Publications by authors named "Honig L"

Background: Soluble species of multimeric amyloid-beta including globular amyloid-beta oligomers (AβOs) and linear amyloid-beta protofibrils are toxic to neurons. Sabirnetug (ACU193) is a humanized monoclonal antibody, raised against globular species of soluble AβO, that has over 650-fold greater binding affinity for AβOs over monomers and appears to have relatively little binding to amyloid plaque.

Objectives: To assess safety, pharmacokinetics, and exploratory measures including target engagement, biomarker effects, and clinical efficacy of sabirnetug in participants with early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AD; defined as mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to AD).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Blood-based biomarkers like p-tau217 are being studied for their effectiveness in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD), but previous research has mainly focused on non-Hispanic White populations, leading to a knowledge gap across different ethnic backgrounds.
  • A new study involving Peruvians, including mestizos and indigenous groups, examined plasma p-tau217 in 525 individuals, revealing significant associations between the biomarker and AD, especially in those with the APOE-e4 allele, although it did not distinguish between healthy controls and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
  • The results indicated that p-tau217 levels correlated well with cognitive performance and had an impressive classification performance (ROC-AUC of 82.82%), marking a significant contribution to understanding AD in diverse
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Psychotropic medication (PM) use in behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is higher than in other dementias. However, no information exists on whether PM use differs between sporadic and genetic bvFTD.

Methods: We analyzed data from sporadic and genetic bvFTD participants with PM prescriptions in the Advancing Research and Treatment in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration/Longitudinal Evaluation of Familial Frontotemporal Dementia Subjects study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) manifests prior to the age of 65, and affects 4%-8% of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The current analyses sought to examine longitudinal cognitive trajectories of participants with early-onset dementia.

Methods: Data from 307 cognitively normal (CN) volunteer participants and those with amyloid-positive EOAD or amyloid-negative cognitive impairment (EOnonAD) were compared.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) and late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) share similar amyloid etiology, but evidence from smaller-scale studies suggests that they manifest differently clinically. Current analyses sought to contrast the cognitive profiles of EOAD and LOAD.

Methods: Z-score cognitive-domain composites for 311 amyloid-positive sporadic EOAD and 314 amyloid-positive LOAD participants were calculated from baseline data from age-appropriate control cohorts.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study highlights the growing need for accurate estimates of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) population in the healthcare system due to new anti-amyloid therapies.
  • It utilizes Medicare beneficiary data to analyze trends in the incidence and prevalence of AD and MCI between 2008-2018, finding that while AD incidence declined, MCI incidence significantly increased but maintained a stable overall prevalence.
  • The results reveal that among Medicare beneficiaries, AD prevalence rose, particularly for MCI, and identified older age, female sex, and residing in the Northeastern U.S. as factors associated with higher prevalence rates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the role of the genetic variant rs1990622 as a potential modifier of disease risk in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), particularly among those with pathogenic variants.
  • Researchers enrolled participants from the ALLFTD study, analyzing the impact of rs1990622 on gray matter volume and cognitive function across various genetic groups related to FTD.
  • Results indicate that carriers of the minor allele of rs1990622 show increased gray matter volume and better cognitive performance, especially in the thalamus and among presymptomatic individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Cardiovascular health, evaluated through Life's Simple 7 (LS7), is linked to slower cognitive decline and better brain integrity in patients with autosomal dominant frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD).
  • - A study involving 247 FTLD genetic variant carriers and 189 non-carrier controls found that those with better cardiovascular health had slower memory and language declines, as well as less accumulation of frontal white matter hyperintensities (WMHs).
  • - Maintaining good cardiovascular health could be a key modifiable strategy to improve cognitive outcomes and brain health in individuals at risk for genetic forms of dementia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Research on patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) indicates that early Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology can be detected, and this study aims to identify cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers related to these initial AD changes.
  • - The study analyzed CSF data and found that specific biomarkers such as β-amyloid-42/40 and neurofilament light chain (NfL) are correlated with AD pathology; seven key proteins were identified that also relate to both pathology and gene expression.
  • - The findings suggest a link between CSF biomarkers and central nervous system changes in AD, providing valuable insights into how these markers reflect the disease's progression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose Of Review: The most common four neurodegenerative atypical parkinsonian disorders (APDs) are progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), multiple system atrophy (MSA), corticobasal syndrome (CBS), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Their formal diagnostic criteria often require subspecialty experience to implement as designed and all require excluding competing diagnoses without clearly specifying how to do that. Validated diagnostic criteria are not available at all for many of the other common APDs, including normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), vascular parkinsonism (VP), or drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Focused ultrasound (FUS) combined with microbubbles shows potential for enhancing drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in Alzheimer's disease, but current methods are limited by their reliance on MRI facilities or invasive procedures.
  • A pilot study evaluated a new portable system, neuronavigation-guided FUS (NgFUS), in six mild to moderate Alzheimer’s patients, using real-time mapping of microbubble activity to ensure safety and efficacy during treatment.
  • Results indicated that BBB opening was achieved in 5 out of 6 subjects, with significant correlations between cavitation dose, BBB opening volume, and increased levels of Alzheimer’s biomarkers, demonstrating the system's capability for real-time monitoring and safety in outpatient settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: This study compared the mortality risk of long-lived siblings with the U.S. population average and their spouse controls, and investigated the leading causes of death and the familial effect in death pattern.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Objectives: The clinical diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) depends on identifying significant cognitive decline accompanied by core features of parkinsonism, visual hallucinations, cognitive fluctuations, and REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). Hyposmia is one of the several supportive features. α-Synuclein seeding amplification assays (αSyn-SAAs) may enhance diagnostic accuracy by detecting pathologic αSyn seeds in CSF.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration with neuronal inclusions of the TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (FTLD-TDP) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder with only a limited number of risk loci identified. We report our comprehensive genome-wide association study as part of the International FTLD-TDP Whole-Genome Sequencing Consortium, including 985 cases and 3,153 controls, and meta-analysis with the Dementia-seq cohort, compiled from 26 institutions/brain banks in the United States, Europe and Australia. We confirm as the strongest overall FTLD-TDP risk factor and identify as a novel FTLD-TDP risk factor.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Amyloid beta protein (Aβ) is a treatment target in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Lowering production of its parent protein, APP, has benefits in preclinical models. Posiphen, an orally administered small molecule, binds to an iron-responsive element in APP mRNA and decreases translation of APP and Aβ.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) patients undergoing cortical shunting frequently show early AD pathology on cortical biopsy, which is predictive of progression to clinical AD. The objective of this study was to use samples from this cohort to identify CSF biomarkers for AD-related CNS pathophysiologic changes using tissue and fluids with early pathology, free of post-mortem artifact.

Methods: We analyzed Simoa, proteomic, and metabolomic CSF data from 81 patients with previously documented pathologic and transcriptomic changes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a leading cause of dementia in individuals aged <65 years. Several challenges to conducting in-person evaluations in FTLD illustrate an urgent need to develop remote, accessible, and low-burden assessment techniques. Studies of unobtrusive monitoring of at-home computer use in older adults with mild cognitive impairment show that declining function is reflected in reduced computer use; however, associations with smartphone use are unknown.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cerebrovascular and α-synuclein pathologies are frequently observed alongside Alzheimer disease (AD). The heterogeneity of AD necessitates comprehensive approaches to postmortem studies, including the representation of historically underrepresented ethnic groups. In this cohort study, we evaluated small vessel disease pathologies and α-synuclein deposits among Hispanic decedents (HD, n = 92) and non-Hispanic White decedents (NHWD, n = 184) from three Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers: Columbia University, University of California San Diego, and University of California Davis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Alzheimer disease (AD) is a significant global health issue, and Lecanemab, an FDA-approved treatment for early AD, targets toxic Aβ protofibrils to improve patient outcomes.* -
  • The Clarity AD study was an 18-month, double-blind trial that evaluated Lecanemab's safety and efficacy, involving nearly 2,000 participants with early AD.* -
  • Results indicated that Lecanemab was generally well-tolerated, with some adverse events like infusion reactions and amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, and a total of 24 deaths observed, with a few linked to the treatment.*
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Clinical trial satisfaction is increasingly important for future trial designs and is associated with treatment adherence and willingness to enroll in future research studies or to recommend trial participation. In this post-trial survey, we examined participant satisfaction and attitudes toward future clinical trials in the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network Trials Unit (DIAN-TU).

Methods: We developed an anonymous, participant satisfaction survey tailored to participants enrolled in the DIAN-TU-001 double-blind clinical trial of solanezumab or gantenerumab and requested that all study sites share the survey with their trial participants.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effect of a specific genetic modifier on gray matter volume and cognitive function in patients with Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD), including both mutation carriers and sporadic cases.
  • Participants were recruited from the ALLFTD study and were genotyped for the rs1990622 SNP to assess the relationship between this genetic variant and cognitive outcomes across different genetic groups.
  • Findings indicate that the minor allele of rs1990622 is associated with increased gray matter volume and better cognitive scores in mutation carriers, especially affecting the thalamus, suggesting it may play a role in modifying the risk and impact of FTLD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The pathophysiological mechanisms driving disease progression of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and corresponding biomarkers are not fully understood. We leveraged aptamer-based proteomics (> 4,000 proteins) to identify dysregulated communities of co-expressed cerebrospinal fluid proteins in 116 adults carrying autosomal dominant FTLD mutations () compared to 39 noncarrier controls. Network analysis identified 31 protein co-expression modules.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Amyloid beta protein (Aβ) is a treatment target in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Lowering production of its parent protein, APP, has benefits in preclinical models. Posiphen binds to an iron-responsive element in APP mRNA and decreases translation of APP and Aβ.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This article presents a practical guide to mass spectrometry-based data-independent acquisition and label-free quantification for proteomics analysis applied to cerebrospinal fluid, offering a robust and scalable approach to probing the proteomic composition of the central nervous system. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Cerebrospinal fluid sample collection and preparation for mass spectrometry analysis Basic Protocol 2: Mass spectrometry sample analysis with data-independent acquisition Support Protocol: Data-dependent mass spectrometry and spectral library construction Basic Protocol 3: Analysis of mass spectrometry data.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF