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- Engler, Henry, et al.
(author)
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Two-year follow-up of amyloid deposition in patients with Alzheimer's disease
- 2006
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In: Brain. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0006-8950 .- 1460-2156. ; 129:Pt 11, s. 2856-2866
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Beta amyloid is one of the major histopathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. We recently reported in vivo imaging of amyloid in 16 Alzheimer patients, using the PET ligand N-methyl[11C]2-(4'-methylaminophenyl)-6-hydroxy-benzothiazole (PIB). In the present study we rescanned these 16 Alzheimer patients after 2.0 +/- 0.5 years and have described the interval change in amyloid deposition and regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (rCMRGlc) at follow-up. Sixteen patients with Alzheimer's disease were re-examined by means of PET, using PIB and 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) after 2.0 +/- 0.5 years. The patients were all on cholinesterase inhibitor treatment and five also on treatment with the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist memantine. In order to estimate the accuracy of the PET PIB measurements, four additional Alzheimer patients underwent repeated examinations with PIB within 20 days (test-retest). Relative PIB retention in cortical regions differed by 3-7% in the test-retest study. No significant difference in PIB retention was observed between baseline and follow-up while a significant (P < 0.01) 20% decrease in rCMRGlc was observed in cortical brain regions. A significant negative correlation between rCMRGlc and PIB retention was observed in the parietal cortex in the Alzheimer patients at follow-up (r = 0.67, P = 0.009). A non-significant decline in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score from 24.3 +/- 3.7 (mean +/- standard deviation) to 22.7 +/- 6.1 was measured at follow-up. Five of the Alzheimer patients showed a significant decline in MMSE score of >3 (21.4 +/- 3.5 to 15.6 +/- 3.9, P < 0.01) (AD-progressive) while the rest of the patients were cognitively more stable (MMSE score = 25.6 +/- 3.1 to 25.9 +/- 3.7) (AD-stable) compared with baseline. A positive correlation (P = 0.001) was observed in the parietal cortex between Rey Auditory Verbal Learning (RAVL) test score and rCMRGlc at follow-up while a negative correlation (P = 0.018) was observed between RAVL test and PIB retention in the parietal at follow-up. Relatively stable PIB retention after 2 years of follow-up in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease suggests that amyloid deposition in the brain reaches a plateau by the early clinical stages of Alzheimer's disease and therefore may precede a decline in rCMRGlc and cognition. It appears that anti-amyloid therapies will need to induce a significant decrease in amyloid load in order for PIB PET images to detect a drug effect in Alzheimer patients. FDG imaging may be able to detect a stabilization of cerebral metabolism caused by therapy administered to patients with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
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| 2. |
- Rodela, Romina, Ph.D. 1975-, et al.
(author)
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Talking about Ronna : An event report. VIVA-PLAN Research Project. Södertörn University, Department of Environment, Development and Sustainability Studies, Sweden.
- 2021
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The concept of Mosaic Governance rests on relationships grounded in local context and puts forward ideas about how these relationships can be catalysed for transformative change. As part of the research project VIVA-PLAN we designed a Working Package where some of these assumptions have been put forward for further experimentation and testing. As part to this our project team partnered with a local NGO Läsfrämjarinstitutet for the organization of an on-site local stakeholder event which was held on the 25th of August 2021 in Södertälje (Sweden). The ambition for this event was to bring together ideas and insights from two different and now emerging engagement methods: i) hackathons and ii) co-creation, to create opportunities for discussion, visioning and local engagement. At this event, we shared data (summarised in data visualization sheets) collected in the course of our project about local conditions in Ronna, a residential area in Södertälje. In total, 15 participants attended the event, all affiliated with public or private organizations that are active in or near Ronna with a clear role and contribution to community building there. The event helped to unpack some of our findings and to further discuss challenges that emerged from data collection in Ronna. The event was a productive gathering where important questions were raised and discussed about the challenges and opportunities of the Ronna residential area, and how they align with ideas about more sustainable living environments as currently advanced by Swedish planning policy
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