Wanqiu Zhu

First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

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Ziwen Gao

First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

Xiaoshu Li

Anhui Medical University

Shanshan Zhou

State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology

Yongqiang Yu

First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

Ziang Huang

First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

Yanghua Tian

First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

Hui Li

First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

Xingqi Wu

First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

Xiaohu Li

First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

Kai Wang

First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

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Anhui Medical University

First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

Anhui Mental Health Center

Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University

Anhui Provincial Hospital

University of Science and Technology of China

Nanjing Medical University

Chinese Academy of Sciences

University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Hefei University

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The Protective Impact of Education on Brain Structure and Function in Alzheimer’s Disease

Research Square (Research Square) (2020)

Wanqiu Zhu Xiaoshu Li Xiaohu Li Haibao Wang Meiqin Li

Abstract Background: The Cognitive Reserve (CR) theory posits that brains with higher reserve can cope with more cerebral damage to minimize clinical manifestations. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of education (CR proxy) on brain structure and function in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients and in cognitively healthy elderly (HC) individuals. Methods: Fifty-seven AD patients, 57 aMCI patients and 48 HCs were included to investigate the relationships between education years and gray matter volume (GMV), regional homogeneity (ReHo) and functional connectivity (FC) in brain regions to show associations with both structure and function. Taking the severity of the disease into account, we further assessed the relationships in AD stratified analyses. We then compared more highly (higher CR) and less highly educated (lower CR) subjects at the same level of cognitive impairment. Results: In AD group, the GMV of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and ReHo in the left inferior temporal cortex (ITC) were inversely associated with education years, after adjustment for age, sex, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and total intracranial volume or head motion parameters. Seed-based FC analyses revealed that education years were negatively correlated with the FC between the left anterior ITC and left mid frontal cortex as well as right superior frontal cortex and right angular gyrus. Stratified analyses results indicated that this negative relation between education and GMV, ReHo, FC was mainly present in mild AD, which was attenuated in moderate AD and aMCI groups. In mild and moderate AD groups, subjects with higher CR had smaller regional GMV of the dACC and lower ReHo in the left ITC than the subjects with lower CR. No significant differences were found in severe AD and aMCI groups. Conclusions: Our results support the CR theory, and suggest that CR may be protective against AD related brain pathology at the early stage of clinical dementia. These findings could provide the locus of CR-related functional brain mechanisms and a specific time-window for therapeutic interventions to help AD patients to cope better with the brain pathological damage by increasing CR.

Cognitive reserve

10.21203/rs.3.rs-73112/v1

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Citations (1)

The protective impact of education on brain structure and function in Alzheimer’s Disease

Research Square (Research Square) (2020)

Wanqiu Zhu Xiaoshu Li Xiaohu Li Haibao Wang Meiqin Li

Abstract Background: The Cognitive Reserve (CR) theory posits that brains with higher reserve can cope with more cerebral damage to minimize clinical manifestations. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of education (CR proxy) on brain structure and function in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients and in cognitively healthy elderly (HC) individuals. Methods: Fifty-seven AD patients, 57 aMCI patients and 48 HCs were included to investigate the relationships between education years and gray matter volume (GMV), regional homogeneity (ReHo) and functional connectivity (FC) in brain regions to show associations with both structure and function. Taking the severity of the disease into account, we further assessed the relationships in AD stratified analyses. Results: In AD group, the GMV of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and ReHo in the left inferior temporal cortex (ITC) were inversely associated with education years, after adjustment for age, sex, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and total intracranial volume or head motion parameters. Seed-based FC analyses revealed that education years were negatively correlated with the FC between the left anterior ITC and left mid frontal cortex as well as right superior frontal cortex and right angular gyrus. Stratified analyses results indicated that this negative relation between education and GMV, ReHo, FC was mainly present in mild AD, which was attenuated in moderate AD and aMCI groups. Conclusions: Our results support the CR theory, and suggest that CR may be protective against AD related brain pathology at the early stage of clinical dementia. These findings could provide the locus of CR-related functional brain mechanisms and a specific time-window for therapeutic interventions to help AD patients to cope better with the brain pathological damage by increasing CR.

Cognitive reserve

10.21203/rs.3.rs-73112/v2

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Author response for "Sex differences in functional connectivity and the predictive role of the connectome‐based predictive model in Alzheimer's disease"

Yuqing Li Wanqiu Zhu Shanshan Zhou Hui Li Ziwen Gao

10.1002/jnr.25307/v2/response1

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Sex difference in general cognition associated with coupling of whole-brain functional connectivity strength to cerebral blood flow changes during Alzheimer’s disease progression

Research Square (Research Square) (2022)

Hui Li Ziang Huang Ziwen Gao Wanqiu Zhu Yuqing Li

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive age-related neurodegenerative disorder that results in irreversible cognitive impairments. Nonetheless, there are numerous sex-dependent differences in clinical course that may provide clues to disease pathogenesis and more effective individualized treatments. We examined potential contributions of neurovascular coupling deficits to sex differences in AD progression. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were acquired from 50 AD patients (28 females), 52 amnesic mild cognitive impairment patients (31 females), and 59 healthy controls (36 females). Short- and long-range functional connectivity strength (FCS) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) were calculated for all participants. Then, the CBF/FCS coupling ratio was calculated for each voxel. Two-way ANOVA was performed to identify group × sex interactions and main effects of group. Correlation analysis was used to assess associations between CBF/FCS ratios and general cognitive status as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).There were significant group × sex interaction effects on short-range coupling ratios of right middle temporal gyrus, left angular gyrus, left infraorbital frontal gyrus, and left superior frontal gyrus as well as on the long-range coupling ratios of right middle temporal gyrus, left precuneus, left posterior cingulate, and left angular gyrus. There were significant negative correlations between MMSE scores and CBF/FCS ratios for all regions with significant interactions among all female patients, while positive correlations were found between MMSE and CBF/FCS ratios for some regions among all male patients. Our results demonstrate significant sex differences in neurovascular coupling mechanisms associated with cognitive function during the course of AD.

Middle frontal gyrus

Superior frontal gyrus

Posterior cingulate

Angular gyrus

Gyrus

Middle temporal gyrus

Medial frontal gyrus

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1694584/v1

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Abnormal Functional Connectivity of Thalamic Subdivisions in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Neuroscience (2022)

Yue Wu Xingqi Wu Liying Gao Yibing Yan Zhi Geng

Cognitive deficit

10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.06.006

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Citations (9)

Author response for "Brain functional specialization and cooperation in Alzheimer's disease"

Wu Yue Manman Gao Lingling Lv Yibing Yan Liying Gao

10.1002/brb3.3550/v2/response1

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Periodontitis is associated with altered brain structure and function in normal cognition middle‐aged and elderly individuals

Journal of Periodontal Research (2023)

Xiaoshu Li Yufei Tao Hui Li Ziang Huang Yuqing Li

Abstract Background Numerous studies have proposed that periodontitis is a potential risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. However, the association between periodontitis and brain normal cognition in aged and elderly individuals (NCs) is unclear. Such a link could provide clues to Alzheimer's disease development and strategies for early prevention. Objective To explore the associations between periodontal condition and metrics of both brain structure and function among NCs with the help of multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods High‐resolution T1‐weighted structural data, resting‐state functional‐MRI data, and measures of periodontal condition were collected from 40 NCs. Cortical volume, thickness, and area as well as regional homogeneity were calculated with the aid of DPABISurf software. Correlation analyses were then conducted between each imaging metric and periodontal index. Results Consistent negative correlations were observed between severity of periodontitis (mild, moderate, severe) and cortical volume, area, and thickness, not only in brain regions that took charge of primary function but also in brain regions associated with advanced cognition behavior. Among participants with mild attachment loss (AL) and a shallow periodontal pocket depth (PPD), periodontal index was positively correlated with most measures of brain structure and function, while among participants with severe AL and deep PPD, periodontal index was negatively correlated with measures of brain structure and function (all p < .005 for each hemisphere). Conclusions Our results demonstrate that periodontitis is associated with widespread changes in brain structure and function among middle‐aged and elderly adults without signs of cognitive decline, which might be a potential risk factor for brain damage.

Clinical attachment loss

10.1111/jre.13214

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Citations (2)

Author response for "Sex differences in functional connectivity and the predictive role of the connectome‐based predictive model in Alzheimer's disease"

Yuqing Li Wanqiu Zhu Shanshan Zhou Hui Li Ziwen Gao

10.1002/jnr.25307/v3/response1

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Sex-dependent changes in emotional memory associated with cerebral blood flow alterations during Alzheimer’s disease progression

Neuroradiology (2022)

Ziwen Gao Shanshan Zhou Wanqiu Zhu Hui Li Ziang Huang

10.1007/s00234-022-03099-1

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Brain Structural Correlates of Odor Identification in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease Revealed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging and a Chinese Olfactory Identification Test

Frontiers in Neuroscience (2019)

Xingqi Wu Zhi Geng Shanshan Zhou Tongjian Bai Ling Wei

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common memory-impairment disorder frequently accompanied by olfactory identification (OI) impairments. In fact, OI is a valuable marker for distinguishing AD from normal age-related cognitive impairment and may predict the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI)-to-AD transition. However, current olfactory tests were developed based on Western social and cultural conditions, and are not very suitable for Chinese patients. Moreover, the neural substrate of OI in AD is still unknown. The present study investigated the utility of a newly developed Chinese Smell Identification Test (CSIT) for OI assessment in Chinese AD and MCI patients. We then performed a correlation analysis of gray matter volume (GMV) at the voxel and region-of-interest (ROI) levels to reveal the neural substrates of OI in AD. Thirty-seven AD, 27 MCI, and 30 normal controls (NCs) completed the CSIT and MRI scans. Patients (combined AD plus MCI) scored significantly lower on the CSIT compared to NCs (F (2, 91) = 62.597, p < 0.001). Voxel-level GMV analysis revealed strong relationships between CSIT score and volumes of the left precentral gyrus and left inferior frontal gyrus (L-IFG). In addition, ROI-level GMV analysis revealed associations between CSIT score and left amygdala volumes. Our results suggest the following: 1) OI, as measured by the CSIT, is impaired in AD and MCI patients compared with healthy controls in the Chinese population; 2) the severity of OI dysfunction can distinguish patients with cognitive impairment from controls and AD from MCI patients; and 3) the left-precentral cortex and L-IFG may be involved in the processing of olfactory cues.

Neural substrate

Voxel-based morphometry

10.3389/fnins.2019.00842

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Citations (23)