C1q) was associated with older age and higher p-tau levels, but with less pathological Aß when controlling for p-tau. PC2 (highly loading on CRP, IL-18, complement factor F/H and C4) was related to male gender, higher body mass index and greater vascular risk. PC1 levels, adjusted for AD markers, were related to higher GM and WM volumes, less WMHs, better baseline memory, and to slower atrophy rates in AD-related areas and less cognitive decline. In contrast, PC2 related to less GM and WM volumes and worse memory at baseline. Similar inflammatory signatures and associations were identified in the independent F.ACE cohort. Our data suggest that there are beneficial and detrimental signatures of inflammatory CSF biomarkers. While higher levels of TAM receptors (sTyro/sAXL) or sTREM2 might reflect a protective glia response to degeneration related to phagocytic clearance, other markers might rather reflect proinflammatory states that have detrimental impact on brain integrity.

Single-value brain activity scores reflect both severity and risk across the Alzheimer's continuum.

Single-value scores reflecting the deviation from (FADE score) or similarity with (SAME score) prototypical novelty-related and memory-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation patterns in young adults have been proposed as imaging biomarkers of healthy neurocognitive aging. Here, we tested the utility of these scores as potential diagnostic and prognostic markers in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and risk states like mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or subjective cognitive decline (SCD). To this end, we analyzed subsequent memory fMRI data from individuals with SCD, MCI, and AD dementia as well as healthy controls (HC) and first-degree relatives of AD dementia patients (AD-rel) who participated in the multi-center DELCODE study (N = 468). Based on the individual participants' whole-brain fMRI novelty and subsequent memory responses, we calculated the FADE and SAME scores and assessed their association with AD risk stage, neuropsychological test scores, CSF amyloid positivity, and ApoE genotype. Memory-based FADE and SAME scores showed a considerably larger deviation from a reference sample of young adults in the MCI and AD dementia groups compared to HC, SCD and AD-rel. In addition, novelty-based scores significantly differed between the MCI and AD dementia groups. Across the entire sample, single-value scores correlated with neuropsychological test performance. The novelty-based SAME score further differed between Aß-positive and Aß-negative individuals in SCD and AD-rel, and between ApoE ε4 carriers and non-carriers in AD-rel. Hence, FADE and SAME scores are associated with both cognitive performance and individual risk factors for AD. Their potential utility as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers warrants further exploration, particularly in individuals with SCD and healthy relatives of AD dementia patients.

Altered limbic functional connectivity in individuals with subjective cognitive decline: Converging and diverging findings across Chinese and German cohorts.

INTRODUCTION: It remains unclear whether functional brain networks are consistently altered in individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and whether the network alterations are associated with an amyloid burden. METHODS: Cross-sectional resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging connectivity (FC) and amyloid-positron emission tomography (PET) data from the Chinese Sino Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Decline and German DZNE Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia cohorts were analyzed. RESULTS: Limbic FC, particularly hippocampal connectivity with right insula, was consistently higher in SCD than in controls, and correlated with SCD-plus features. Smaller SCD subcohorts with PET showed inconsistent amyloid positivity rates and FC-amyloid associations across cohorts. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest an early adaptation of the limbic network in SCD, which may reflect increased awareness of cognitive decline, irrespective of amyloid pathology. Different amyloid positivity rates may indicate a heterogeneous underlying etiology in Eastern and Western SCD cohorts when applying current research criteria. Future studies should identify culture-specific features to enrich preclinical Alzheimer's disease in non-Western populations. HIGHLIGHTS: Common limbic hyperconnectivity across Chinese and German subjective cognitive decline (SCD) cohorts was observed. Limbic hyperconnectivity may reflect awareness of cognition, irrespective of amyloid load. Further cross-cultural harmonization of SCD regarding Alzheimer's disease pathology is required.

Resting-State Network Alterations Differ between Alzheimer's Disease Atrophy Subtypes.

Several Alzheimer's disease (AD) atrophy subtypes were identified, but their brain network properties are unclear. We analyzed data from two independent datasets, including 166 participants (103 AD/63 controls) from the DZNE-longitudinal cognitive impairment and dementia study and 151 participants (121 AD/30 controls) from the AD neuroimaging initiative cohorts, aiming to identify differences between AD atrophy subtypes in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging intra-network connectivity (INC) and global and nodal network properties. Using a data-driven clustering approach, we identified four AD atrophy subtypes with differences in functional connectivity, accompanied by clinical and biomarker alterations, including a medio-temporal-predominant (S-MT), a limbic-predominant (S-L), a diffuse (S-D), and a mild-atrophy (S-MA) subtype. S-MT and S-D showed INC reduction in the default mode, dorsal attention, visual and limbic network, and a pronounced reduction of "global efficiency" and decrease of the "clustering coefficient" in parietal and temporal lobes. Despite severe atrophy in limbic areas, the S-L exhibited only marginal global network but substantial nodal network failure. S-MA, in contrast, showed limited impairment in clinical and cognitive scores but pronounced global network failure. Our results contribute toward a better understanding of heterogeneity in AD with the detection of distinct differences in functional connectivity networks accompanied by CSF biomarker and cognitive differences in AD subtypes.

[Guidelines for the Neuropsychological Assessment of Patients with Parkinson's Disease]. / Empfehlungen zur neuropsychologischen Diagnostik beim Morbus Parkinson.

BACKGROUND: Presence of mild cognitive impairment is currently the best predictor for the development of Parkinson's disease dementia. Diagnostic criteria for both Parkinson's with mild cognitive impairment and Parkinson's disease dementia have been suggested by the Movement Disorder Society. However, not all cognitive tests recommended are available in the German language with proper standard values. OBJECTIVES: To define evidence-based guidelines for neuropsychological assessment of patients with Parkinson's disease in German. METHODS: Two systematic literature searches were conducted. First, articles that presented international guidelines (consensus papers or reviews) for the application of standardized neuropsychological assessments for the diagnosis of cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease were selected. Of those, only neuropsychological assessments in German language with normative values referring either to a German, Austrian, or Swiss population were considered. Second, articles comparing test performances of healthy controls vs. Parkinson's disease and/or different cognitive Parkinson's disease subtypes (e.g. no cognitive impairment, Parkinson's with mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson's disease dementia) were selected. Effect sizes for group differentiation were calculated. RESULTS: Out of 127 full-text articles reviewed, 48 tests were identified during the first literature search. In the second search, 1716 articles were reviewed and 23 papers selected. The strongest effect sizes for group discrimination were revealed for tests assessing executive function, attention, and visuo-cognitive abilities. Based on the results of the two literature searches, consensus guidelines were defined by the authors, allowing for Level-II diagnosis for Parkinson's with mild cognitive impairment and Parkinson's disease dementia. CONCLUSIONS: The presented guidelines may have the potential to standardize and improve the neuropsychological assessment of Parkinson's disease patients in German speaking countries.

Cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease: the impact of the motor phenotype on cognition.

OBJECTIVES: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and is further associated with progressive cognitive decline. In respect to motor phenotype, there is some evidence that akinetic-rigid PD is associated with a faster rate of cognitive decline in general and a greater risk of developing dementia.The objective of this study was to examine cognitive profiles among patients with PD by motor phenotypes and its relation to cognitive function. METHODS: Demographic, clinical and neuropsychological cross-sectional baseline data of the DEMPARK/LANDSCAPE study, a multicentre longitudinal cohort study of 538 patients with PD were analysed, stratified by motor phenotype and cognitive syndrome. Analyses were performed for all patients and for each diagnostic group separately, controlling for age, gender, education and disease duration. RESULTS: Compared with the tremor-dominant phenotype, akinetic-rigid patients performed worse in executive functions such as working memory (Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised backward; p=0.012), formal-lexical word fluency (p=0.043), card sorting (p=0.006), attention (Trail Making Test version A; p=0.024) and visuospatial abilities (Leistungsprüfungssystem test 9; p=0.006). Akinetic-rigid neuropsychological test scores for the executive and attentive domain correlated negatively with non-tremor motor scores. Covariate-adjusted binary logistic regression analyses showed significant odds for PD-mild cognitive impairment for not-determined as compared with tremor-dominant (OR=3.198) and akinetic-rigid PD (OR=2.059). The odds for PD-dementia were significant for akinetic-rigid as compared with tremor-dominant phenotype (OR=8.314). CONCLUSION: The three motor phenotypes of PD differ in cognitive performance, showing that cognitive deficits seem to be less severe in tremor-dominant PD. While these data are cross-sectional, longitudinal data are needed to shed more light on these differential findings.

Hypomorphic mutations in POLR3A are a frequent cause of sporadic and recessive spastic ataxia.

Despite extensive efforts, half of patients with rare movement disorders such as hereditary spastic paraplegias and cerebellar ataxias remain genetically unexplained, implicating novel genes and unrecognized mutations in known genes. Non-coding DNA variants are suspected to account for a substantial part of undiscovered causes of rare diseases. Here we identified mutations located deep in introns of POLR3A to be a frequent cause of hereditary spastic paraplegia and cerebellar ataxia. First, whole-exome sequencing findings in a recessive spastic ataxia family turned our attention to intronic variants in POLR3A, a gene previously associated with hypomyelinating leukodystrophy type 7. Next, we screened a cohort of hereditary spastic paraplegia and cerebellar ataxia cases (n = 618) for mutations in POLR3A and identified compound heterozygous POLR3A mutations in ∼3.1% of index cases. Interestingly, >80% of POLR3A mutation carriers presented the same deep-intronic mutation (c.1909+22G>A), which activates a cryptic splice site in a tissue and stage of development-specific manner and leads to a novel distinct and uniform phenotype. The phenotype is characterized by adolescent-onset progressive spastic ataxia with frequent occurrence of tremor, involvement of the central sensory tracts and dental problems (hypodontia, early onset of severe and aggressive periodontal disease). Instead of the typical hypomyelination magnetic resonance imaging pattern associated with classical POLR3A mutations, cases carrying c.1909+22G>A demonstrated hyperintensities along the superior cerebellar peduncles. These hyperintensities may represent the structural correlate to the cerebellar symptoms observed in these patients. The associated c.1909+22G>A variant was significantly enriched in 1139 cases with spastic ataxia-related phenotypes as compared to unrelated neurological and non-neurological phenotypes and healthy controls (P = 1.3 × 10-4). In this study we demonstrate that (i) autosomal-recessive mutations in POLR3A are a frequent cause of hereditary spastic ataxias, accounting for about 3% of hitherto genetically unclassified autosomal recessive and sporadic cases; and (ii) hypomyelination is frequently absent in POLR3A-related syndromes, especially when intronic mutations are present, and thus can no longer be considered as the unifying feature of POLR3A disease. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that substantial progress in revealing the causes of Mendelian diseases can be made by exploring the non-coding sequences of the human genome.

Burst or High-Frequency (10 kHz) Spinal Cord Stimulation in Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Patients With Predominant Back Pain: One Year Comparative Data.

OBJECTIVES: Burst and 10 kHz spinal cord stimulation (SCS) demonstrated improvement for failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) with predominant, refractory back pain. Here, we report the long-term follow-up of a previously published study comparing the safety and efficacy of burst vs. 10 kHz SCS for predominant back pain (70% of global pain) of FBSS patients. METHODS: This comparative, observational study extended the follow-up period up to 20 months evaluating both SCS modalities. Pain intensity (visual analog scale [VASB , VASL ]), functional capacity (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]; depression (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]), stimulation parameters and hardware and/or stimulation associated adverse events were recorded and analyzed over time. RESULTS: Overall VASB (t1,12 = 66.76, p < 0.001) and VASL (t1,12 = 4.763, p < 0.049; p < 0.001) declined over time. Burst significantly decreased VASB by 87.5% (±17.7) (mean 8 ± 0.76 to 1 ± 1.41; t1 =12.3, p < 0.001), and 10 kHz significant decreased VASB by 54.9% (±44) (mean 8 ± 0.63 to 3.5 ± 3.27; t1 =3.09, p = 0.027). No significant differences for between SCS types were revealed (t1 =1.75, p = 0.13). VASL was significantly suppressed for burst (burst: 3.6 ± 1.59 to 1.5 ± 1.06; t1 = 3.32, p = 0.013). A significant effect of time was found for functional outcome with no significant differences between SCS types (PSQI: t1,12 = 8.8, p = 0.012; and BDI: t1 = 53.3, p < 0.001). No stimulation/hardware-related complications occurred. DISCUSSION: Long-term data of this comparative study suggests that burst responsiveness was superior to 10 kHz in our small-scale cohort, thus a larger, randomized-controlled comparative study design is highly recommended.

Burst Spinal Cord Stimulation Increases Peripheral Antineuroinflammatory Interleukin 10 Levels in Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Patients With Predominant Back Pain.

OBJECTIVES: Burst spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been reported to reduce back pain and improve functional capacity in Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS). However, its mechanism of action is not completely understood. Systemic circulating cytokines have been associated with the development of chronic back pain. METHODS: This prospective, feasibility study enrolled 12 refractory FBSS patients with predominant back pain (70% of overall pain) suitable for Burst SCS. Back and leg pain intensity (back pain [VASB ]/leg pain [VASL ]), functional capacity (sleep quality [PSQI]), depressive symptoms (BDI), body weight, stimulation parameters, and plasma levels of pro-inflammatory (Il-1b; TNF; HMGB1)/anti-inflammatory (Il-10) cytokines were collected at baseline and after three months of Burst SCS and compared to healthy controls. RESULTS: Pain intensity (pre VASB : 8.25 ± 0.75 vs. post 1.42 ± 1.24) and functional capacity (PSQI: pre 7.92 ± 3.92 vs. post 3.42 ± 1.24; BDI: pre 20.83 ± 3.56 vs. post 10.92 ± 0.75) significantly improved compared to baseline. Pro-inflammatory HMGB1 remained unchanged (preburst: 3.35 ± 3.25 vs. postburst: 3.78 ± 3.83 ng/mL; p = 0.27; W = -30) versus the HC group (2.53 ± 2.6 ng/mL; p = 0.47; U = 59), while anti-inflammatory IL-10 levels were significantly elevated after burst SCS as compared to baseline (preburst 12.54 ± 22.95 vs. postburst 43.16 ± 74.71 pg/mL; p = 0.03; W = -48) and HC group (HC: 7.03 ± 11.6 vs. postburst 43.16 ± 74.71 pg/mL; p = 0.03; W = -48; p = 0.04). Baseline preburst IL-10 values and preburst VASB significantly correlated (Spearman correlation r = -0.66; p = 0.05; 95 CI -0.86 to -0.24), while correlation was not significant between postburst IL-10 values and postburst VASB (Spearman correlation r = -0.49; p = 0.18; 95 CI -0.83 to -0.15). Postburst IL-10 values correlated significantly with postburst PSQI scores (Spearman correlation r = -0.66; p = 0.05; 95 CI -0.86 to -0.24), while no correlation was found between preburst and postburst changes related to the BDI. CONCLUSIONS: Burst SCS increased systemic circulating anti-inflammatory IL-10, improved FBSS back pain and back pain associated co-morbidities like disrupted sleep architecture and depressive symptoms in FBSS patients. Thus, suggesting a possible relationship between burst SCS and burst-evoked modulation of peripheral anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in chronic back pain.

Subtypes of mild cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease: evidence from the LANDSCAPE study.

OBJECTIVE: Inconsistent results exist regarding the cognitive profile in patients with Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI). We aimed at providing data on this topic from a large cohort of patients with PD-MCI. METHODS: Sociodemographic, clinical and neuropsychological baseline data from patients with PD-MCI recruited in the multicentre, prospective, observational DEMPARK/LANDSCAPE study were analysed. RESULTS: 269 patients with PD-MCI (age 67.8±7.4, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-III) scores 23.2±11.6) were included. PD-MCI subtypes were 39.4% non-amnestic single domain, 30.5% amnestic multiple domain, 23.4% non-amnestic multiple domain and 6.7% amnestic single domain. Executive functions were most frequently impaired. The most sensitive tests to detect cognitive dysfunctions were the Modified Card Sorting Test, digit span backwards and word list learning direct recall. Multiple stepwise regression analyses showed that global cognition, gender and age, but not education or disease-related parameters predicted PD-MCI subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: This study with the so far largest number of prospectively recruited patients with PD-MCI indicates that non-amnestic PD-MCI is more frequent than amnestic PD-MCI; executive dysfunctions are the most typical cognitive symptom in PD-MCI; and age, gender and global cognition predict the PD-MCI subtype. Longitudinal data are needed to test the hypothesis that patients with PD-MCI with specific cognitive profiles have different risks to develop dementia.

High Frequency (10 kHz) or Burst Spinal Cord Stimulation in Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Patients With Predominant Back Pain: Preliminary Data From a Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Conventional spinal cord stimulation (SCS) exhibits pain relief and improved quality of life in refractory failed back surgery syndrome. However, patients suffering from predominant back pain failed to achieve a favorable neuromodulation outcome. Currently, two new stimulation concepts, the burst and the HF10 stimulation paradigms successfully suppress intractable back pain levels in this difficult-to-treat subgroup. To date, literature data comparing both stimulation patterns is lacking. METHODS: A prospective, observational study was conducted including 16 refractory Failed-back surgery syndrome (FBSS) patients with previous spine surgery and predominant back pain (70% of overall pain) with or without leg pain eligible for burst or high-frequency SCS. At baseline and at a three-month follow-up the pain intensity (back pain (VASB )/leg pain (VASL ), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]), changes in severity of depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]) and any adverse event related to the implantation and the stimulation were recorded. RESULTS: Overall baseline VASB was significantly suppressed in 14 FBSS patients (eight burst/six patients with 10 HF10) from baseline 7.9 ± 0.7 to 2.3 ± 1 (p < 0.001), while the overall VASL declined significantly from 3.1 ± 1.5 to 1.9 ± 0.83 (p < 0.01). The burst patients experienced significant VASL reduction (burst 1.8 ± 0.7 (p < 0.009) compared to HF10 patients 2.2 ± 1). Two patients failed 10 HF10-trial. The BDI [23.3 ± 2.1 to 13.5 ± 4.5 (p < 0.001)] and the PSQI [7.6 ± 3.7 to 4.2 ± 1.4 (p < 0.003)] dropped down significantly for both modalities. No implantation/stimulation-related complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Burst and HF10 SCS performed efficiently and safely in intractable FBSS patients with predominant back pain and deserve more refined, specific investigations to determine their efficacy.

Cervical non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) for preventive and acute treatment of episodic and chronic migraine and migraine-associated sleep disturbance: a prospective observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The debilitating nature of migraine and challenges associated with treatment-refractory migraine have a profound impact on patients. With the need for alternatives to pharmacologic agents, vagus nerve stimulation has demonstrated efficacy in treatment-refractory primary headache disorders. We investigated the use of cervical non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) for the acute treatment and prevention of migraine attacks in treatment-refractory episodic and chronic migraine (EM and CM) and evaluated the impact of nVNS on migraine-associated sleep disturbance, disability, and depressive symptoms. METHODS: Twenty patients with treatment-refractory migraine were enrolled in this 3-month, open-label, prospective observational study. Patients administered nVNS prophylactically twice daily at prespecified times and acutely as adjunctive therapy for migraine attacks. Pain intensity (visual analogue scale [VAS]); number of headache days per month and number of migraine attacks per month; number of acutely treated attacks and time to achieve pain relief; sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]); migraine disability assessment (MIDAS); depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory(®) [BDI]); and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 20 enrolled patients, 10 patients each had been diagnosed with EM and CM. Prophylaxis with nVNS was associated with significant overall reductions in patient-perceived pain intensity (mean VAS scores at baseline vs 3 months: 7.75 ± 0.64 vs 4.05 ± 0.76; 95 % CI: 3.3, 4.1; p < 0.0001), mean number of headache days per month (baseline vs 3 months: 14.7 ± 4.1 vs 8.9 ± 3.66; 95 % CI: 3.3, 8.3; p < 0.0001), and mean number of migraine attacks per month (baseline vs 3 months: 7.3 ± 3.85 vs 4.45 ± 2.48; 95 % CI: 0.8, 4.9; p < 0.01). For acutely treated migraine attacks, a reduction in mean time (minutes) to achieve pain relief (baseline vs 3 months: 84.5 ± 39.1 vs 52.75 ± 16.42; 95 % CI: 12.6, 51.0; p < 0.002) was noted. Significant improvements, more evident in patients with EM, were noted in MIDAS and BDI scores along with a trend toward improvement in PSQI daytime dysfunction subscore (p = 0.07). No severe or serious AEs occurred. CONCLUSION: In this study, treatment with nVNS was safe and provided clinically meaningful decreases in the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine attacks in patients with treatment-refractory migraine. Improvements in migraine-associated disability, depression, and sleep quality were also noted.

Mid- and late-life lifestyle activities as main drivers of general and domain-specific cognitive reserve in individuals with Parkinson's disease: cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence from the LANDSCAPE study.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive reserve (CR) is considered a protective factor for cognitive function and may explain interindividual differences of cognitive performance given similar levels of neurodegeneration, e.g., in Alzheimer´s disease. Recent evidence suggests that CR is also relevant in Parkinson's disease (PD). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the role of life-stage specific CR for overall cognition and specific cognitive domains cross-sectionally and longitudinally in PD. METHODS: The cross-sectional analysis with data from the DEMPARK/LANDSCAPE study included 81 individuals without cognitive impairment (PD-N) and 87 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI). Longitudinal data covered 4 years with over 500 observations. CR was operationalized with the Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire (LEQ), capturing the complexity of lifestyle activities across distinct life-stages. Cognition was assessed using a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. RESULTS: Higher LEQ scores, particularly from mid- and late-life, were observed in PD-N compared to PD-MCI [F(1,153) = 4.609, p = .033, ηp2 = 0.029]. They were significantly associated with better cognitive performance (0.200 ≤ ß ≤ 0.292). Longitudinally, linear mixed effect models (0.236 ≤ marginal R2 ≤ 0.441) revealed that LEQ scores were positively related to cognitive performance independent of time. However, the decline in overall cognition and memory over time was slightly more pronounced with higher LEQ scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes the association between complex lifestyle activities and cognition in PD. Data indicate that while CR might be related to a delay of cognitive decline, individuals with high CR may experience a more pronounced drop in overall cognition and memory. Future studies will have to replicate these findings, particularly regarding domain-specific effects and considering reverse causal mechanisms.

Association of latent factors of neuroinflammation with Alzheimer's disease pathology and longitudinal cognitive decline.

INTRODUCTION: We investigated the association of inflammatory mechanisms with markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology and rates of cognitive decline in the AD spectrum. METHODS: We studied 296 cases from the Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study (DELCODE) cohort, and an extension cohort of 276 cases of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study. Using Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis, we constructed latent factors for synaptic integrity, microglia, cerebrovascular endothelial function, cytokine/chemokine, and complement components of the inflammatory response using a set of inflammatory markers in cerebrospinal fluid. RESULTS: We found strong evidence for an association of synaptic integrity, microglia response, and cerebrovascular endothelial function with a latent factor of AD pathology and with rates of cognitive decline. We found evidence against an association of complement and cytokine/chemokine factors with AD pathology and rates of cognitive decline. DISCUSSION: Latent factors provided access to directly unobservable components of the neuroinflammatory response and their association with AD pathology and cognitive decline.

Machine Learning-Based Perivascular Space Volumetry in Alzheimer Disease.

OBJECTIVES: Impaired perivascular clearance has been suggested as a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD). However, it remains unresolved when the anatomy of the perivascular space (PVS) is altered during AD progression. Therefore, this study investigates the association between PVS volume and AD progression in cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals, both with and without subjective cognitive decline (SCD), and in those clinically diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild AD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A convolutional neural network was trained using manually corrected, filter-based segmentations (n = 1000) to automatically segment the PVS in the centrum semiovale from interpolated, coronal T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans (n = 894). These scans were sourced from the national German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study. Convolutional neural network-based segmentations and those performed by a human rater were compared in terms of segmentation volume, identified PVS clusters, as well as Dice score. The comparison revealed good segmentation quality (Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0.70 with P < 0.0001 for PVS volume, detection rate in cluster analysis = 84.3%, and Dice score = 59.0%). Subsequent multivariate linear regression analysis, adjusted for participants' age, was performed to correlate PVS volume with clinical diagnoses, disease progression, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, lifestyle factors, and cognitive function. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Comprehensive Neuropsychological Test Battery, and the Cognitive Subscale of the 13-Item Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis, adjusted for age, revealed that participants with AD and MCI, but not those with SCD, had significantly higher PVS volumes compared with CU participants without SCD ( P = 0.001 for each group). Furthermore, CU participants who developed incident MCI within 4.5 years after the baseline assessment showed significantly higher PVS volumes at baseline compared with those who did not progress to MCI ( P = 0.03). Cognitive function was negatively correlated with PVS volume across all participant groups ( P ≤ 0.005 for each). No significant correlation was found between PVS volume and any of the following parameters: cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, sleep quality, body mass index, nicotine consumption, or alcohol abuse. CONCLUSIONS: The very early changes of PVS volume may suggest that alterations in PVS function are involved in the pathophysiology of AD. Overall, the volumetric assessment of centrum semiovale PVS represents a very early imaging biomarker for AD.

Progressive cognitive dysfunction in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3.

BACKGROUND: Although it is well established that there is cognitive dysfunction in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), it is unknown whether cognition deteriorates with disease progression. We therefore prospectively studied cognitive function in patients with SCA3. METHODS: Eleven patients with SCA3 were assessed using an extensive neuropsychological test battery and retested after 3.5 ± 0.4 years. RESULTS: In addition to ataxia and motor control, verbal learning and verbal and figural memory deteriorated significantly during the follow-up period. An increase in depressive symptoms was not observed. CONCLUSIONS: The observation that memory and learning abilities deteriorated with disease progression suggests that cognitive dysfunction is an integral part of SCA3. Because the applied tests for memory function did not require motor responses, cognitive decline cannot be attributed to progressive cerebellar ataxia. The deterioration of verbal and figural memory can be explained either by extracerebellar pathology or by disruption of cerebellar-cerebral circuitries.

Brain reserve contributes to distinguishing preclinical Alzheimer's stages 1 and 2.

BACKGROUND: In preclinical Alzheimer's disease, it is unclear why some individuals with amyloid pathologic change are asymptomatic (stage 1), whereas others experience subjective cognitive decline (SCD, stage 2). Here, we examined the association of stage 1 vs. stage 2 with structural brain reserve in memory-related brain regions. METHODS: We tested whether the volumes of hippocampal subfields and parahippocampal regions were larger in individuals at stage 1 compared to asymptomatic amyloid-negative older adults (healthy controls, HCs). We also tested whether individuals with stage 2 would show the opposite pattern, namely smaller brain volumes than in amyloid-negative individuals with SCD. Participants with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker data and bilateral volumetric MRI data from the observational, multi-centric DZNE-Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study (DELCODE) study were included. The sample comprised 95 amyloid-negative and 26 amyloid-positive asymptomatic participants as well as 104 amyloid-negative and 47 amyloid-positive individuals with SCD. Volumes were based on high-resolution T2-weighted images and automatic segmentation with manual correction according to a recently established high-resolution segmentation protocol. RESULTS: In asymptomatic individuals, brain volumes of hippocampal subfields and of the parahippocampal cortex were numerically larger in stage 1 compared to HCs, whereas the opposite was the case in individuals with SCD. MANOVAs with volumes as dependent data and age, sex, years of education, and DELCODE site as covariates showed a significant interaction between diagnosis (asymptomatic versus SCD) and amyloid status (Aß42/40 negative versus positive) for hippocampal subfields. Post hoc paired comparisons taking into account the same covariates showed that dentate gyrus and CA1 volumes in SCD were significantly smaller in amyloid-positive than negative individuals. In contrast, CA1 volumes were significantly (p = 0.014) larger in stage 1 compared with HCs. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that HCs and stages 1 and 2 do not correspond to linear brain volume reduction. Instead, stage 1 is associated with larger than expected volumes of hippocampal subfields in the face of amyloid pathology. This indicates a brain reserve mechanism in stage 1 that enables individuals with amyloid pathologic change to be cognitively normal and asymptomatic without subjective cognitive decline.

Long-term environmental enrichment is associated with better fornix microstructure in older adults.

Background: Sustained environmental enrichment (EE) through a variety of leisure activities may decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. This cross-sectional cohort study investigated the association between long-term EE in young adulthood through middle life and microstructure of fiber tracts associated with the memory system in older adults. Methods: N = 201 cognitively unimpaired participants (≥ 60 years of age) from the DZNE-Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study (DELCODE) baseline cohort were included. Two groups of participants with higher (n = 104) or lower (n = 97) long-term EE were identified, using the self-reported frequency of diverse physical, intellectual, and social leisure activities between the ages 13 to 65. White matter (WM) microstructure was measured by fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) in the fornix, uncinate fasciculus, and parahippocampal cingulum using diffusion tensor imaging. Long-term EE groups (lower/higher) were compared with adjustment for potential confounders, such as education, crystallized intelligence, and socio-economic status. Results: Reported participation in higher long-term EE was associated with greater fornix microstructure, as indicated by higher FA (standardized ß = 0.117, p = 0.033) and lower MD (ß = -0.147, p = 0.015). Greater fornix microstructure was indirectly associated (FA: unstandardized B = 0.619, p = 0.038; MD: B = -0.035, p = 0.026) with better memory function through higher long-term EE. No significant effects were found for the other WM tracts. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that sustained participation in a greater variety of leisure activities relates to preserved WM microstructure in the memory system in older adults. This could be facilitated by the multimodal stimulation associated with the engagement in a physically, intellectually, and socially enriched lifestyle. Longitudinal studies will be needed to support this assumption.

Cortical Amyloid Burden Relates to Basal Forebrain Volume in Subjective Cognitive Decline.

BACKGROUND: Atrophy of cholinergic basal forebrain (BF) nuclei is a frequent finding in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) volumetry studies that examined patients with prodromal or clinical Alzheimer's disease (AD), but less clear for individuals in earlier stages of the clinical AD continuum. OBJECTIVE: To examine BF volume reductions in subjective cognitive decline (SCD) participants with AD pathologic changes. METHODS: The present study compared MRI-based BF volume measurements in age- and sex-matched samples of N = 24 amyloid-positive and N = 24 amyloid-negative SCD individuals, based on binary visual ratings of Florbetaben positron emission tomography (PET) measurements. Additionally, we assessed associations of BF volume with cortical amyloid burden, based on semiquantitative Centiloid (CL) analyses. RESULTS: Group differences approached significance for BF total volume (p = 0.061) and the Ch4 subregion (p = 0.059) only, showing the expected relative volume reductions for the amyloid-positive subgroup. There were also significant inverse correlations between BF volumes and CL values, which again were most robust for BF total volume and the Ch4 subregion. CONCLUSIONS: The results are consistent with the hypothesis that amyloid-positive SCD individuals, which are considered to represent a transitional stage on the clinical AD continuum, already show incipient alterations of BF integrity. The negative association with a continuous measure of cortical amyloid burden also suggests that this may reflect an incremental process. Yet, further research is needed to evaluate whether BF changes already emerge at "grey zone" levels of amyloid accumulation, before amyloidosis is reliably detected by PET visual readings.

Lifelong experiences as a proxy of cognitive reserve moderate the association between connectivity and cognition in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with alterations in functional connectivity (FC) of the brain. The FC underpinnings of CR, that is, lifelong experiences, are largely unknown. Resting-state FC and structural MRI were performed in 76 CSF amyloid-ß (Aß) negative healthy controls and 152 Aß positive individuals as an AD spectrum cohort (ADS; 55 with subjective cognitive decline, SCD; 52 with mild cognitive impairment; 45 with AD dementia). Following a region-of-interest (ROI) FC analysis, intrinsic network connectivity within the default-mode network (INC-DMN) and anti-correlation in INC between the DMN and dorsal attention network (DMN:DAN) were obtained as composite scores. CR was estimated by education and Lifetime Experiences Questionnaire (LEQ). The association between INC-DMN and MEM was attenuated by higher LEQ scores in the entire ADS group, particularly in SCD. In ROI analyses, higher LEQ scores were associated with higher FC within the DMN in ADS group. INC-DMN remains relatively intact despite memory decline in individuals with higher lifetime activity estimates, supporting a role for functional networks in maintaining cognitive function in AD.