Federico Ramírez-Toraño1,2, Javier García-Alba1,3, Ricardo Bruña1,2,4, Susanna Esteba-Castillo5, Lucía Vaquero1,6, Ernesto Pereda1,7, Fernando Maestú1,2,4, Alberto Fernández1,6,8. 1. Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience (UCM-UPM), Center for Biomedical Technology, Technical University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 2. Department of Experimental Psychology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 3. Research and Psychology in Education Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. 4. Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain. 5. Specialized Department in Mental Health and Intellectual Disability, Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià-Institut 'd'Assistència Sanitària, Institut 'd'Assistència Sanitària (IAS), Girona, Spain. 6. Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. 7. Electrical Engineering and Bioengineering Group, Department of Industrial Engineering and IUNE and ITB Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. 8. Institute of Sanitary Investigation (IdISSC), San Carlos University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract
Introduction: The majority of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) show signs of Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology in their fourth decade. However, there is a lack of specific markers for characterizing the disease stages while considering this population's differential features. Methods: Forty-one DS individuals participated in the study, and were classified into three groups according to their clinical status: Alzheimer's disease (AD-DS), mild cognitive impairment (MCI-DS), and controls (CN-DS). We performed an exhaustive neuropsychological evaluation and assessed brain functional connectivity (FC) from magnetoencephalographic recordings. Results: Compared with CN-DS, both MCI-DS and AD-DS showed a pattern of increased FC within the high alpha band. The neuropsychological assessment showed a generalized cognitive impairment, especially affecting mnestic functions, in MCI-DS and, more pronouncedly, in AD-DS. Discussion: These findings might help to characterize the AD-continuum in DS. In addition, they support the role of the excitatory/inhibitory imbalance as a key pathophysiological factor in AD. Impact statement The pattern of functional connectivity (FC) hypersynchronization found in this study resembles the largely reported Alzheimer's disease (AD) FC evolution pattern in population with typical development. This study supports the hypothesis of the excitatory/inhibitory imbalance as a key pathophysiological factor in AD, and its conclusions could help in the characterization and prediction of Down syndrome individuals with a greater likelihood of converting to dementia.
Introduction: The majority of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) show signs of Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology in their fourth decade. However, there is a lack of specific markers for characterizing the disease stages while considering this population's differential features. Methods: Forty-one DS individuals participated in the study, and were classified into three groups according to their clinical status: Alzheimer's disease (AD-DS), mild cognitive impairment (MCI-DS), and controls (CN-DS). We performed an exhaustive neuropsychological evaluation and assessed brain functional connectivity (FC) from magnetoencephalographic recordings. Results: Compared with CN-DS, both MCI-DS and AD-DS showed a pattern of increased FC within the high alpha band. The neuropsychological assessment showed a generalized cognitive impairment, especially affecting mnestic functions, in MCI-DS and, more pronouncedly, in AD-DS. Discussion: These findings might help to characterize the AD-continuum in DS. In addition, they support the role of the excitatory/inhibitory imbalance as a key pathophysiological factor in AD. Impact statement The pattern of functional connectivity (FC) hypersynchronization found in this study resembles the largely reported Alzheimer's disease (AD) FC evolution pattern in population with typical development. This study supports the hypothesis of the excitatory/inhibitory imbalance as a key pathophysiological factor in AD, and its conclusions could help in the characterization and prediction of Down syndrome individuals with a greater likelihood of converting to dementia.
Authors: Alex I Wiesman; Daniel L Murman; Rebecca A Losh; Mikki Schantell; Nicholas J Christopher-Hayes; Hallie J Johnson; Madelyn P Willett; Sara L Wolfson; Kathryn L Losh; Craig M Johnson; Pamela E May; Tony W Wilson Journal: Brain Date: 2022-06-30 Impact factor: 15.255
Authors: Emili Rodríguez-Hidalgo; Javier García-Alba; Maria Buxó; Ramon Novell; Susana Esteba-Castillo Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-08-30 Impact factor: 4.614