Browsing by Author "Forsberg, Leah K."

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    Brain volumetric deficits in MAPT mutation carriers: a multisite study
    (Wiley, 2021) Chu, Stephanie A.; Flagan, Taru M.; Staffaroni, Adam M.; Jiskoot, Lize C.; Deng, Jersey; Spina, Salvatore; Zhang, Liwen; Sturm, Virginia E.; Yokoyama, Jennifer S.; Seeley, William W.; Papma, Janne M.; Geschwind, Dan H.; Rosen, Howard J.; Boeve, Bradley F.; Boxer, Adam L.; Heuer, Hilary W.; Forsberg, Leah K.; Brushaber, Danielle E.; Grossman, Murray; Coppola, Giovanni; Dickerson, Bradford C.; Bordelon, Yvette M.; Faber, Kelley; Feldman, Howard H.; Fields, Julie A.; Fong, Jamie C.; Foroud, Tatiana; Gavrilova, Ralitza H.; Ghoshal, Nupur; Graff-Radford, Neill R.; Hsiung, Ging-Yuek Robin; Huey, Edward D.; Irwin, David J.; Kantarci, Kejal; Kaufer, Daniel I.; Karydas, Anna M.; Knopman, David S.; Kornak, John; Kramer, Joel H.; Kukull, Walter A.; Lapid, Maria I.; Litvan, Irene; Mackenzie, Ian R. A.; Mendez, Mario F.; Miller, Bruce L.; Onyike, Chiadi U.; Pantelyat, Alexander Y.; Rademakers, Rosa; Ramos, Eliana Marisa; Roberson, Erik D.; Tartaglia, Maria Carmela; Tatton, Nadine A.; Toga, Arthur W.; Vetor, Ashley; Weintraub, Sandra; Wong, Bonnie; Wszolek, Zbigniew K.; ARTFL/LEFFTDS Consortium; Van Swieten, John C.; Lee, Suzee E.; Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine
    Objective: MAPT mutations typically cause behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia with or without parkinsonism. Previous studies have shown that symptomatic MAPT mutation carriers have frontotemporal atrophy, yet studies have shown mixed results as to whether presymptomatic carriers have low gray matter volumes. To elucidate whether presymptomatic carriers have lower structural brain volumes within regions atrophied during the symptomatic phase, we studied a large cohort of MAPT mutation carriers using a voxelwise approach. Methods: We studied 22 symptomatic carriers (age 54.7 ± 9.1, 13 female) and 43 presymptomatic carriers (age 39.2 ± 10.4, 21 female). Symptomatic carriers' clinical syndromes included: behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (18), an amnestic dementia syndrome (2), Parkinson's disease (1), and mild cognitive impairment (1). We performed voxel-based morphometry on T1 images and assessed brain volumetrics by clinical subgroup, age, and mutation subtype. Results: Symptomatic carriers showed gray matter atrophy in bilateral frontotemporal cortex, insula, and striatum, and white matter atrophy in bilateral corpus callosum and uncinate fasciculus. Approximately 20% of presymptomatic carriers had low gray matter volumes in bilateral hippocampus, amygdala, and lateral temporal cortex. Within these regions, low gray matter volumes emerged in a subset of presymptomatic carriers as early as their thirties. Low white matter volumes arose infrequently among presymptomatic carriers. Interpretation: A subset of presymptomatic MAPT mutation carriers showed low volumes in mesial temporal lobe, the region ubiquitously atrophied in all symptomatic carriers. With each decade of age, an increasing percentage of presymptomatic carriers showed low mesial temporal volume, suggestive of early neurodegeneration.
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    Comprehensive cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of plasma neurofilament light across FTD spectrum disorders
    (Elsevier, 2022) Gendron, Tania F.; Heckman, Michael G.; White, Launia J.; Veire, Austin M.; Pedraza, Otto; Burch, Alexander R.; Bozoki, Andrea C.; Dickerson, Bradford C.; Domoto-Reilly, Kimiko; Foroud, Tatiana; Forsberg, Leah K.; Galasko, Douglas R.; Ghoshal, Nupur; Graff-Radford, Neill R.; Grossman, Murray; Heuer, Hilary W.; Huey, Edward D.; Hsiung, Ging-Yuek R.; Irwin, David J.; Kaufer, Daniel I.; Leger, Gabriel C.; Litvan, Irene; Masdeu, Joseph C.; Mendez, Mario F.; Onyike, Chiadi U.; Pascual, Belen; Ritter, Aaron; Roberson, Erik D.; Rojas, Julio C.; Tartaglia, Maria Carmela; Wszolek, Zbigniew K.; Rosen, Howard; Boeve, Bradley F.; Boxer, Adam L.; ALLFTD consortium; Petrucelli, Leonard; Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine
    Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) therapy development is hamstrung by a lack of susceptibility, diagnostic, and prognostic biomarkers. Blood neurofilament light (NfL) shows promise as a biomarker, but studies have largely focused only on core FTD syndromes, often grouping patients with different diagnoses. To expedite the clinical translation of NfL, we avail ARTFL LEFFTDS Longitudinal Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (ALLFTD) study resources and conduct a comprehensive investigation of plasma NfL across FTD syndromes and in presymptomatic FTD mutation carriers. We find plasma NfL is elevated in all studied syndromes, including mild cases; increases in presymptomatic mutation carriers prior to phenoconversion; and associates with indicators of disease severity. By facilitating the identification of individuals at risk of phenoconversion, and the early diagnosis of FTD, plasma NfL can aid in participant selection for prevention or early treatment trials. Moreover, its prognostic utility would improve patient care, clinical trial efficiency, and treatment outcome estimations.
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    Proposed research criteria for prodromal behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia
    (Oxford University Press, 2022) Barker, Megan S.; Gottesman, Reena T.; Manoochehri, Masood; Chapman, Silvia; Appleby, Brian S.; Brushaber, Danielle; Devick, Katrina L.; Dickerson, Bradford C.; Domoto-Reilly, Kimiko; Fields, Julie A.; Forsberg, Leah K.; Galasko, Douglas R.; Ghoshal, Nupur; Goldman, Jill; Graff-Radford, Neill R.; Grossman, Murray; Heuer, Hilary W.; Hsiung, Ging-Yuek; Knopman, David S.; Kornak, John; Litvan, Irene; Mackenzie, Ian R.; Masdeu, Joseph C.; Mendez, Mario F.; Pascual, Belen; Staffaroni, Adam M.; Tartaglia, Maria Carmela; Boeve, Bradley F.; Boxer, Adam L.; Rosen, Howard J.; Rankin, Katherine P.; Cosentino, Stephanie; Rascovsky, Katya; Huey, Edward D.; ALLFTD Consortium; Neurology, School of Medicine
    At present, no research criteria exist for the diagnosis of prodromal behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), though early detection is of high research importance. Thus, we sought to develop and validate a proposed set of research criteria for prodromal bvFTD, termed 'mild behavioural and/or cognitive impairment in bvFTD' (MBCI-FTD). Participants included 72 participants deemed to have prodromal bvFTD; this comprised 55 carriers of a pathogenic mutation known to cause frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and 17 individuals with autopsy-confirmed frontotemporal lobar degeneration. All had mild behavioural and/or cognitive changes, as judged by an evaluating clinician. Based on extensive clinical workup, the prodromal bvFTD group was divided into a Development Group (n = 22) and a Validation Group (n = 50). The Development Group was selected to be the subset of the prodromal bvFTD group for whom we had the strongest longitudinal evidence of conversion to bvFTD, and was used to develop the MBCI-FTD criteria. The Validation Group was the remainder of the prodromal bvFTD group and was used as a separate sample on which to validate the criteria. Familial non-carriers were included as healthy controls (n = 165). The frequencies of behavioural and neuropsychiatric features, neuropsychological deficits, and social cognitive dysfunction in the prodromal bvFTD Development Group and healthy controls were assessed. Based on sensitivity and specificity analyses, seven core features were identified: apathy without moderate-severe dysphoria, behavioural disinhibition, irritability/agitation, reduced empathy/sympathy, repetitive behaviours (simple and/or complex), joviality/gregariousness, and appetite changes/hyperorality. Supportive features include a neuropsychological profile of impaired executive function or naming with intact orientation and visuospatial skills, reduced insight for cognitive or behavioural changes, and poor social cognition. Three core features or two core features plus one supportive feature are required for the diagnosis of possible MBCI-FTD; probable MBCI-FTD requires imaging or biomarker evidence, or a pathogenic genetic mutation. The proposed MBCI-FTD criteria correctly classified 95% of the prodromal bvFTD Development Group, and 74% of the prodromal bvFTD Validation Group, with a false positive rate of <10% in healthy controls. Finally, the MBCI-FTD criteria were tested on a cohort of individuals with prodromal Alzheimer's disease, and the false positive rate of diagnosis was 11-16%. Future research will need to refine the sensitivity and specificity of these criteria, and incorporate emerging biomarker evidence.
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    Recognition memory and divergent cognitive profiles in prodromal genetic frontotemporal dementia
    (Elsevier, 2021) Barker, Megan S.; Manoochehri, Masood; Rizer, Sandra J.; Appleby, Brian S.; Brushaber, Danielle; Dev, Sheena I.; Devick, Katrina L.; Dickerson, Bradford C.; Fields, Julie A.; Foroud, Tatiana M.; Forsberg, Leah K.; Galasko, Douglas R.; Ghoshal, Nupur; Graff-Radford, Neill R.; Grossman, Murray; Heuer, Hilary W.; Hsiung, Ging-Yuek; Kornak, John; Litvan, Irene; Mackenzie, Ian R.; Mendez, Mario F.; Pascual, Belen; Rankin, Katherine P.; Rascovsky, Katya; Staffaroni, Adam M.; Tartaglia, Maria Carmela; Weintraub, Sandra; Wong, Bonnie; Boeve, Bradley F.; Boxer, Adam L.; Rosen, Howard J.; Goldman, Jill; Huey, Edward D.; Cosentino, Stephanie; ALLFTD consortium; Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine
    Although executive dysfunction is the characteristic cognitive marker of behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), episodic memory deficits are relatively common, and may be present even during the prodromal disease phase. In a cohort of mutation carriers with mild behavioral and/or cognitive symptoms consistent with prodromal bvFTD, we aimed to investigate patterns of performance on an abbreviated list learning task, with a particular focus on recognition memory. We further aimed to characterize the cognitive prodromes associated with the three major genetic causes of frontotemporal dementia, as emerging evidence suggests there may be subtle differences in cognitive profiles among carriers of different genetic mutations. Participants included 57 carriers of a pathogenic mutation in microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT, N = 23), or progranulin (GRN, N = 15), or a or a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72, N = 19), with mild cognitive and/or behavioral symptoms consistent with prodromal bvFTD. Familial non-carriers were included as controls (N = 143). All participants completed a comprehensive neuropsychological examination, including an abbreviated list learning test assessing episodic memory recall and recognition. MAPT mutation carriers performed worse than non-carriers in terms of list recall, and had difficulty discriminating targets from distractors on the recognition memory task, primarily due to the endorsement of distractors as targets. MAPT mutation carriers also showed nonverbal episodic memory and semantic memory dysfunction (object naming). GRN mutation carriers were variable in performance and overall the most dysexecutive. Slowed psychomotor speed was evident in C9orf72 repeat expansion carriers. Identifying the earliest cognitive indicators of bvFTD is of critical clinical and research importance. List learning may be a sensitive cognitive marker for incipient dementia in MAPT and potentially a subset of GRN carriers. Our results highlight that distinct cognitive profiles may be evident in carriers of the three disease-causing genes during the prodromal disease stage.