Peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity reveals early and multifactorial white matter injury across sporadic and Down syndrome–associated Alzheimer’s disease
White matter alterations are commonly observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and reflect a convergence of several pathological processes, including myelin loss, axonal degeneration, and microvascular injury. Peak width of skeletonized mean diffusivity (PSMD) is a...
Temporal dynamics of white matter hyperintensities related to Alzheimer’s disease in adults with Down syndrome
White matter hyperintensities (WMH) White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are brain lesions visible on MRI that have traditionally been linked to vascular disease. In a previous study from our group, we showed that WMH burden increases approximately 10 years before the...
New reference values for cognitive normality allow earlier detection in one of every five cases of mild cognitive impairment
The first step in the diagnostic workup of individuals presenting with cognitive symptoms is to determine whether there is objective cognitive impairment. Ideally, this is done through a neuropsychological evaluation: a battery of cognitive tests in which the...
Study of brain perfusion in adults with Down syndrome along the Alzheimer’s disease continuum
Cerebral perfusion is the amount of blood reaching a given brain region at any given time. In other words, it is the “irrigation” that supplies neurons with oxygen and nutrients. When perfusion decreases or becomes abnormally distributed, it may indicate that an area...
Association of plasma phosphorylated tau 217 with clinical deterioration across Alzheimer disease stages
Blood biomarkers have become a key tool for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease in a more accessible way. While plasma p-tau217 is already established as a strong diagnostic marker, little was known about its ability to predict how the disease progresses across different...
On the complexity of biomarker-driven diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease
New biomarker-centric diagnostic frameworks for Alzheimer’s disease promise earlier detection but risk over-medicalising people who may never decline. Grasso, Santos-Santos and Clark contend that amyloid-β or phosphorylated-tau positivity in cognitively normal adults...
Brain Metabolism in Alzheimer’s Disease Associated with Down Syndrome: New Findings with FDG-PET
Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic form of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Due to the overexpression of the APP gene on chromosome 21, nearly all individuals with DS develop AD-related pathological changes and dementia secondary to this disease. Brain metabolism,...
Medial Temporal Lobe Atrophy in Down Syndrome Along the Alzheimer’s Disease Continuum
Medial Temporal Lobe Atrophy in Down Syndrome Along the Alzheimer’s Disease Continuum The medial temporal lobe (MTL) is one of the first regions affected by tau pathology, making structural changes in these areas promising biomarkers for identifying early signs...