Lecture 2 (chapter 4) Flashcards
AD & PD
Alzheimer’s Diagnostic Criteria (match performance on memory test to genetics to diagnose)
(1) A/B
(2) A/B
The major caveat in diagnosing AD?
Mild Alzheimer’s:
• Probable Alzheimer’s disease:
o Patients with mild neurocognitive disorder
(e.g., learning and memory, attention), a
family history or genetic mutation must be
present
• Possible Alzheimer’s disease:
o Steady and progressive decline in
cognition, memory, and learning in the
absence of other neurodegenerative
conditions, no need for genetic evidence.
Major Alzheimer’s:
• Probable Alzheimer’s disease:
o have evidence of genetic mutation or a
steady and progressive decline in cognition,
memory and learning.
• Possible Alzheimer’s disease:
o do not have a family history or genetic
mutation but display an insidious onset of
symptoms and progressive cognitive
impairment.
*The pathophysiologic process of
Alzheimer’s disease that manifests in later
adulthood begins years or decades before
detectable cognitive changes (diagnosis
comes late in the neurodegenerative
process: people start forgetting significant
things)
Prevalence
• New case of AD develops every 33
seconds
• ~13.8 million people worldwide have the
disease
• ~46 million people live with some form of
dementia worldwide
• By 2050, this number is projected to
increase to more than 131 million
• The disease rises sharply with increasing
age
• 7% of diagnosed cases affect those
between 65 and 74 years of age
• 53% of diagnosed cases involved
individuals between the ages of 74 and 84
years of age
• Alzhiemers rates are higher in nursing
homes worldwide.
• One in four Americans who survive to age
65 will likely be diagnosed with dementia
in their lifetime!
- Common 1 in 4
- late-onset more common than early-onset
Sex Differences
• Two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s
disease are women (worldwide)
• Meta-analytic studies from across United
States, Europe, and Asia also indicate that
women are at significantly greater risk of
developing Alzheimer’s disease
• Alzheimer’s affects cognitive functioning in
women more severely than men.
- women > men
- effects cognition more severely in women
Race and Ethnicity (varies significantly with ethnicity)
• African Americans (26.6/1,000 person-
years)
• American Indian/Alaska Natives
(22.2/1,000 person-years)
• Latinos (19.6/1000 person-years)
• Pacific Islanders (19.6/1,000 person-years)
• Whites (19.3/1,000 person-years)
• Asian Americans (15.2/1,000 person-years
• Risk was 65% greater from african
americans than asian americans in both
men and women (but magnitude greater in
men).
Comorbidity (AD)
Link between AD and PD
- Apathy: 88% of the patients
- Aggression: 66%
- Sleep disturbances: 54%
- Irritability and appetite changes in 60%
- Depression: 56%
- Delusions: 55%
- Anxiety symptoms: 52%
• Early-stages: Depression and apathy
• Mid-stages: Agitation, aggression,
combativeness, irritability, wandering,
and psychotic symptoms (getting lost)
• Late stages: Incontinence, seizures,
muscle rigidity and spasms, and
disturbances in gait (can’t eat or
swallow)
• Siblings of individuals with parkinsons
and dementia were 3x more likely to
develop alzheimers relative to controls.
• Its common for people with parkinsons
to develop dementia & for people with
alzheimers to develop extrapyramidal
symptoms characteristic of parkinsons.
*Using medication to treat specific symptoms
the molecular changes will have a
cascading effect on other behaviours
*As the disease progresses symptoms get
more severe; peoples behaviour change to
the point where they are not able to look
after themselves and you are asked
whether to put a tube in their stomach or let
her starve (increases lifespan of a person
who has no idea who they are or where
they are; how do we not understand the
disease enough to provide better care?)
Etiology (what causes it? Understand it so we can fix it)
- Complex and not well understood!
- Most important risk factor is age
*Linked with age and gender but why? If we
can delay disease progression down to
postpone the disease to improve life
outcomes.
Overview of Genetics
how many chromosomes? where are they located? DNA consists of a sequence of ... DNA provides the coded instructions ... what are mutations? what are alleles?
• Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes
(one of each is inherited from each parent)
• Chromosomes are located inside the
nucleus of a cell
•DNA consists of a sequence of molecules
[(A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine
(T)]
• DNA provides the coded instructions for
synthesis of messenger RNA which leaves
the nucleus, attaches to ribosomes where
it is translated into proteins, carries out the
genetic code, and leads to the expression
of characteristics that are inherited
• Gene (in DNA) has a code which tells cell
how much RNA messenger to synthesis
and the proteins it produces.
• Mutations: Accidental alterations in
individual genes (deletion, substitution,
inverted, inserted, duplication etc.;
evolutionary theory shows that mutations
allow natural selection to occur and aids he
survival of the species; can be bad if
mutation makes proteins being over or
under produced)
• Mutated versions of DNA are referred to as
alleles
• Mutations can contribute to inherited risk
for a disease or disorder depending on
whether the mutations are passed on by
one or both parents
Degree of Heritability
what is it?
what doesn’t it tell us?
• The degree of heritability of a construct
(intelligence) or disease/disorder can be
estimated and are referred to as heritability
estimates
• Important note – heritability refers to a
population not an individual.
• Heritability refers to the proportion of
phenotypic variation between individuals in
a population due to genetic variation
between individuals in that population.
• Heritability estimates are a numerical value
which ranges from 0-1 (0-100%) and
represent the fraction of phenotype
variability which can be attributed to
genetic variation. They do not provide any
information about an individual or about
specific genes that contribute to a disorder.
• Heritability estimates via twin, adoption and
family studies; the role of genetic factor
underlying the pathophysiology of these
disorders has been explored through –
linkage, genome-wide association,
candidate genes and molecular studies.
*Genes do not explain what will happen but
the variability of what will happen. The
interaction between the gene and the
environment tell us whether the gene will
produce the trait or not. Therefore, genes
cannot explain the cause of disease onset
but can tell us the variability of what will
happen in the future.
(3) Genetic Study Types
• Genetic linkage studies search for
chromosomal locations (“marker loci”)
where disease genes may be found. Aim to
determine whether specific chromosomal
regions in individuals with disease have
specific DNA markers relative to those
without the disorder.
• Candidate gene studies then explore how
specific genes and mutation(s) may be
involved in the etiology of Alzheimer’s
disease
• Genome-wide association studies (GWAS)
use a specific statistical approach to scan
complete sets of DNA (genomes) of
thousands of people across all
chromosomes simultaneously to find
genetic variations associated with
Alzheimer’s disease
Genetic Findings: Family and Twin Studies
AD
• Family studies indicate that Alzheimer’s
disease aggregates in families
o Lifetime risk for Alzheimer’s disease is
25.9% in relatives of individuals with the
disease compared to 19.1% in control
relatives (6% increased risk if someone in
the family has Alzheimer’s; evidence that
something genetic is happening)
• Twin Studies
o Concordance rate of 67-78% among
monozygotic twins (identical)
o Concordance rate of 22-39% for dizygotic
twin (fraternal)
o Significant increase in risk 30% for identical
twins (doesn’t guarantee you’ll get it but
supports genes are causing mutations in
protein production)
Genetic Findings: Early Onset (more devastating but less common)
• Early onset Alzheimer’s disease occurs
before age 65 and represents
approximately 10% of all people with
Alzheimer’s
• Relatives of individuals with very late onset
alzheimers (85+) had a substantially lower
risk of developing alzheimers than relatives
of early onset alzheimers.
• Early onset Alzheimer’s disease has a
prominent genetic basis (more linked to
genes than late onset)
• Typically, more aggressive and associated
with a shorter survival rate
• Three genes are associated with early
onset cases:
1. Presenilin 1 (PSEN1) - range 35–55 years
2. Presenilin 2 (PSEN2) - range 40–65 years
3. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) - range
40–70 years
Presenilin 1 (PSEN1)
• PSEN1 provides instructions for making a
protein called presenilin 1 that cuts apart
other proteins into smaller pieces (cleaving)
o This process is important in several
chemical signaling pathways that transmit
signals from outside the cell into the
nucleus
o One protein that presenilin 1 helps to cut is
the amyloid precursor protein (APP)
• Mutations of the presenilin-1 gene, located
on chromosome 14, are estimated to be
responsible for 70% to 80% of all cases of
early onset cases
• APP is cleaved (cut) into soluble amyloid
precursor protein (sAPP) and several
versions of amyloid-beta (β) peptide
• Mutations lead to increased production of
amyloid beta peptide (main component of
amyloid-beta plaques characteristic of
Alzheimer’s; only see this when people are
dead so is not a good way to help patients)
*Diagnosis of AD only emerged in 2000’s
otherwise people had to wait till they died
*Overproduction
Presenilin 2 (PSEN2) –produces different protein mutations
• Located on chromosome 1
• Provides instructions for the protein
presenilin 2 that plays an important role
in cutting amyloid beta peptides
• Mutations are associated with faulty
calcium signaling, aggregation of
amyloid beta plaques, and neuronal
death
• If we know what genes are present,
what proteins are being overproduced
and cognitive symptoms are present
then we can diagnose people (only
since 2000’s when we have techniques
to measure people’s genetics)
*Structure of the cell
Amyloid precursor protein gene (APP)
• Located on chromosome 21
• Over 32 mutations of the APP gene have
been linked to early onset of Alzheimer’s.
• Provides instructions for making amyloid
precursor protein which plays an
important role in neural growth and
repair, helps direct the migration of
neurons during early brain development
and mutations are hypothesized to lead
to overproduction of the amyloid protein.
Taken together, damage to cell structure and over/underproduction of proteins from gene mutations inhibits communication between cells, cell death and overtime, cognitive/behavioural changes.
Collectively, mutations of these three genes are estimated to account for approximately 50% of early onset cases but only 0.5% of all Alzheimer’s cases – indicating that late onset Alzheimer’s are caused by other factors
Scientific Breakthroughs (AD)
• Individuals with Down syndrome inevitably
develop neuropathological changes
characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease (all
people with down-syndrome develop AD;
Accumulation of amyloid plaques and
neurofibrillary tangles in the brain)
• Given that Down syndrome is due to
trisomy 21, scientists focused on
chromosome 21 and specifically the
amyloid precursor protein gene (APP) to
study Alzheimer’s disease
Late-Onset (AD genetics)
Late-Onset
• Onset of the disease after 65 years of age
• More prevalent than early-onset
• Most cases are sporadic with no family
history of the disease
• Progresses more slowly
*Less linked to genetics and affected by lifestyle and environmental factors as well!
Genetic Findings: Late Onset
• Most common gene associated with the
disease is apolipoprotein E (APOE)
• Located on chromosome 19, provides
instructions for making a protein called
apolipoprotein E (APOE)
• APOE is important in synaptogenesis and
neuronal plasticity, and is produced mainly
by glial cells but also by neurons
• packages and carries cholesterol and other
types of fat/lipids in the bloodstream
*Neuroplasticity of neural networks is compromised
APOE gene
• Gene effects the production of
apolipoprotein and binds with tau protein,
found in the neurofibrillary tangles of
individuals with Alzheimer’s disease
• Three common forms:
o APOE e2: Least common form, reduces the
risk of Alzheimer’s disease
o APOE e3: Most common and does not
affect the risk of the disease
o APOE e4: Increases the risk of Alzheimer’s
disease
*APOE gene linked to the structure of the axon
APOE e4
• Found more frequently than APOE e2 or
APOE e3 in late onset cases of Alzheimer’s
disease
• Risk of the disease is significantly increased
in individuals with one or two copies of the
e4 allele
• Presence of the APOE-E4 allele in
conjunction with impaired olfaction is
associated with a 4.9 times increased risk of
cognitive decline
• plaques and tangles are commonly found
throughout the olfactory pathways in
patients with Alzheimer’s disease (due to
gene mutations in production of proteins)
• The APOE e4 allele is neither necessary nor
sufficient for the development of
Alzheimer’s disease! People with them may
not develop alzheimers & people with
alzheimers do not have it. It doesn’t tell us
the cause of the disease but areas which
breakdown and are associated with some
cases of AD.
APOE-E4 and Ethnicity
• When the APOE-E4 allele is present: The
risks for Alzheimer’s disease is similar for
whites, African Americans, and Hispanics
• When the APOE-E4 allele is not present:
The risks for Alzheimer’s is four times
higher for African Americans and two times
higher for Hispanics compared to whites,
and two times higher for Hispanics
compared to Whites. Indicating the
presence of other genes which increases
risk for these groups.
• Among Koreans APOE e4 allele is more
prevalent in patients with Alzheimer’s
disease
• Prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease is
significantly lower in India, but the
association of the disease with the APOE
e4 allele in Indian is similar to that in the US
*Risk of APOE-E4 varies in ethnicity but we
do not know if it is genetic or cultural
diagnosis differences
Additional Genes
• Genome-wide association studies implicate
several chromosomes 1, 9, 10, 12 in the
development of late onset Alzheimer’s
disease
• The ABCA7 gene encodes a protein
involved in transportation of substances
across the cell membrane and is
hypothesized to play a role in amyloid
plaque deposits two variants of this gene
are associated with increased risk of late
onset in African Americans.
• Genes that encode proteins that play a role
in brain inflammation have also been linked
to late onset Alzheimer’s disease - the
clusterin gene (CLU), TREM2, CR1 gene.
• Active area of research!
Structural Findings
Beta-Amyloid
• APP provides instructions to produce
amyloid precursor protein (overproduction
of it)
• Amyloid precursor protein is processed by
the endoplasmic reticulum and then
transported to various parts of the cell
• Beta-amyloid is a protein fragment derived
(cleaved) from the amyloid precursor
protein
• The process involves two enzymes, β-
secretase and γ-secretase, that remove part
of the amyloid precursor protein into the
extracellular space (do not remove amyloid
properly so fragment accumulate to form
plaques)
• These plaques are found primarily in the
extracellular space but can also accumulate
inside the cell
• Accumulation of beta-amyloid accelerates:
• Neuronal death
• Glial cell degeneration and death
• Loss of synaptic connections
• Inflammatory reactions
• Development of cerebral vascular disease
• Whether beta-amyloid plaques are a cause
or consequence of Alzheimer’s disease
remains unclear
• Amyloid deposits can form on the walls of
blood vessels in the brain which promotes
cerebral vascular disease & is found in 90%
of alzheimers patients. Cerebral vascular
disease is believed to promote beta-
amyloid deposits by interfering with
production, cleavage and elimination of
beta-amyloid fragments (chicken or the egg)
• Amyloid plaques may serve as biomarkers
rather than causal agents (i.e., decreased
metabolic brain activity inturn increases
beta secretase linked to amyloid-beta
plaques & cognitive decline)
• Studies have reported evidence of plaque
formation in elderly subjects without
dementia!
• The explanation for the perseveration of
cognitive functions is unclear, although
some have hypothesized innate
intelligence, educational or occupational
attainments, and lifestyle may supply a
cognitive reserve (i.e., cognitive protective
factors for some people which complicates
diagnosis)
*presence of plaques doesn’t guarantee AD.
its associated with severity of AD symptoms
but is not present in all AD patients and
some HCs with plaques do not develop AD
(i.e., asymptomatic AD.
structural findings
tau protein
Tau Protein
• Encoded by the MAPT gene located on
chromosome 17
• Tau binds to tubulin, the main constituent of
microtubules, and provides stabilization
(structure support)
• If defective, it forms neurofibrillary tangles
that inhibit the normal functioning and
assembly of microtubules and neuron
communication
• Overexpression of tau is toxic to healthy
neurons
• Retards cell growth
• Changes the shape of cells
• Collapses microtubules
• The formation and pattern of these tangles
increase rapidly with increasing age and
severity of Alzheimer’s disease
• Neurons that are in the process of
neurofibrillary degeneration release the tau
protein, which can be detected in the
cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and are elevated
in Ads
• Higher levels of tau proteins are found in
Alzheimer’s patient with a family history of
Alzheimer’s and carries APOE-e4, relative to
patients without a family history.
Gene mutation leads to the overproduction of tau proteins causes microtubules breakdown it prevents communication of information through the axon; collapses and dies.
Biomarkers (genes being used as biomarkers)
structural findings
• Neuroimaging (MRI, PET, SPECT) can be
used to examine brain structure and the
accumulation of beta-amyloid (β-amyloid) in
the brain
• In the early stages of the disease,
diagnosis can be challenging, particularly
with asymptomatic patients (do not want to
tell people the will develop AD and they
don’t)
• Three biomarkers, with an estimated 95%
sensitivity and 85% specificity, have been
established for Alzheimer’s
• Amyloid beta protein
• Tau protein
• Phospho-tau protein
• Require cerebral spinal fluid! Painful
procedure with need injected into spine.
structural findings
brain volume and structures
Brain Volume (can use scans to see)
• Accumulation of cortical tangles are
strongly associated with total brain volume
loss
• 2.8% mean yearly loss of brain volume
during the mild stage, figure that increased
by 0.32% each year thereafter
Specific Structures
• Severity of Alzheimer’s disease is
associated with a progressive deterioration
of frontal-temporal structures, evidenced by
psychiatric symptoms, such as
uncooperativeness, wandering, emotional
lability, and psychotic symptoms
• The hippocampus is significantly smaller in
people with Alzheimer’s disease compared
to controls and is associated with memory
loss
• Neuronal atrophy in the parahippocampal
gyrus and the cortex of the temporal lobe is
associated with severe dementia.
• Scans of structures of the medial temporal
lobe (entorihinal cortex, temporal sulcus,
anterior cingulate) could differentiate
between mild alzheimers patients and
controls with 100% accuracy.
• Atrophy of white matter (myelin) is effected
by age.
• Patterns of brain atrophy varies substantially
between individuals, and these patterns
effect the impact it has on patients with
alzheimers function overtime.