Publications by authors named "Renton A"

Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluates dementia risk scores developed primarily for non-Latinx White populations, focusing on their applicability in diverse racial and ethnic groups to tackle health disparities.* -
  • Results indicate that while higher CAIDE scores increase dementia risk among Asian, Latinx, and NLW participants, mCAIDE scores reveal an increased risk for Black participants, showcasing varying effects based on race/ethnicity.* -
  • The research emphasizes the necessity of validating dementia risk assessments across different populations to enhance personalized medicine and improve brain health outcomes.*
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In this high-throughput proteomic study of autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease (ADAD), we sought to identify early biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for disease monitoring and treatment strategies. We examined CSF proteins in 286 mutation carriers (MCs) and 177 non-carriers (NCs). The developed multi-layer regression model distinguished proteins with different pseudo-trajectories between these groups.

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Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare Parkinsonian disorder, is characterized by problems with movement, balance, and cognition. PSP differs from Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other diseases, displaying abnormal microtubule-associated protein tau by both neuronal and glial cell pathologies. Genetic contributors may mediate these differences; however, the genetics of PSP remain underexplored.

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This manuscript describes and summarizes the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network Observational Study (DIAN Obs), highlighting the wealth of longitudinal data, samples, and results from this human cohort study of brain aging and a rare monogenic form of Alzheimer's disease (AD). DIAN Obs is an international collaborative longitudinal study initiated in 2008 with support from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), designed to obtain comprehensive and uniform data on brain biology and function in individuals at risk for autosomal dominant AD (ADAD). ADAD gene mutations in the amyloid protein precursor (), presenilin 1 (), or presenilin 2 () genes are deterministic causes of ADAD, with virtually full penetrance, and a predictable age at symptomatic onset.

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This study explored the role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in dominantly inherited Alzheimer's disease (DIAD) by examining changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of UPS proteins along with disease progression, AD imaging biomarkers (PiB PET, tau PET), neurodegeneration imaging measures (MRI, FDG PET), and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR). Using the SOMAscan assay, we detected subtle increases in specific ubiquitin enzymes associated with proteostasis in mutation carriers (MCs) up to two decades before the estimated symptom onset. This was followed by more pronounced elevations of UPS-activating enzymes, including E2 and E3 proteins, and ubiquitin-related modifiers.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study highlights the value of combining genetic and clinical risk factors to create more personalized dementia risk assessments for older adults, enhancing their understanding of individual risk.
  • Conducted with older adults aged 55+, the research evaluated how well these risk assessments predicted the onset of dementia using data from multiple US locations over nearly three decades.
  • Among 3,429 participants, a family history of dementia was the strongest risk factor, with an increase in risk correlating to the number of high-risk indicators present, demonstrating the complex interplay of genetics and personal health in dementia risk.
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Article Synopsis
  • * Results indicate that individuals with over 70% Native American or African American ancestry tend to have worse SDoH indicators, like lower education and socioeconomic status.
  • * Importantly, after accounting for SDoH factors, genetic ancestry did not significantly influence dementia risk or cognitive performance, highlighting the greater importance of social and environmental factors in these communities.
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A ~ 1 Mb inversion polymorphism exists within the 17q21.31 locus of the human genome as direct (H1) and inverted (H2) haplotype clades. This inversion region demonstrates high linkage disequilibrium, but the frequency of each haplotype differs across ancestries.

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Introduction: Evaluating the generalizability of dementia risk scores, primarily developed in non-Latinx White (NLW) participants, and interactions with genetic risk factors in diverse populations is crucial for addressing health disparities.

Methods: We analyzed the association of the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) and modified CAIDE (mCAIDE) scores with dementia risk using logistic regression models stratified by race/ethnicity in NACC and ADNI, and assessed their interaction with .

Results: Higher CAIDE scores were associated with an increased risk of dementia in Asian, Latinx, and NLW participants but not in Black participants.

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Introduction: Amyloid beta and tau pathology are the hallmarks of sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) and autosomal dominant AD (ADAD). However, Lewy body pathology (LBP) is found in ≈ 50% of AD and ADAD brains.

Methods: Using an α-synuclein seed amplification assay (SAA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from asymptomatic (n = 26) and symptomatic (n = 27) ADAD mutation carriers, including 12 with known neuropathology, we investigated the timing of occurrence and prevalence of SAA positive reactivity in ADAD in vivo.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study focused on understanding early changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins in individuals with Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer's disease (ADAD), identifying 125 proteins that exhibit different patterns between mutation carriers and non-carriers.
  • - Researchers used advanced methods like the Somascan® 7K assay and machine learning to reveal that 12 of these proteins change before traditional Alzheimer's biomarkers, potentially serving as early indicators of the disease.
  • - The identified proteins were categorized into three stages linked to disease progression, providing insight into biological processes occurring years before clinical symptoms, which may help in developing monitoring strategies and treatments.
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Neuroimaging research requires purpose-built analysis software, which is challenging to install and may produce different results across computing environments. The community-oriented, open-source Neurodesk platform ( https://www.neurodesk.

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Background: Prior studies using the ADSP data examined variants within presenilin-2 (PSEN2), presenilin-1 (PSEN1), and amyloid precursor protein (APP) genes. However, previously-reported clinically-relevant variants and other predicted damaging missense (DM) variants have not been characterized in a newer release of the Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP).

Objective: To characterize previously-reported clinically-relevant variants and DM variants in PSEN2, PSEN1, APP within the participants from the ADSP.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates why some older individuals (70+) remain healthy despite having high predicted risks for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), suggesting they may possess protective genetic variants.
  • Researchers conducted a genome-wide association study on over 12,000 asymptomatic older adults, identifying two significant genetic variants linked to better heart health and cholesterol profiles.
  • The findings, which were confirmed in a separate population, highlight the role of these genetic variants in promoting cardiovascular resilience and could point towards new therapeutic targets for preventing ASCVD.
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For decades, neural suppression in early visual cortex has been thought to be fixed. But recent work has challenged this assumption by showing that suppression can be reweighted based on recent history; when pairs of stimuli are repeatedly presented together, suppression between them strengthens. Here we investigate the temporal dynamics of this process using a steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) paradigm that provides a time-resolved, direct index of suppression between pairs of stimuli flickering at different frequencies (5 and 7 Hz).

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Introduction: Studies suggest distinct differences in the development, presentation, progression, and response to treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) between females and males. We investigated sex differences in cognition, neuroimaging, and fluid biomarkers in dominantly inherited AD (DIAD).

Methods: Three hundred twenty-five mutation carriers (55% female) and one hundred eighty-six non-carriers (58% female) of the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network Observational Study were analyzed.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pathogenic variants in the PSEN1 gene cause autosomal-dominant Alzheimer disease (ADAD), but individuals show varied rates of cognitive decline and biomarker changes.
  • The study analyzed PSEN1 variant carriers based on whether their variants affected the transmembrane (TM) or cytoplasmic (CY) domains, comparing them with non-carriers.
  • Results indicated that TM carriers experienced greater cognitive impairment and lower hippocampal volume than CY carriers, highlighting the role of different PSEN1 domains in the progression of ADAD and its variability among patients.
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Introduction: Recent genome-wide association studies identified new dementia-associated variants. We assessed the performance of updated polygenic risk scores (PRSs) using these variants in an independent cohort.

Methods: We used Cox models and area under the curve (AUC) to validate new PRSs (PRS-83SNP, PRS-SBayesR, and PRS-CS) compared with an older PRS-23SNP in 12,031 initially-healthy participants ≥70 years of age.

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Neuroimaging data analysis often requires purpose-built software, which can be challenging to install and may produce different results across computing environments. Beyond being a roadblock to neuroscientists, these issues of accessibility and portability can hamper the reproducibility of neuroimaging data analysis pipelines. Here, we introduce the Neurodesk platform, which harnesses software containers to support a comprehensive and growing suite of neuroimaging software (https://www.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study focuses on a Colombian family with a specific genetic mutation related to early-onset Alzheimer's disease, aiming to find genetic factors that affect the age at which the disease manifests.
  • - Researchers analyzed genetic data from 340 individuals carrying the PSEN1 E280A mutation and found 13 genetic variants linked to Alzheimer's onset, with three significant variants associated with the gene clusterin.
  • - The identified genetic variants are suggested to influence biological processes related to Alzheimer’s, highlighting their possible importance in developing future therapies, especially given the strong existing mutation linked to the disease.
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Objective: To compute penetrance and recurrence risk using a genome-wide PRS (including and excluding the APOE region) in families with Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: Genotypes from the National Institute on Aging Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease Family-Based Study and a study of familial Alzheimer's disease in Caribbean Hispanics were used to compute PRS with and without variants in the 2 MB region flanking APOE. PRS was calculated in using clumping/thresholding and Bayesian methods and was assessed for association with Alzheimer's disease and age at onset.

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Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder and the most common form of dementia. AD is highly heritable, with heritability estimates of ∼70% from twin studies. Progressively larger genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have continued to expand our knowledge of AD/dementia genetic architecture.

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Background: In fewer than 1% of patients, AD is caused by autosomal dominant mutations in either the presenilin 1 (PSEN1), presenilin 2 (PSEN2), or amyloid precursor protein (APP) genes. The full extent of familial AD and frequency of these variants remains understudied in Latin American (LatAm) countries. Due to the rare nature of these variants, determining the pathogenicity of a novel variant in these genes can be challenging.

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