Brendon Boot

Characterization of frontotemporal dementia and/or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with the GGGGCC repeat expansion in C9ORF72

Numerous kindreds with familial frontotemporal dementia and/or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have been linked to chromosome 9, and an expansion of the GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat in the non-coding region of chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 has recently been identified as the pathogenic mechanism. We describe the key characteristics in the probands and their affected relatives who have been evaluated at Mayo Clinic Rochester or Mayo Clinic Florida in whom the hexanucleotide repeat expansion were found. Forty-three probands and 10 of their affected relatives with DNA available (total 53 subjects) were shown to carry the hexanucleotide repeat expansion. Thirty-six (84%) of the 43 probands had a familial disorder, whereas seven (16%) appeared to be sporadic. Among examined subjects from the 43 families (n = 63), the age of onset ranged from 33 to 72 years (median 52 years) and survival ranged from 1 to 17 years, with the age of onset <40 years in six (10%) and >60 in 19 (30%). Clinical diagnoses among examined subjects included behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia with or without parkinsonism (n = 30), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (n = 18), frontotemporal dementia/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with or without parkinsonism (n = 12), and other various syndromes (n = 3). Parkinsonism was present in 35% of examined subjects, all of whom had behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia or frontotemporal dementia/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as the dominant clinical phenotype. No subject with a diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia was identified with this mutation. Incomplete penetrance was suggested in two kindreds, and the youngest generation had significantly earlier age of onset (>10 years) compared with the next oldest generation in 11 kindreds. Neuropsychological testing showed a profile of slowed processing speed, complex attention/executive dysfunction, and impairment in rapid word retrieval. Neuroimaging studies showed bilateral frontal abnormalities most consistently, with more variable degrees of parietal with or without temporal changes; no case had strikingly focal or asymmetric findings. Neuropathological examination of 14 patients revealed a range of transactive response DNA binding protein molecular weight 43 pathology (10 type A and four type B), as well as ubiquitin-positive cerebellar granular neuron inclusions in all but one case. Motor neuron degeneration was detected in nine patients, including five patients without ante-mortem signs of motor neuron disease. While variability exists, most cases with this mutation have a characteristic spectrum of demographic, clinical, neuropsychological, neuroimaging and especially neuropathological findings.

Pain and disability in osteoarthritis: a review of biobehavioral mechanisms.

Pain and disability are cardinal symptoms in osteoarthritis. The literature is reviewed in order to identify causes of these symptoms at the articular, kinesiological, and psychological level. It is concluded that pain and disability are associated with degeneration of cartilage and bone (articular level), with muscle weakness and limitations in joint motion (kinesiological level), and with anxiety, coping style, attentional focus on symptoms, and possibly depression (psychological level). Biobehavioral mechanisms of pain and disability which explain the observed associations are described and the empirical evidence for these mechanisms is evaluated. Methodological and conceptual deficiencies in the research reviewed are pointed out and suggestions for further research are given.

Inclusion of RBD improves the diagnostic classification of dementia with Lewy bodies

Objective: To determine whether adding REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) to the dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) diagnostic criteria improves classification accuracy of autopsy-confirmed DLB. Methods: We followed 234 consecutive patients with dementia until autopsy with a mean of 4 annual visits. Clinical diagnoses included DLB, Alzheimer disease (AD), corticobasal syndrome, and frontotemporal dementia. Pathologic diagnoses used the 2005 DLB consensus criteria and included no/low likelihood DLB (non-DLB; n = 136) and intermediate/high likelihood DLB (DLB; n = 98). Regression modeling and sensitivity/specificity analyses were used to evaluate the diagnostic role of RBD. Results: Each of the 3 core features increased the odds of autopsy-confirmed DLB up to 2-fold, and RBD increased the odds by 6-fold. When clinically probable DLB reflected dementia and 2 or more of the 3 core features, sensitivity was 85%, and specificity was 73%. When RBD was added and clinically probable DLB reflected 2 or more of 4 features, sensitivity improved to 88%. When dementia and RBD were also designated as probable DLB, sensitivity increased to 90% while specificity remained at 73%. The VH, parkinsonism, RBD model lowered sensitivity to 83%, but improved specificity to 85%. Conclusions: Inclusion of RBD as a core clinical feature improves the diagnostic accuracy of autopsy-confirmed DLB.

Probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder increases risk for mild cognitive impairment and Parkinson disease: A population-based study

Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is associated with neurodegenerative disease and particularly with the synucleinopathies. Convenience samples involving subjects with idiopathic RBD have suggested an increased risk of incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia (usually dementia with Lewy bodies), and Parkinson disease (PD). There are no data on such risks in a population‐based sample.

Risk factors for dementia with Lewy bodies: A case-control study

Objective: To determine the risk factors associated with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Methods: We identified 147 subjects with DLB and sampled 2 sex- and age-matched cognitively normal control subjects for each case. We also identified an unmatched comparison group of 236 subjects with Alzheimer disease (AD). We evaluated 19 candidate risk factors in the study cohort. Results: Compared with controls, subjects with DLB were more likely to have a history of anxiety (odds ratio; 95% confidence interval) (7.4; 3.5–16; p < 0.0001), depression (6.0; 3.7–9.5; p < 0.0001), stroke (2.8; 1.3–6.3; p = 0.01), a family history of Parkinson disease (PD) (4.6; 2.5–8.6; p < 0.0001), and carry APOE ε4 alleles (2.2; 1.5–3.3; p < 0.0001), but less likely to have had cancer (0.44; 0.27–0.70; p = 0.0006) or use caffeine (0.29; 0.14–0.57; p < 0.0001) with a similar trend for alcohol (0.65; 0.42–1.0; p = 0.0501). Compared with subjects with AD, subjects with DLB were younger (72.5 vs 74.9 years, p = 0.021) and more likely to be male (odds ratio; 95% confidence interval) (5.3; 3.3–8.5; p < 0.0001), have a history of depression (4.3; 2.4–7.5; p < 0.0001), be more educated (2.5; 1.1–5.6; p = 0.031), have a positive family history of PD (5.0; 2.4–10; p < 0.0001), have no APOE ε4 alleles (0.61; 0.40–0.93; p = 0.02), and to have had an oophorectomy before age 45 years (7.6; 1.5–39; p = 0.015). Conclusion: DLB risk factors are an amalgam of those for AD and PD. Smoking and education, which have opposing risk effects on AD and PD, are not risk factors for DLB; however, depression and low caffeine intake, both risk factors for AD and PD, increase risk of DLB more strongly than in either.

Specifically neuropathic Gaucher's mutations accelerate cognitive decline in Parkinson's.

We hypothesized that specific mutations in the β‐glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA) causing neuropathic Gauchers disease (GD) in homozygotes lead to aggressive cognitive decline in heterozygous Parkinsons disease (PD) patients, whereas non‐neuropathic GD mutations confer intermediate progression rates.

Neuropathic Gaucher's mutations accelerate cognitive decline in Parkinson's

We hypothesized that specific mutations in the β‐glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA) causing neuropathic Gauchers disease (GD) in homozygotes lead to aggressive cognitive decline in heterozygous Parkinsons disease (PD) patients, whereas non‐neuropathic GD mutations confer intermediate progression rates.

Temporal T807 binding correlates with CSF tau and phospho-tau in normal elderly

Objective: To better understand cross-sectional relationships between CSF and PET measures of tau pathology, we compared regional and global measures of 18F-T807 (AV-1451) PET to CSF protein levels of total tau (t-tau), phosphorylated tau (p-tau), and β-amyloid 1–42 (Aβ42). Methods: T-tau, p-tau, and Aβ42 levels were assessed using INNOTEST xMAP immunoassays. Linear regression was used to compare regional and global measures of 18F-T807 standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR) to CSF protein levels using data from 31 cognitively unimpaired elderly participants in the Harvard Aging Brain study. Results: After controlling for sex and age, total cortical 18F-T807 binding was significantly correlated with p-tau (partial r = 0.48; p < 0.01) and at trend level with t-tau (partial r = 0.30; p = 0.12). Regional 18F-T807 measures were more strongly correlated with CSF protein levels than the global measure, with both t-tau and p-tau significantly correlated with 18F-T807 SUVR in entorhinal, parahippocampal, and inferior temporal cortical regions (partial r = 0.53–0.73). Peak correlations between CSF and PET measures of tau were similar to those between CSF and PET measures of amyloid burden. Finally, we observed significantly higher temporal T807 SUVR in individuals with high amyloid burden. Conclusions: These data support the link between 18F-T807 PET and CSF measures of tau pathology. In these cognitively normal individuals with 18F-T807 binding largely restricted to the temporal lobe, 18F-T807 SUVR in temporal regions appeared more reflective of CSF t-tau and p-tau than a total cortical measure.

Daytime Sleepiness Is Associated with Decreased Default Mode Network Connectivity in Both Young and Cognitively Intact Elderly Subjects

STUDY OBJECTIVES Sleep deprivation and daytime somnolence impair numerous aspects of physical, cognitive, and memory performance. However, most studies examining the effect of somnolence on brain function focus on acute sleep restriction in young adults. We examine the relationship between chronic daytime somnolence and connectivity in six brain networks in both young and elderly subjects using stimulus-free resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. DESIGN Cross-sectional. SETTING Outpatient research at the Massachusetts General Hospital. PARTICIPANTS Young (n = 27) and elderly (n = 84) healthy, cognitively normal volunteers. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Compared with young subjects, cognitively normal elderly adults report less daytime somnolence on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) (P = 0.019) and display reduced default mode network (DMN) connectivity (P = 0.004). Across all subjects, increasing daytime sleepiness was associated with decreasing functional connectivity in the DMN (P = 0.003, partial r of ESS = -0.29). There was no difference in the slope of this relationship between young adults and elderly subjects. No other cortical networks were correlated with daytime sleepiness. Daytime sleepiness and DMN connectivity were not related to sex, brain structure, or body mass index. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that daytime sleepiness is associated with impaired connectivity of the DMN in a manner that is distinct from the effects of aging. This association is important to consider in any study using DMN connectivity as a biomarker. Additionally, these results may help identify those subjects at risk for future memory decline.

Subtle gait changes in patients with REM sleep behavior disorder.

Many people with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) have an underlying synucleinopathy, the most common of which is Lewy body disease. Identifying additional abnormal clinical features may help in identifying those at greater risk of evolving to a more severe syndrome. Because gait disorders are common in the synucleinopathies, early abnormalities in gait in those with RBD could help in identifying those at increased risk of developing overt parkinsonism and/or cognitive impairment. We identified 42 probable RBD subjects and 492 controls using the Mayo Sleep Questionnaire and assessed gait velocity, cadence, and stride dynamics with an automated gait analysis system. Cases and controls were similar in age (79.9 ± 4.7 and 80.1 ± 4.7, P = 0.74), Unified Parkinsons Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS) score (3.3 ± 5.5 and 1.9 ± 4.1, P = 0.21) and Mini–Mental State Examination scores (27.2 ± 1.9 and 27.7 ± 1.6, P = 0.10). A diagnosis of probable RBD was associated with decreased velocity (−7.9 cm/s; 95% confidence interval [CI], −13.8 to −2.0; P < 0.01), cadence (−4.4 steps/min; 95% CI, −7.6 to −1.3; P < 0.01), significantly increased double limb support variability (30%; 95% CI, 6–60; P = 0.01), and greater stride time variability (29%; 95% CI, 2–63; P = 0.03) and swing time variability (46%; 95% CI, 15–84; P < 0.01). Probable RBD is associated with subtle gait changes prior to overt clinical parkinsonism. Diagnosis of probable RBD supplemented by gait analysis may help as a screening tool for disorders of α‐synuclein.