| 1. |
- Karalija, Nina, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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A common polymorphism in the dopamine transporter gene predicts working memory performance and in vivo dopamine integrity in aging
- 2021
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Ingår i: NeuroImage. - : Elsevier BV. - 1053-8119 .- 1095-9572. ; 245
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dopamine (DA) integrity is suggested as a potential cause of individual differences in working memory (WM) performance among older adults. Still, the principal dopaminergic mechanisms giving rise to WM differences remain unspecified. Here, 61 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, located in or adjacent to various dopamine-related genes, were assessed for their links to WM performance in a sample of 1313 adults aged 61–80 years from the Berlin Aging Study II. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression was conducted to estimate associations between polymorphisms and WM. Rs40184 in the DA transporter gene, SLC6A3, showed allelic group differences in WM, with T-carriers performing better than C homozygotes (p<0.01). This finding was replicated in an independent sample from the Cognition, Brain, and Aging study (COBRA; baseline: n = 181, ages: 64–68 years; 5-year follow up: n = 129). In COBRA, in vivo DA integrity was measured with 11C-raclopride and positron emission tomography. Notably, WM as well as in vivo DA integrity was higher for rs40184 T-carriers at baseline (p<0.05 for WM and caudate and hippocampal D2-receptor availability) and at the 5-year follow-up (p<0.05 for WM and hippocampal D2 availability). Our findings indicate that individual differences in DA transporter function contribute to differences in WM performance in old age, presumably by regulating DA availability.
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| 2. |
- Karalija, Nina, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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C957T-mediated Variation in Ligand Affinity Affects the Association between C-11-raclopride Binding Potential and Cognition
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of cognitive neuroscience. - : MIT Press. - 0898-929X .- 1530-8898. ; 31:2, s. 314-325
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The dopamine (DA) system plays an important role in cognition. Accordingly, normal variation in DA genes has been found to predict individual differences in cognitive performance. However, little is known of the impact of genetic differences on the link between empirical indicators of the DA system and cognition in humans. The present work used PET with C-11-raclopride to assess DA D2-receptor binding potential (BP) and links to episodic memory, working memory, and perceptual speed in 179 healthy adults aged 64-68 years. Previously, the T-allele of a DA D2-receptor single-nucleotide polymorphism, C957T, was associated with increased apparent affinity of C-11-raclopride, giving rise to higher BP values despite similar receptor density values between allelic groups. Consequently, we hypothesized that C-11-raclopride BP measures inflated by affinity rather than D2-receptor density in T-allele carriers would not be predictive of DA integrity and therefore prevent finding an association between C-11-raclopride BP and cognitive performance. In accordance with previous findings, we show that C-11-raclopride BP was increased in T-homozygotes. Importantly, C-11-raclopride BP was only associated with cognitive performance in groups with low or average ligand affinity (C-allele carriers of C957T, n = 124), but not in the high-affinity group (T-homozygotes, n = 55). The strongest C-11-raclopride BP-cognition associations and the highest level of performance were found in C-homozygotes. These findings show that genetic differences modulate the link between BP and cognition and thus have important implications for the interpretation of DA assessments with PET and C-11-raclopride in multiple disciplines ranging from cognitive neuroscience to psychiatry and neurology.
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| 3. |
- Karalija, Nina, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Cardiovascular factors are related to dopamine integrity and cognition in aging
- 2019
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Ingår i: Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 2328-9503. ; 6:11, s. 2291-2303
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The aging brain undergoes several changes, including reduced vascular, structural, and dopamine (DA) system integrity. Such brain changes have been associated with age‐related cognitive deficits. However, their relative importance, interrelations, and links to risk factors remain elusive.Methods: The present work used magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography with 11C‐raclopride to jointly examine vascular parameters (white‐matter lesions and perfusion), DA D2‐receptor availability, brain structure, and cognitive performance in healthy older adults (n = 181, age: 64–68 years) from the Cognition, Brain, and Aging (COBRA) study.Results: Covariance was found among several brain indicators, where top predictors of cognitive performance included caudate and hippocampal integrity (D2DR availability and volumes), and cortical blood flow and regional volumes. White‐matter lesion burden was negatively correlated with caudate DA D2‐receptor availability and white‐matter microstructure. Compared to individuals with smaller lesions, individuals with confluent lesions (exceeding 20 mm in diameter) had reductions in cortical and hippocampal perfusion, striatal and hippocampal D2‐receptor availability, white‐matter microstructure, and reduced performance on tests of episodic memory, sequence learning, and processing speed. Higher cardiovascular risk as assessed by treatment for hypertension, systolic blood pressure, overweight, and smoking was associated with lower frontal cortical perfusion, lower putaminal D2DR availability, smaller grey‐matter volumes, a larger number of white‐matter lesions, and lower episodic memory performance.Interpretation: Taken together, these findings suggest that reduced cardiovascular health is associated with poorer status for brain variables that are central to age‐sensitive cognitive functions, with emphasis on DA integrity.
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| 4. |
- Karalija, Nina, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Longitudinal Dopamine D2 Receptor Changes and Cerebrovascular Health in Aging
- 2022
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Ingår i: Neurology. - 1526-632X .- 0028-3878. ; 99
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cross-sectional studies suggest marked dopamine (DA) decline in aging, but longitudinal evidence is lacking. The aim of this study was to estimate within-person decline rates for DA D2-like receptors (DRD2) in aging and examine factors that may contribute to individual differences in DRD2 decline rates. METHODS: We investigated 5-year within-person changes in DRD2 availability in a sample of older adults. At both occasions, PET with 11C-raclopride and MRI were used to measure DRD2 availability in conjunction with structural and vascular brain integrity. RESULTS: Longitudinal analyses of the sample (baseline: n = 181, ages: 64-68 years, 100 men and 81 women; 5-year follow-up: n = 129, 69 men and 60 women) revealed aging-related striatal and extrastriatal DRD2 decline, along with marked individual differences in rates of change. Notably, the magnitude of striatal DRD2 decline was ∼50% of past cross-sectional estimates, suggesting that the DRD2 decline rate has been overestimated in past cross-sectional studies. Significant DRD2 reductions were also observed in select extrastriatal regions, including hippocampus, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Distinct profiles of correlated DRD2 changes were found across several associative regions (ACC, dorsal striatum, and hippocampus) and in the reward circuit (nucleus accumbens and OFC). DRD2 losses in associative regions were associated with white matter lesion progression, whereas DRD2 losses in limbic regions were related to reduced cortical perfusion. DISCUSSION: These findings provide the first longitudinal evidence for individual and region-specific differences of DRD2 decline in older age and support the hypothesis that cerebrovascular factors are linked to age-related dopaminergic decline.
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| 5. |
- Karalija, Nina, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Longitudinal support for the correlative triad among aging, dopamine D2-like receptor loss, and memory decline
- 2024
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Ingår i: NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING. - 0197-4580 .- 1558-1497. ; 136, s. 125-132
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dopamine decline is suggested to underlie aging -related cognitive decline, but longitudinal examinations of this link are currently missing. We analyzed 5 -year longitudinal data for a sample of healthy, older adults (baseline: n = 181, age: 64-68 years; 5 -year follow-up: n = 129) who underwent positron emission tomography with 11C- raclopride to assess dopamine D2 -like receptor (DRD2) availability, magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate structural brain measures, and cognitive tests. Health, lifestyle, and genetic data were also collected. A datadriven approach (k -means cluster analysis) identified groups that differed maximally in DRD2 decline rates in age -sensitive brain regions. One group (n = 47) had DRD2 decline exclusively in the caudate and no cognitive decline. A second group (n = 72) had more wide -ranged DRD2 decline in putamen and nucleus accumbens and also in extrastriatal regions. The latter group showed significant 5 -year working memory decline that correlated with putamen DRD2 decline, along with higher dementia and cardiovascular risk and a faster biological pace of aging. Taken together, for individuals with more extensive DRD2 decline, dopamine decline is associated with memory decline in aging.
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| 6. |
- Karalija, Nina, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Sex differences in dopamine integrity and brain structure among healthy older adults : Relationships to episodic memory
- 2021
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Ingår i: Neurobiology of Aging. - : Elsevier. - 0197-4580 .- 1558-1497. ; 105, s. 272-279
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Normal brain aging is a multidimensional process that includes deterioration in various brain structures and functions, with large heterogeneity in patterns and rates of decline. Sex differences have been reported for various cognitive and brain parameters, but little is known in relation to neuromodulatory aspects of brain aging. We examined sex differences in dopamine D2-receptor (D2DR) availability in relation to episodic memory, but also, grey-matter volumes, white-matter lesions, and cerebral perfusion in healthy older adults (n = 181, age: 64-68 years) from the Cognition, Brain, and Aging study. Women had higher D2DR availability in midbrain and left caudate and putamen, as well as superior episodic memory performance. Controlling for left caudate D2DR availability attenuated sex differences in memory performance. In men, lower left caudate D2DR levels were associated with lower cortical perfusion and higher burden of white-matter lesions, as well as with episodic memory performance. However, sex was not a significant moderator of the reported links to D2DR levels. Our findings suggest that sex differences in multiple associations among DA receptor availability, vascular factors, and structural connectivity contribute to sex differences in episodic memory. Future longitudinal studies need to corroborate these patterns by lead-lag associations. This manuscript is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Cognitive Neuroscience of Healthy and Pathological Aging' edited by Drs. M. N. Rajah, S. Belleville, and R. Cabeza.
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| 7. |
- Korkki, Saana M., et al.
(författare)
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Fronto-striatal dopamine D2 receptor availability is associated with cognitive variability in older individuals with low dopamine integrity
- 2021
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 11:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Within-person, moment-to-moment, variability in behavior increases with advancing adult age, potentially reflecting the influence of reduced structural and neurochemical brain integrity, especially that of the dopaminergic system. We examined the role of dopamine D2 receptor (D2DR) availability, grey-, and white-matter integrity, for between-person differences in cognitive variability in a large sample of healthy older adults (n = 181; 64–68years) from the Cognition, Brain, and Aging (COBRA) study. Intra-individual variability (IIV) in cognition was measured as across-trial variability in participants’ response times for tasks assessing perceptual speed and working memory, as well as for a control task of motor speed. Across the whole sample, no associations of D2DR availability, or grey- and white-matter integrity, to IIV were observed. However, within-person variability in cognition was increased in two subgroups of individuals displaying low mean-levelcognitive performance, one of which was characterized by low subcortical and cortical D2DR availability. In this latter group, fronto-striatal D2DR availability correlated negatively with within-person variability in cognition. This finding suggests that the influence of D2DR availability on cognitive variability may be more easily disclosed among individuals with low dopamine-system integrity, highlighting the benefits of large-scale studies for delineating heterogeneity in brain-behavior associations in older age.
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| 8. |
- Köhncke, Ylva, et al.
(författare)
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Self-rated intensity of habitual physical activities is positively associated with dopamine D-2/3 receptor availability and cognition
- 2018
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Ingår i: NeuroImage. - : Elsevier BV. - 1053-8119 .- 1095-9572. ; 181, s. 605-616
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Between-person differences in cognitive performance in older age are associated with variations in physical activity. The neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) contributes to cognitive performance, and the DA system deteriorates with advancing age. Animal data and a patient study suggest that physical activity modulates DA receptor availability, but data from healthy humans are lacking. In a cross-sectional study with 178 adults aged 64-68 years, we investigated links among self-reported physical activity, D(2/3)DA receptor (D2/3DR) availability, and cognitive performance. D2/3DR availability was measured with [C-11]raclopride positron emission tomography at rest. We used structural equation modeling to obtain latent factors for processing speed, episodic memory, working memory, physical activity, and D2/3DR availability in caudate, putamen, and hippocampus. Physical activity intensity was positively associated with D2/3DR availability in caudate, but not putamen and hippocampus. Frequency of physical activity was not related to D2/3DR availability. Physical activity intensity was positively related to episodic memory and working memory. D2/3DR availability in caudate and hippocampus was positively related to episodic memory. Taken together, our results suggest that striatal DA availability might be a neurochemical correlate of episodic memory that is also associated with physical activity.
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| 9. |
- Li, Shu-Chen, et al.
(författare)
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Aging magnifies the effects of dopamine transporter and D2 receptor genes on backward serial memory
- 2013
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Ingår i: Neurobiology of Aging. - : Elsevier BV. - 0197-4580 .- 1558-1497. ; 34:1, s. 358.e1-358.e10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aging compromises dopamine transporter (DAT) and receptor mechanisms in the frontostriatal circuitry. In a sample of 1288 younger and older adults, we investigated (i) whether individual differences in genotypes of the DAT gene (i.e., SLC6A3, the DAT variable number of tandem repeat 9/9, 9/10, and 10/10) and in the D2 receptor (DRD2) gene (i.e., the C957T [rs6277] CC and any T) interactively contribute to phenotype variations in episodic memory performance; and (ii) whether these genetic effects are magnified in older adults, because of considerable declines in the dopamine functions. Our results showed that carrying genotypes associated with higher levels of striatal synaptic dopamine (DAT 9/9) and higher density of extrastriatal D2 receptors (C957T CC) were associated with better backward serial recall, an episodic memory task with high encoding and retrieval demands. Critically, the gene-gene interaction effect was reliably stronger in older than in younger adults. In line with the resource modulation hypothesis, our findings suggest that aging-related decline in brain phenotypes (e.g., dopamine functions) could alter the relations between genotypes and behavioral phenotypes (e.g., episodic memory).
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| 10. |
- Li, Shu-Chen, et al.
(författare)
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Ebbinghaus Revisited : Influences of the BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism on Backward Serial Recall Are Modulated by Human Aging.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of cognitive neuroscience. - Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press - Journals. - 0898-929X .- 1530-8898. ; 22:10, s. 2164-2173
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity, which underlies learning and memory. In a sample of 948 younger and older adults, we investigated whether a common Val66Met missense polymorphism (rs6265) in the BDNF gene affects the serial position curve-a fundamental phenomenon of associative memory identified by Hermann Ebbinghaus more than a century ago. We found a BDNF polymorphism effect for backward recall in older adults only, with Met-allele carriers (i.e., individuals with reduced BDNF signaling) recalling fewer items than Val homozygotes. This effect was specific to the primacy and middle portions of the serial position curve, where intralist interference and associative demands are especially high. The poorer performance of older Met-allele carriers reflected transposition errors, whereas no genetic effect was found for omissions. These findings indicate that effects of the BDNF polymorphism on episodic memory are most likely to be observed when the associative and executive demands are high. Furthermore, the findings are in line with the hypothesis that the magnitude of genetic effects on cognition is greater when brain resources are reduced, as is the case in old age.
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