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First observation of the early link between proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease

Date:
January 25, 2021
Source:
University of Liege
Summary:
Researchers demonstrate, for the first time in humans, how the first deposits of tau proteins in the brainstem are associated with neurophysiological processes specific to the early stages of Alzheimer's disease development.
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Study conducted by researchers from the GIGA CRC In vivo Imaging laboratory at ULiège demonstrates, for the first time in humans, how the first deposits of tau proteins in the brainstem are associated with neurophysiological processes specific to the early stages of Alzheimer's disease development.

During the pre-clinical stages of Alzheimer's disease, i.e. when subtle changes are taking place in the brain but no cognitive symptoms can be observed, the cortex presents a state of transient hyperexcitability. To date, several studies conducted in animals have shown that tau and beta-amyloid proteins -- central to the development of Alzheimer's disease -- were associated with increased cortical excitability and dysfunction of brain networks. However, the relationship between the accumulation of Alzheimer's disease-related proteins and cortical hyperexcitability during the earliest stages of the disease remains poorly understood in humans, in particular due to technological limitations in the precise quantification of early protein deposition.

A study, conducted by researchers from the Cyclotron Research Centre (CRC In vivo Imaging / GIGA) of ULiège studied whether the first deposits of tau and beta-amyloid proteins in the brains of healthy individuals aged between 50 and 70 years old could be linked to a higher level of cortical excitability. To do this, we combined different neuroimaging methodologies (magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography) in order to characterise the quantity of tau and beta-amyloid proteins in their first agglomeration regions," explains Gilles Vandewalle, head of the laboratory. That is to say, respectively, in the brainstem and in a series of upper cortical areas. "In addition, the researchers also measured the excitability of the participants' cortex in a non-invasive manner, using transcranial magnetic stimulation techniques in conjunction with the acquisition of electroencephalographic recordings.

The results of this study show that an increased amount of tau protein in the brainstem -- its primary site of agglomeration -- is specifically associated with a higher level of cortical excitability, while the researchers did not observe a significant relationship for the amount of beta-amyloid protein in the upper cortical areas. These results constitute a first in vivo observation in humans of the early link between proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease and their impact on brain function," says Maxime Van Egroo, scientific collaborator at the CRC In Vivo Imaging and first author of the scientific article. Furthermore, they suggest that measuring the hyperexcitability of the cortex could be a useful marker to provide information on the progress of certain cerebral pathological processes linked to Alzheimer's disease, and thus contribute to the early identification of people most at risk of developing the disease, well before the first cognitive symptoms appear. "


Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Liege. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Maxime Van Egroo, Daphne Chylinski, Justinas Narbutas, Gabriel Besson, Vincenzo Muto, Christina Schmidt, Davide Marzoli, Paolo Cardone, Nora Vandeleene, Martin Grignard, André Luxen, Eric Salmon, Christian Lambert, Christine Bastin, Fabienne Collette, Christophe Phillips, Pierre Maquet, Mohamed Ali Bahri, Evelyne Balteau, Gilles Vandewalle. Early brainstem [18F]THK5351 uptake is linked to cortical hyperexcitability in healthy aging. JCI Insight, 2021; 6 (2) DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.142514

Cite This Page:

University of Liege. "First observation of the early link between proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 January 2021. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113218.htm>.
University of Liege. (2021, January 25). First observation of the early link between proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113218.htm
University of Liege. "First observation of the early link between proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210125113218.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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