Florian Schöberl1, Cauchy Pradhan1, Stephanie Irving1, Katharina Buerger1, Guoming Xiong1, Günter Kugler1, Stefan Kohlbecher1, Julia Engmann1, Philipp Werner1, Matthias Brendel1, Erich Schneider1, Robert Perneczky1, Klaus Jahn1, Christian la Fougère1, Peter Bartenstein1, Thomas Brandt1, Marianne Dieterich1, Andreas Zwergal2. 1. From the Department of Neurology (F.S., J.E., P.W., A.Z., M.D.), University Hospital, German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (F.S., C.P., S.I., G.X., G.K., S.K., E.S., K.J., C.l.F., P.B., T.B., M.D., A.Z.), DSGZ, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (K.B.), ISD, University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine (G.X., M.B., P.B.), Department of Psychiatry (R.P.), and Clinical Neurosciences (T.B.), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (K.B., R.P., M.D.), DZNE, Munich; Institute for Medical Technology (E.S.), Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg; Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (R.P., P.B., M.D.), SyNergy, Germany; Ageing Epidemiology Research Unit (R.P.), School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK; Neurological Hospital (K.J.), Schön Klinik Bad Aibling; and Department of Nuclear Medicine (C.l.F.), Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen, Germany. 2. From the Department of Neurology (F.S., J.E., P.W., A.Z., M.D.), University Hospital, German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (F.S., C.P., S.I., G.X., G.K., S.K., E.S., K.J., C.l.F., P.B., T.B., M.D., A.Z.), DSGZ, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (K.B.), ISD, University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine (G.X., M.B., P.B.), Department of Psychiatry (R.P.), and Clinical Neurosciences (T.B.), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (K.B., R.P., M.D.), DZNE, Munich; Institute for Medical Technology (E.S.), Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg; Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (R.P., P.B., M.D.), SyNergy, Germany; Ageing Epidemiology Research Unit (R.P.), School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK; Neurological Hospital (K.J.), Schön Klinik Bad Aibling; and Department of Nuclear Medicine (C.l.F.), Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen, Germany. andreas.zwergal@med.uni-muenchen.de.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To distinguish between patients with amyloid-positive (A+) and -negative (A-) amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) by simultaneously investigating navigation performance, visual exploration behavior, and brain activations during a real-space navigation paradigm. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with aMCI were grouped into A+ (n = 11) and A- cases by amyloid-PET imaging and amyloid CSF levels and compared to 15 healthy controls. Neuropsychological deficits were quantified by use of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease-plus cognitive battery. All participants performed a navigation task in which they had to find items in a realistic spatial environment and had to apply egocentric and allocentric route planning strategies. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose was injected at the start to detect navigation-induced brain activations. Subjects wore a gaze-controlled, head-fixed camera that recorded their visual exploration behavior. RESULTS: A+ patients performed worse during egocentric and allocentric navigation compared to A- patients and controls (p < 0.001). Both aMCI subgroups used fewer shortcuts, moved more slowly, and stayed longer at crossings. Word-list learning, figural learning, and Trail-Making tests did not differ in the A+ and A- subgroups. A+ patients showed a reduced activation of the right hippocampus, retrosplenial, and parietal cortex during navigation compared to A- patients (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: A+ patients with aMCI perform worse than A- patients with aMCI in egocentric and allocentric route planning because of a more widespread impairment of their cerebral navigation network. Navigation testing in real space is a promising approach to identify patients with aMCI with underlying Alzheimer pathology.
OBJECTIVE: To distinguish between patients with amyloid-positive (A+) and -negative (A-) amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) by simultaneously investigating navigation performance, visual exploration behavior, and brain activations during a real-space navigation paradigm. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with aMCI were grouped into A+ (n = 11) and A- cases by amyloid-PET imaging and amyloid CSF levels and compared to 15 healthy controls. Neuropsychological deficits were quantified by use of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease-plus cognitive battery. All participants performed a navigation task in which they had to find items in a realistic spatial environment and had to apply egocentric and allocentric route planning strategies. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose was injected at the start to detect navigation-induced brain activations. Subjects wore a gaze-controlled, head-fixed camera that recorded their visual exploration behavior. RESULTS: A+ patients performed worse during egocentric and allocentric navigation compared to A- patients and controls (p < 0.001). Both aMCI subgroups used fewer shortcuts, moved more slowly, and stayed longer at crossings. Word-list learning, figural learning, and Trail-Making tests did not differ in the A+ and A- subgroups. A+ patients showed a reduced activation of the right hippocampus, retrosplenial, and parietal cortex during navigation compared to A- patients (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: A+ patients with aMCI perform worse than A- patients with aMCI in egocentric and allocentric route planning because of a more widespread impairment of their cerebral navigation network. Navigation testing in real space is a promising approach to identify patients with aMCI with underlying Alzheimer pathology.
Authors: Martina Laczó; Lukas Martinkovic; Ondrej Lerch; Jan M Wiener; Jana Kalinova; Veronika Matuskova; Zuzana Nedelska; Martin Vyhnalek; Jakub Hort; Jan Laczó Journal: Front Aging Neurosci Date: 2022-06-02 Impact factor: 5.702
Authors: Martina Laczó; Ondrej Lerch; Lukas Martinkovic; Jana Kalinova; Hana Markova; Martin Vyhnalek; Jakub Hort; Jan Laczó Journal: Front Aging Neurosci Date: 2021-11-26 Impact factor: 5.750