Sensory Stimuli Reminiscence for Patients with Alzheimer's Disease

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 29-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevan H. Namazi ◽  
Sharon R. Haynes
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline A. Wilson ◽  
Sarah Fouda ◽  
Shuzo Sakata

Abstract Neuronal activity can modify Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Overexcitation of neurons can facilitate disease progression whereas the induction of cortical gamma oscillations can reduce amyloid load and improve cognitive functions in mouse models. Although previous studies have induced cortical gamma oscillations by either optogenetic activation of cortical parvalbumin-positive (PV+) neurons or sensory stimuli, it is still unclear whether other approaches to induce gamma oscillations can also be beneficial. Here we show that optogenetic activation of PV+ neurons in the basal forebrain (BF) increases amyloid burden, rather than reducing it. We applied 40 Hz optical stimulation in the BF by expressing channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) in PV+ neurons of 5xFAD mice. After 1-h induction of cortical gamma oscillations over three days, we observed the increase in the concentration of amyloid-β42 in the frontal cortical region, but not amyloid-β40. Amyloid plaques were accumulated more in the medial prefrontal cortex and the septal nuclei, both of which are targets of BF PV+ neurons. These results suggest that beneficial effects of cortical gamma oscillations on Alzheimer’s disease pathology can depend on the induction mechanisms of cortical gamma oscillations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Mariana Antonia Aguiar-Furucho ◽  
Francisco Javier Ropero Peláez

Several research studies point to the fact that sensory and cognitive reductions like cataracts, deafness, macular degeneration, or even lack of activity after job retirement, precede the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. To simulate Alzheimer’s disease earlier stages, which manifest in sensory cortices, we used a computational model of the koniocortex that is the first cortical stage processing sensory information. The architecture and physiology of the modeled koniocortex resemble those of its cerebral counterpart being capable of continuous learning. This model allows one to analyze the initial phases of Alzheimer’s disease by “aging” the artificial koniocortex through synaptic pruning, by the modification of acetylcholine and GABA-A signaling, and by reducing sensory stimuli, among other processes. The computational model shows that during aging, a GABA-A deficit followed by a reduction in sensory stimuli leads to a dysregulation of neural excitability, which in the biological brain is associated with hypermetabolism, one of the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline A Wilson ◽  
Sarah Fouda ◽  
Shuzo Sakata

AbstractNeuronal activity can modify Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Although overexcitation of neurons can facilitate disease progression, the induction of cortical gamma oscillations can reduce amyloid load and improve cognitive functions in mouse models. These beneficial effects of gamma oscillations can be caused by either optogenetic activation of cortical parvalbumin-positive (PV+) neurons or 40 Hz repetitive sensory stimuli. However, given the fact that cortical gamma oscillations can be induced by multiple mechanisms, it is still unclear whether other approaches to induce gamma oscillations can also be beneficial. Here we show that optogenetic activation of PV+ neurons in the basal forebrain (BF) increases amyloid burden, rather than reducing it. We applied 40 Hz optical stimulation in the BF of 5xFAD mice by expressing channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) in PV+ neurons. After one-hour induction of cortical gamma oscillations over three days, we observed the increase in the concentration of amyloid-β42 in the frontal cortical region, but not amyloid-β40. The density of amyloid plaques also increased in the medial prefrontal cortex and the septal nuclei, both of which are targets of BF PV+ neurons. These results suggest that effects of cortical gamma oscillations on Alzheimer’s disease pathology can be bidirectional depending on their induction mechanisms.Significance StatementAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Although numerous molecular targets have been identified, the development of treatment is still a challenge. Accumulating evidence shows that artificial control of neuronal activity can modify AD pathology. In particular, the induction of cortical gamma (~40 Hz) oscillations can ameliorate AD pathology and improve cognitive functions. Here we show that optogenetic activation of parvalbumin-positive (PV+) neurons in the basal forebrain (BF) has opposite effects. By expressing channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) in PV+ neurons of an AD mouse model and optically stimulating BF PV+ neurons, we induced gamma oscillations and found increased amyloid burden. These results imply that AD pathology can be modified bidirectionally depending on induction mechanisms of gamma oscillations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen M. Kelley ◽  
Larry L. Jacoby

Abstract Cognitive control constrains retrieval processing and so restricts what comes to mind as input to the attribution system. We review evidence that older adults, patients with Alzheimer's disease, and people with traumatic brain injury exert less cognitive control during retrieval, and so are susceptible to memory misattributions in the form of dramatic levels of false remembering.


Author(s):  
J. Metuzals ◽  
D. F. Clapin ◽  
V. Montpetit

Information on the conformation of paired helical filaments (PHF) and the neurofilamentous (NF) network is essential for an understanding of the mechanisms involved in the formation of the primary lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD): tangles and plaques. The structural and chemical relationships between the NF and the PHF have to be clarified in order to discover the etiological factors of this disease. We are investigating by stereo electron microscopic and biochemical techniques frontal lobe biopsies from patients with AD and squid giant axon preparations. The helical nature of the lesion in AD is related to pathological alterations of basic properties of the nervous system due to the helical symmetry that exists at all hierarchic structural levels in the normal brain. Because of this helical symmetry of NF protein assemblies and PHF, the employment of structure reconstruction techniques to determine the conformation, particularly the handedness of these structures, is most promising. Figs. 1-3 are frontal lobe biopsies.


Author(s):  
Mark Ellisman ◽  
Maryann Martone ◽  
Gabriel Soto ◽  
Eleizer Masliah ◽  
David Hessler ◽  
...  

Structurally-oriented biologists examine cells, tissues, organelles and macromolecules in order to gain insight into cellular and molecular physiology by relating structure to function. The understanding of these structures can be greatly enhanced by the use of techniques for the visualization and quantitative analysis of three-dimensional structure. Three projects from current research activities will be presented in order to illustrate both the present capabilities of computer aided techniques as well as their limitations and future possibilities.The first project concerns the three-dimensional reconstruction of the neuritic plaques found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. We have developed a software package “Synu” for investigation of 3D data sets which has been used in conjunction with laser confocal light microscopy to study the structure of the neuritic plaque. Tissue sections of autopsy samples from patients with Alzheimer's disease were double-labeled for tau, a cytoskeletal marker for abnormal neurites, and synaptophysin, a marker of presynaptic terminals.


Author(s):  
D.F. Clapin ◽  
V.J.A. Montpetit

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the accumulation of abnormal filamentous proteins. The most important of these are amyloid fibrils and paired helical filaments (PHF). PHF are located intraneuronally forming bundles called neurofibrillary tangles. The designation of these structures as "tangles" is appropriate at the light microscopic level. However, localized domains within individual tangles appear to demonstrate a regular spacing which may indicate a liquid crystalline phase. The purpose of this paper is to present a statistical geometric analysis of PHF packing.


Author(s):  
V.J.A. Montpetit ◽  
S. Dancea ◽  
S.W. French ◽  
D.F. Clapin

A continuing problem in Alzheimer research is the lack of a suitable animal model for the disease. The absence of neurofibrillary tangles of paired helical filaments is the most critical difference in the processes by which the central nervous system ages in most species other than man. However, restricting consideration to single phenomena, one may identify animal models for specific aspects of Alzheimer's disease. Abnormal fibers resembling PHF have been observed in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons of rats in a study of chronic ethanol intoxication and spontaneously in aged rats. We present in this report evidence that PHF-like filaments occur in ethanol-treated rats of young age. In control animals lesions similar in some respects to our observations of cytoskeletal pathology in pyridoxine induced neurotoxicity were observed.Male Wistar BR rats (Charles River Labs) weighing 350 to 400 g, were implanted with a single gastrostomy cannula and infused with a liquid diet containing 30% of total calories as fat plus ethanol or isocaloric dextrose.


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