Faye Begeti1, Laetitia C Schwab1, Sarah L Mason1, Roger A Barker2. 1. Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. 2. Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Department of Neurology, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterised by a triad of motor, psychiatric and cognitive deficits with the latter classically attributed to disruption of frontostriatal networks. However, emerging evidence from animal models of HD suggests that some of the early cognitive deficits may have a hippocampal basis. The objective of this study was to link previous rodent findings in this area to clinical practice. METHODS: In this study, 94 participants included patients with early HD, premanifest HD and age-matched controls underwent hippocampal-based cognitive assessments. These included a virtual reality version of the Morris water maze, a task involved participants having to swim through a virtual pool to find a submerged platform using a joystick, and the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) paired associates learning task, a test also known to rely on hippocampal integrity. RESULTS: Patients with early HD showed impaired performance in both the virtual Morris water maze and the CANTAB paired associates learning. Such deficits were also correlated with estimated years to diagnosis in premanifest participants. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the merit of using analogous tests in the laboratory and clinic and demonstrates that hippocampal impairments are an early feature of HD in patients as previously shown in rodent models of the disease. As such, they could be used not only to assist in the diagnosis of disease onset, but may also be useful as an outcome measure in future therapeutic trials. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/
BACKGROUND:Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterised by a triad of motor, psychiatric and cognitive deficits with the latter classically attributed to disruption of frontostriatal networks. However, emerging evidence from animal models of HD suggests that some of the early cognitive deficits may have a hippocampal basis. The objective of this study was to link previous rodent findings in this area to clinical practice. METHODS: In this study, 94 participants included patients with early HD, premanifest HD and age-matched controls underwent hippocampal-based cognitive assessments. These included a virtual reality version of the Morris water maze, a task involved participants having to swim through a virtual pool to find a submerged platform using a joystick, and the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) paired associates learning task, a test also known to rely on hippocampal integrity. RESULTS:Patients with early HD showed impaired performance in both the virtual Morris water maze and the CANTAB paired associates learning. Such deficits were also correlated with estimated years to diagnosis in premanifest participants. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the merit of using analogous tests in the laboratory and clinic and demonstrates that hippocampal impairments are an early feature of HD in patients as previously shown in rodent models of the disease. As such, they could be used not only to assist in the diagnosis of disease onset, but may also be useful as an outcome measure in future therapeutic trials. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/
Authors: F L'Episcopo; J Drouin-Ouellet; C Tirolo; A Pulvirenti; R Giugno; N Testa; S Caniglia; M F Serapide; G Cisbani; R A Barker; F Cicchetti; B Marchetti Journal: Cell Death Dis Date: 2016-04-28 Impact factor: 8.469
Authors: Zahra Dargaei; Jee Yoon Bang; Vivek Mahadevan; C Sahara Khademullah; Simon Bedard; Gustavo Morrone Parfitt; Jun Chul Kim; Melanie A Woodin Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2018-01-30 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Tuukka O Piiponniemi; Teija Parkkari; Taneli Heikkinen; Jukka Puoliväli; Larry C Park; Roger Cachope; Maksym V Kopanitsa Journal: Front Behav Neurosci Date: 2018-10-02 Impact factor: 3.558