Publications

265 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 265

Abstract (Expand)

Research increasingly suggests that subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in older adults, in the absence of objective cognitive dysfunction or depression, may be a harbinger of non-normative cognitive decline and eventual progression to dementia. Little is known, however, about the key features of self-report measures currently used to assess SCD. The Subjective Cognitive Decline Initiative (SCD-I) Working Group is an international consortium established to develop a conceptual framework and research criteria for SCD (Jessen et al., 2014, Alzheimers Dement 10, 844-852). In the current study we systematically compared cognitive self-report items used by 19 SCD-I Working Group studies, representing 8 countries and 5 languages. We identified 34 self-report measures comprising 640 cognitive self-report items. There was little overlap among measures- approximately 75% of measures were used by only one study. Wide variation existed in response options and item content. Items pertaining to the memory domain predominated, accounting for about 60% of items surveyed, followed by executive function and attention, with 16% and 11% of the items, respectively. Items relating to memory for the names of people and the placement of common objects were represented on the greatest percentage of measures (56% each). Working group members reported that instrument selection decisions were often based on practical considerations beyond the study of SCD specifically, such as availability and brevity of measures. Results document the heterogeneity of approaches across studies to the emerging construct of SCD. We offer preliminary recommendations for instrument selection and future research directions including identifying items and measure formats associated with important clinical outcomes.

Authors: L. A. Rabin, C. M. Smart, P. K. Crane, R. E. Amariglio, L. M. Berman, M. Boada, R. F. Buckley, G. Chetelat, B. Dubois, K. A. Ellis, K. A. Gifford, A. L. Jefferson, F. Jessen, M. J. Katz, R. B. Lipton, T. Luck, P. Maruff, M. M. Mielke, J. L. Molinuevo, F. Naeem, A. Perrotin, R. C. Petersen, L. Rami, B. Reisberg, D. M. Rentz, S. G. Riedel-Heller, S. L. Risacher, O. Rodriguez, P. S. Sachdev, A. J. Saykin, M. J. Slavin, B. E. Snitz, R. A. Sperling, C. Tandetnik, W. M. van der Flier, M. Wagner, S. Wolfsgruber, S. A. Sikkes

Date Published: 24th Sep 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: cognitive disorder, dementia

Abstract (Expand)

The differentiation of human monocytes into macrophages is influenced by environmental signals. Here we asked in how far nicotinamide (NAM), a vitamin B3 derivative known to play a major role in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-mediated signaling events, is able to modulate monocyte differentiation into macrophages developed in the presence of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-MO) or macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-MO). We found that GM-MO undergo biochemical, morphological and functional modifications in response to NAM, whereas M-MO were hardly affected. GM-MO exposed to NAM acquired an M-MO-like structure while the LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and COX-derived eicosanoids were down-regulated. In contrast, NAM had no effect on the production of IL-10 or the cytochrome P450-derived eicosanoids. Administration of NAM enhanced intracellular NAD concentrations; however, it did not prevent the LPS-mediated drain on NAD pools. In search of intracellular molecular targets of NAM known to be involved in LPS-induced cytokine and eicosanoid synthesis, we found NF-kappaB activity to be diminished. In conclusion, our data show that vitamin B3, when present during the differentiation of monocytes into GM-MO, interferes with biochemical pathways resulting in strongly reduced pro-inflammatory features.

Authors: R. Weiss, E. Schilling, A. Grahnert, V. Kolling, J. Dorow, U. Ceglarek, U. Sack, S. Hauschildt

Date Published: 20th Sep 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Abstract (Expand)

Remolding of tRNAs is a well-documented process in mitochondrial genomes that changes the identity of a tRNA. It involves a duplication of a tRNA gene, a mutation that changes the anticodon and the loss of the ancestral tRNA gene. The net effect is a functional tRNA that is more closely related to tRNAs of a different alloacceptor family than to tRNAs with the same anticodon in related species. Beyond being of interest for understanding mitochondrial tRNA function and evolution, tRNA remolding events can lead to artifacts in the annotation of mitogenomes and thus in studies of mitogenomic evolution. Therefore, it is important to identify and catalog these events. Here we describe novel methods to detect tRNA remolding in large-scale data sets and apply them to survey tRNA remolding throughout animal evolution. We identify several novel remolding events in addition to the ones previously mentioned in the literature. A detailed analysis of these remoldings showed that many of them are derived from ancestral events.

Authors: A. H. Sahyoun, M. Holzer, F. Juhling, C. Honer zu Siederdissen, M. Al-Arab, K. Tout, M. Marz, M. Middendorf, P. F. Stadler, M. Bernt

Date Published: 18th Sep 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND: Despite the widespread use of noninvasive testing prior to invasive coronary diagnostic the diagnostic yield of elective coronary angiography has been reported low in subjects with suspected obstructive CAD. OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictive value of noncoronary atherosclerosis (NCA) in subjects with suspected stable coronary artery disease (CAD) intended to invasive coronary angiography. METHODS: Ultrasound-based assessment of carotid artery plaque (CAP), carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and ankle-brachial index (ABI) was performed in 2216 subjects with suspected CAD prior to coronary angiography. Logistic regression and c-statistics were used to analyze the diagnostic value of NCA for the presence of obstructive CAD and the intention to revascularization. RESULTS: Percentage of positive results of elective coronary angiography was low but comparable to other studies (41% obstructive CAD). We identified 1323 subjects (60%) with NCA, most of them were characterized by CAP (93%). CAP independently predicted obstructive CAD in addition to traditional risk factors and clinical factors while CIMT and ABI failed to improve the prediction. The presence of NCA and typical angina were the strongest predictors for obstructive CAD (OR 4.0 and 2.4, respectively). A large subgroup of patients (n = 703, 32%) with atypical clinical presentation and lack of NCA revealed a low indication for revascularization <15% indicating a large proportion of subjects with non-obstructive CAD in this subgroup. CONCLUSION: The evaluation of noncoronary atherosclerosis has the potential to impact clinical decision making and to direct subsequent diagnostic procedures in subjects with suspected coronary artery disease. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00497887.

Authors: A. Weissgerber, M. Scholz, A. Teren, M. Sandri, D. Teupser, S. Gielen, J. Thiery, G. Schuler, F. Beutner

Date Published: 13th Sep 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis

Abstract (Expand)

Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) has been suggested as a prognostic biomarker for neuronal alterations resulting from conditions such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), neurodegenerative disease, or cardiac arrest. To validate serum NSE (sNSE) as a brain-specific biomarker, we related it to functional brain imaging data in 38 healthy adults to create a physiological framework for future studies in neuropsychiatric diseases. sNSE was measured by monoclonal two-site immunoluminometric assays, and functional connectivity was investigated with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rfMRI). To identify neural hubs most essentially related to sNSE, we applied graph theory approaches, namely, the new data-driven and parameter-free approach, eigenvector centrality mapping. sNSE and eigenvector centrality were negatively correlated in the female cerebellum, without any effects in male subjects. In cerebellar cortex, NSE expression was significantly higher than whole-brain expression as investigated in the whole brain and whole genome-wide atlas of the Allen Institute for Brain Sciences (Seattle, WA). Our study shows a specific linkage between the neuronal marker protein, sNSE, and cerebellar connectivity as measured with rfMRI in the female human brain, although this finding shall be proven in future studies including more subjects. Results suggest that the inclusion of sNSE in the analysis of imaging data is a useful approach to obtain more-specific information on the neuronal mechanisms that underlie functional connectivity at rest. Establishing such a baseline resting-state pattern that is tied to a neuronal serum marker opens new perspectives in the characterization of neuropsychiatric disorders as disconnective syndromes or nexopathies, in particular, resulting from TBI, neurodegenerative disease, or cardiac arrest, in the future.

Authors: M. L. Schroeter, K. Mueller, K. Arelin, J. Sacher, S. Holiga, J. Kratzsch, T. Luck, S. Riedel-Heller, A. Villringer

Date Published: 1st Sep 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Abstract (Expand)

Background: The P3 is related to cognitive functions, psychopathology and effects of cognition-improving and -impairing drugs. Studies assessing the chronic effects of smoking on P3 mostly reported a reduction of P3 amplitude for chronic and former smokers. To date, only a few studies have analyzed this impact by using a three-stimulus oddball paradigm. This study tries to replicate previous smoking associations applying an eyes-closed active three-stimulus oddball paradigm in a well-diagnosed population based sample of healthy elderly subjects who were allowed to smoke ad libitum. The study also tries to estimate whether smoking is a relevant confounder in P3 assessment within the analyzed sample. Methods: From the Leipzig Health Care Study (LIFE) current, former and non-smokers without mental or neurological disorders were matched by age, sex and qualification. Risky alcohol consumption was further exclusion criterion given the strong association between alcoholism and P3 amplitude reduction. Results: Smoking status was not associated with any P3 parameter, with exception of prolonged P3a latency at Fz in former smokers compared to never smokers. Also, there were no significant effects of smoking status on any of the behavioral measures or a correlation with smoking-related data. Discussion: This study indicates that smoking does not seem to relevantly impact the P3 components in non-abstaining healthy elderly subjects when confounders are controlled for.

Authors: N. Mauche, C. Sander, P. Jawinski, C. Enzenbach, S. Olbrich, P. Schonknecht, U. Hegerl, T. Hensch

Date Published: 1st Sep 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND: Recently, biomarkers have been suggested to be incorporated into diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Regarding disease-specific brain amyloid-beta deposition these comprise low amyloid-beta 1-42 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and positive positron emission tomography (PET) amyloid imaging, while neuronal degeneration is evidenced by high total and phosphorylated tau levels in CSF (t-/p-tau), regional hypometabolism ([(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose PET, FDG-PET) and characteristic atrophy-patterns (magnetic resonance imaging, MRI). CASE PRESENTATION: Here we present a case of clinically and biomarker supported AD (CSF t-/p-tau, MRI, FDG-PET) in a 59-year-old Caucasian man in whom indicators of amyloid-beta deposition dissociated between CSF parameters and the respective PET imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Such cases highlight the necessity to better understand potential dissociations between PET and CSF data for amyloid-beta biomarkers, because they are currently considered interchangeably valid with regard to in-vivo evidence for AD pathology. This is more important since amyloid deposition markers can be considered a very first prognostic indicator of imminent AD, prior to neurodegenerative biomarkers and cognitive symptoms. The case illustrates the need for further longitudinal data on potential dissociations of AD biomarkers to devise recommendations for their better prognostic and diagnostic interpretation in the future.

Authors: M. L. Schroeter, S. Tiepolt, A. Marschhauser, A. Thone-Otto, K. T. Hoffmann, H. Barthel, H. Obrig, O. Sabri

Date Published: 26th Aug 2015

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Diseases: Alzheimer's disease

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