Publications by authors named "Anna H. Boerwinkle"
Article Synopsis
- - Development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology occurs faster in individuals with Down's syndrome (DS) compared to others; this study focuses on comparing specific biomarkers in DS individuals and their siblings.
- - Researchers found that plasma levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and pTau-217 were elevated in individuals with DS, indicating increased astrogliosis and tau pathology, and GFAP played a mediating role in the relationship between amyloid and tau levels.
- - The findings suggest that astrogliosis is crucial in the early stages of Alzheimer's in DS, and targeting neuroinflammation might be beneficial primarily for those with amyloid positivity.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates early Alzheimer's disease changes in the brains of people with Down syndrome and those with genetic variants linked to Alzheimer's, aiming to better understand disease development and improve prevention strategies.
- Using cross-sectional data from two cohort studies, researchers analyzed tau protein spread and its relationship with amyloid accumulation in participants aged 25 and older.
- Findings revealed significant differences in the pattern and timing of tau accumulation in the two groups, suggesting implications for early intervention and clinical trials targeting Alzheimer's pathology.
A practitioner's guide to geospatial analysis in a neuroimaging context.
Alzheimers Dement (Amst)
March 2023
Introduction: Health disparities arise from biological-environmental interactions. Neuroimaging cohorts are reaching sufficiently large sample sizes such that analyses could evaluate how the environment affects the brain. We present a practical guide for applying geospatial methods to a neuroimaging cohort.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPredicting continuous amyloid PET values with CSF and plasma Aβ42/Aβ40.
Alzheimers Dement (Amst)
March 2023
Introduction: Continuous measures of amyloid burden as measured by positron emission tomography (PET) are being used increasingly to stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study examined whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma amyloid beta (Aβ)42/Aβ40 could predict continuous values for amyloid PET.
Methods: CSF Aβ42 and Aβ40 were measured with automated immunoassays.
Article Synopsis
- The progression to Alzheimer's disease (AD) varies among individuals, complicating both prognosis and clinical trials.
- Researchers analyzed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and imaging data from cognitively normal participants to identify early signs of preclinical AD.
- They discovered three distinct patterns of biomarker progression: 'AD Biomarker Positive,' 'Intermediate AD Biomarker,' and 'AD Biomarker Negative,' highlighting significant differences in how individuals develop AD-related changes.
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to compare amyloid accumulation and its timing in two groups: individuals with autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease and those with Down syndrome, both significant for understanding Alzheimer's pathogenesis.
- Participants included adults aged 25 and older who underwent MRI and amyloid PET scans, allowing researchers to analyze differences in amyloid burden based on genetic factors and cognitive status.
- The study found that patterns of amyloid accumulation may vary between the two groups, with a focus on factors like mutation type, age, and APOE genotype, enhancing our understanding of Alzheimer's disease risk and progression.
Sleep monitoring may provide markers for future Alzheimer's disease; however, the relationship between sleep and cognitive function in preclinical and early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease is not well understood. Multiple studies have associated short and long sleep times with future cognitive impairment. Since sleep and the risk of Alzheimer's disease change with age, a greater understanding of how the relationship between sleep and cognition changes over time is needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFModeling the Effects of HIV and Aging on Resting-State Networks Using Machine Learning.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr
December 2021
Background: The relationship between HIV infection, the functional organization of the brain, cognitive impairment, and aging remains poorly understood. Understanding disease progression over the life span is vital for the care of people living with HIV (PLWH).
Setting: Virologically suppressed PLWH (n = 297) on combination antiretroviral therapy and 1509 HIV-uninfected healthy controls were evaluated.
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers compared cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers from adults with Down syndrome and those with genetic mutations linked to early-onset Alzheimer's in order to better understand the disease mechanisms in these high-risk groups.
- * The analysis involved a cross-sectional study design, examining participants from two major studies, and included various biological markers related to Alzheimer’s disease pathology to assess differences based on dementia status.
Objective: To evaluate temporal correlations between CSF and neuroimaging (PET and MRI) measures of amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration in relation to Alzheimer disease (AD) progression.
Methods: A total of 371 cognitively unimpaired and impaired participants enrolled in longitudinal studies of AD had both CSF (β-amyloid [Aβ], phosphorylated tau, total tau, and neurofilament light chain) and neuroimaging (Pittsburgh compound B [PiB] PET, flortaucipir PET, and structural MRI) measures. The pairwise time interval between CSF and neuroimaging measures was binned into 2-year periods.
Purpose Of Review: This review highlights neuroimaging studies of HIV conducted over the last 2 years and discusses how relevant findings further our knowledge of the neuropathology of HIV. Three major avenues of neuroimaging research are covered with a particular emphasis on inflammation, aging, and substance use in persons living with HIV (PLWH).
Recent Findings: Neuroimaging has been a critical tool for understanding the neuropathological underpinnings observed in HIV.
Comparison of [11C]-PBR28 Binding Between Persons Living With HIV and HIV-Uninfected Individuals.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr
October 2020
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates neuroinflammation in people living with HIV (PLWH) using TSPO-PET imaging, which focuses on a specific protein linked to inflammation in the brain.
- Researchers compared 24 virologically suppressed PLWH to 13 HIV-negative controls, measuring the binding of a radiotracer ([C]PBR28) across various brain regions.
- The findings indicated no significant differences in neuroinflammation between PLWH and HIV-negative individuals, suggesting that while neuroinflammation may contribute to cognitive deficits, it is not more pronounced in PLWH compared to those without HIV.
Machine Learning Analysis Reveals Novel Neuroimaging and Clinical Signatures of Frailty in HIV.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr
August 2020
Background: Frailty is an important clinical concern for the aging population of people living with HIV (PLWH). The objective of this study was to identify the combination of risk features that distinguish frail from nonfrail individuals.
Setting: Machine learning analysis of highly dimensional risk features was performed on a clinical cohort of PLWH.
Article Synopsis
- Deep learning algorithms were used to classify cognitive impairment and frailty in people living with HIV, revealing specific brain regions as key predictors.
- The study involved 125 virologically suppressed participants, averaging 51.4 years old, who underwent various neuropsychological tests and brain imaging.
- The results showed 82%-86% accuracy in identifying cognitive impairment and 75% accuracy in classifying frailty, highlighting that frailty primarily involves subcortical brain regions while cognitive impairment affects both cortical and subcortical areas.
Regional standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRs) for tau positron emission tomography (PET) were compared among 19 cognitively normal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative control individuals, 20 HIV-negative patients with symptomatic Alzheimer disease, 15 cognitively normal HIV-positive individuals, and 17 cognitively impaired HIV-positive individuals. Among the HIV-positive participants, the correlation between tau PET SUVRs and both HIV loads and CD4+ T-cell counts (recent and nadir). Tau PET SUVRs were similar for HIV-positive individuals and HIV-negative control individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF