| 1. |
- Salvadó, Gemma, et al.
(författare)
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The protective gene dose effect of the APOE ε2 allele on gray matter volume in cognitively unimpaired individuals
- 2022
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Ingår i: Alzheimer's and Dementia. - : Wiley. - 1552-5260 .- 1552-5279. ; 18:7, s. 1383-1395
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Harboring two copies of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε2 allele strongly protects against Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the effect of this genotype on gray matter (GM) volume in cognitively unimpaired individuals has not yet been described. Methods: Multicenter brain magnetic resonance images (MRIs) from cognitively unimpaired ε2 homozygotes were matched (1:1) against all other APOE genotypes for relevant confounders (n = 223). GM volumes of ε2 genotypic groups were compared to each other and to the reference group (APOE ε3/ε3). Results: Carrying at least one ε2 allele was associated with larger GM volumes in brain areas typically affected by AD and also in areas associated with cognitive resilience. APOE ε2 homozygotes, but not APOE ε2 heterozygotes, showed larger GM volumes in areas related to successful aging. Discussion: In addition to the known resistance against amyloid-β deposition, the larger GM volumes in key brain regions may confer APOE ε2 homozygotes additional protection against AD-related cognitive decline.
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| 2. |
- Ahmadi, Khazar, et al.
(författare)
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Fixel-Based Analysis Reveals Tau-Related White Matter Changes in Early Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Neuroscience. - 0270-6474. ; 44:18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Several studies have shown white matter (WM) abnormalities in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Nonetheless, robust characterization of WM changes has been challenging due to the methodological limitations of DTI. We applied fixel-based analyses (FBA) to examine microscopic differences in fiber density (FD) and macroscopic changes in fiber cross-section (FC) in early stages of AD (N = 393, 212 females). FBA was also compared with DTI, free-water corrected (FW)-DTI and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI). We further investigated the correlation of FBA and tensor-derived metrics with AD pathology and cognition. FBA metrics were decreased in the entire cingulum bundle, uncinate fasciculus and anterior thalamic radiations in Aβ-positive patients with mild cognitive impairment compared to control groups. Metrics derived from DKI, and FW-DTI showed similar alterations whereas WM degeneration detected by DTI was more widespread. Tau-PET uptake in medial temporal regions was only correlated with reduced FC mainly in the parahippocampal cingulum in Aβ-positive individuals. This tau-related WM alteration was also associated with impaired memory. Despite the spatially extensive between-group differences in DTI-metrics, the link between WM and tau aggregation was only revealed using FBA metrics implying high sensitivity but low specificity of DTI-based measures in identifying subtle tau-related WM degeneration. No relationship was found between amyloid load and any diffusion-MRI measures. Our results indicate that early tau-related WM alterations in AD are due to macrostructural changes specifically captured by FBA metrics. Thus, future studies assessing the effects of AD pathology in WM tracts should consider using FBA metrics.
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| 3. |
- Baumeister, Hannah, et al.
(författare)
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A generalizable data-driven model of atrophy heterogeneity and progression in memory clinic settings
- 2024
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Ingår i: Brain : a journal of neurology. - 1460-2156. ; 147:7, s. 2400-2413
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Memory clinic patients are a heterogeneous population representing various aetiologies of pathological aging. It is unknown if divergent spatiotemporal progression patterns of brain atrophy, as previously described in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, are prevalent and clinically meaningful in this group of older adults. To uncover distinct atrophy subtypes, we applied the Subtype and Stage Inference (SuStaIn) algorithm to baseline structural MRI data from 813 participants enrolled in the DELCODE cohort (mean ± SD age = 70.67 ± 6.07 years, 52% females). Participants were cognitively unimpaired (CU; n = 285) or fulfilled diagnostic criteria for subjective cognitive decline (SCD; n = 342), mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n = 118), or dementia of the Alzheimer's type (n = 68). Atrophy subtypes were compared in baseline demographics, fluid AD biomarker levels, the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC-5), as well as episodic memory and executive functioning. PACC-5 trajectories over up to 240 weeks were examined. To test if baseline atrophy subtype and stage predicted clinical trajectories before manifest cognitive impairment, we analysed PACC-5 trajectories and MCI conversion rates of CU and SCD participants. Limbic-predominant and hippocampal-sparing atrophy subtypes were identified. Limbic-predominant atrophy first affected the medial temporal lobes, followed by further temporal and, finally, the remaining cortical regions. At baseline, this subtype was related to older age, more pathological AD biomarker levels, APOE ε4 carriership, and an amnestic cognitive impairment. Hippocampal-sparing atrophy initially occurred outside the temporal lobe with the medial temporal lobe spared up to advanced atrophy stages. This atrophy pattern also affected individuals with positive AD biomarkers and was associated with more generalised cognitive impairment. Limbic-predominant atrophy, in all and in only unimpaired participants, was linked to more negative longitudinal PACC-5 slopes than observed in participants without or with hippocampal-sparing atrophy and increased the risk of MCI conversion. SuStaIn modelling was repeated in a sample from the Swedish BioFINDER-2 cohort. Highly similar atrophy progression patterns and associated cognitive profiles were identified. Cross-cohort model generalizability, both on the subject and group level, were excellent, indicating reliable performance in previously unseen data. The proposed model is a promising tool for capturing heterogeneity among older adults at early at-risk states for AD in applied settings. The implementation of atrophy subtype- and stage-specific end-points may increase the statistical power of pharmacological trials targeting early AD.
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| 4. |
- Borland, Emma, et al.
(författare)
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The age-related effect on cognitive performance in cognitively healthy elderly is mainly caused by underlying AD pathology or cerebrovascular lesions : implications for cutoffs regarding cognitive impairment
- 2020
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Ingår i: Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1758-9193. ; 12:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: As research in treatments for neurocognitive diseases progresses, there is an increasing need to identify cognitive decline in the earliest stages of disease for initiation of treatment in addition to determining the efficacy of treatment. For early identification, accurate cognitive tests cutoff values for cognitive impairment are essential. METHODS: We conducted a study on 297 cognitively healthy elderly people from the BioFINDER study and created subgroups excluding people with signs of underlying neuropathology, i.e., abnormal cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] β-amyloid or phosphorylated tau, CSF neurofilament light (neurodegeneration), or cerebrovascular pathology. We compared cognitive test results between groups and examined the age effect on cognitive test results. RESULTS: In our subcohort without any measurable pathology (n = 120), participants achieved better test scores and significantly stricter cutoffs for cognitive impairment for almost all the examined tests. The age effect in this subcohort disappeared for all cognitive tests, apart from some attention/executive tests, predominantly explained by the exclusion of cerebrovascular pathology. CONCLUSION: Our study illustrates a new approach to establish normative data that could be useful to identify earlier cognitive changes in preclinical dementias. Future studies need to investigate if there is a genuine effect of healthy aging on cognitive tests or if this age effect is a proxy for higher prevalence of preclinical neurodegenerative diseases.
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| 5. |
- Cicognola, Claudia, et al.
(författare)
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Associations of CSF PDGFRβ With Aging, Blood-Brain Barrier Damage, Neuroinflammation, and Alzheimer Disease Pathologic Changes
- 2023
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Ingår i: Neurology. - 1526-632X. ; 101:1, s. 30-39
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Injured pericytes in the neurovascular unit release platelet-derived growth factor β (PDGFRβ) into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). However, it is not clear how pericyte injury contributes to Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related changes and blood brain barrier (BBB) damage. We aimed to test if CSF PDGFRβ was associated with different AD- and age-associated pathological changes leading to dementia.METHODS: PDGFRβ was measured in the CSF of 771 cognitively unimpaired (CU, n=408), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n=175) and dementia subjects (n=188) from the Swedish BioFINDER-2 cohort. We then checked association Aβ-PET and tau-PET SUVR, APOE ε4 genotype and MRI measurements of cortical thickness, white matter lesions (WML) and cerebral blood flow (CBF). We also analysed the role of CSF PDGFRβ in the relationship between aging, BBB dysfunction (measured by CSF/plasma albumin ratio, QAlb) and neuroinflammation (i.e., CSF levels of YKL-40 and glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP], preferentially expressed in reactive astrocytes). RESULTS: The cohort had a mean age of 67 years (CU=62.8, MCI=69.9, dementia=70.4) and 50.1% were male (CU=46.6%, MCI=53.7%, dementia=54.3%). Higher CSF PDGFRβ concentrations were related to higher age (b=19.1, β=0.5, 95% CI=16-22.2, p<0.001), increased CSF neuroinflammatory markers of glial activation YKL-40 (b=3.4, β=0.5, 95% CI=2.8-3.9, p<0.001) and GFAP (b=27.4, β=0.4, 95% CI=20.9-33.9, p<0.001), and worse BBB integrity measured by QAlb (b=37.4, β=0.2, 95% CI=24.9-49.9, p<0.001). Age was also associated with worse BBB integrity, and this was partly mediated by PDGFRβ and neuroinflammatory markers (16-33% of total effect). However, PDGFRβ showed no associations with APOE ε4 genotype, PET imaging of Aβ and tau pathology or MRI measures of brain atrophy and white matter lesions (p>0.05).DISCUSSION: In summary, pericyte damage, reflected by CSF PDGFRβ, may be involved in age-related BBB disruption together with neuroinflammation, but is not related to Alzheimer-related pathological changes.
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| 6. |
- Coomans, Emma M., et al.
(författare)
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Interactions between vascular burden and amyloid-β pathology on trajectories of tau accumulation
- 2024
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Ingår i: Brain. - 0006-8950. ; 147:3, s. 949-960
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cerebrovascular pathology often co-exists with Alzheimer’s disease pathology and can contribute to Alzheimer’s disease-related clinical progression. However, the degree to which vascular burden contributes to Alzheimer’s disease pathological progression is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate interactions between vascular burden and amyloid-β pathology on both baseline tau tangle load and longitudinal tau accumulation. We included 1229 participants from the Swedish BioFINDER-2 Study, including cognitively unimpaired and impaired participants with and without biomarker-confirmed amyloid-β pathology. All underwent baseline tau-PET (18F-RO948), and a subset (n = 677) underwent longitudinal tau-PET after 2.5 ± 1.0 years. Tau-PET uptake was computed for a temporal meta-region-of-interest. We focused on four main vascular imaging features and risk factors: microbleeds; white matter lesion volume; stroke-related events (infarcts, lacunes and haemorrhages); and the Framingham Heart Study Cardiovascular Disease risk score. To validate our in vivo results, we examined 1610 autopsy cases from an Arizona-based neuropathology cohort on three main vascular pathological features: cerebral amyloid angiopathy; white matter rarefaction; and infarcts. For the in vivo cohort, primary analyses included age-, sex- and APOE ε4-corrected linear mixed models between tau-PET (outcome) and interactions between time, amyloid-β and each vascular feature (predictors). For the neuropathology cohort, age-, sex- and APOE ε4-corrected linear models between tau tangle density (outcome) and an interaction between plaque density and each vascular feature (predictors) were performed. In cognitively unimpaired individuals, we observed a significant interaction between microbleeds and amyloid-β pathology on greater baseline tau load (β = 0.68, P < 0.001) and longitudinal tau accumulation (β = 0.11, P < 0.001). For white matter lesion volume, we did not observe a significant independent interaction effect with amyloid-β on tau after accounting for microbleeds. In cognitively unimpaired individuals, we further found that stroke-related events showed a significant negative interaction with amyloid-β on longitudinal tau (β = −0.08, P < 0.001). In cognitively impaired individuals, there were no significant interaction effects between cerebrovascular and amyloid-β pathology at all. In the neuropathology dataset, the in vivo observed interaction effects between cerebral amyloid angiopathy and plaque density (β = 0.38, P < 0.001) and between infarcts and plaque density (β = −0.11, P = 0.005) on tau tangle density were replicated. To conclude, we demonstrated that cerebrovascular pathology—in the presence of amyloid-β pathology—modifies tau accumulation in early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. More specifically, the co-occurrence of microbleeds and amyloid-β pathology was associated with greater accumulation of tau aggregates during early disease stages. This opens the possibility that interventions targeting microbleeds may attenuate the rate of tau accumulation in Alzheimer’s disease.
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| 7. |
- Gertje, Eske Christiane, et al.
(författare)
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Associations Between CSF Markers of Inflammation, White Matter Lesions, and Cognitive Decline in Individuals Without Dementia
- 2023
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Ingår i: Neurology. - 0028-3878. ; 100:17, s. 1812-1824
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and Objectives Small vessel disease (SVD) and neuroinflammation both occur in Alzheimer disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. It is unclear whether these processes are related or independent mechanisms in AD, especially in the early stages of disease. We therefore investigated the association between white matter lesions (WML; the most common manifestation of SVD) and CSF biomarkers of neuroinflammation and their effects on cognition in a population without dementia. Methods Individuals without dementia from the Swedish BioFINDER study were included. The CSF was analyzed for proinflammatory markers (interleukin [IL]-6 and IL-8), cytokines (IL-7, IL-15, and IL-16), chemokines (interferon γ-induced protein 10, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1), markers of vascular injury (soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1, soluble vascular adhesion molecule 1), and markers of angiogenesis (placental growth factor [PlGF], soluble fms-related tyrosine kinase 1 [sFlt-1], vascular endothelial growth factors [VEGF-A and VEFG-D]), and amyloid β (Aβ)42 Aβ40, and p-tau217. WML volumes were determined at baseline and longitudinally over 6 years. Cognition was measured at baseline and follow-up over 8 years. Linear regression models were used to test associations. Results A total of 495 cognitively unimpaired (CU) elderly individuals and 247 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were included. There was significant worsening in cognition over time, measured by Mini-Mental State Examination, Clinical Dementia Rating, and modified preclinical Alzheimer composite score in CU individuals and patients with MCI, with more rapid worsening in MCI for all cognitive tests. At baseline, higher levels of PlGF (β = 0.156, p < 0.001), lower levels of sFlt-1 (β = −0.086, p = 0.003), and higher levels of IL-8 (β = 0.07, p = 0.030) were associated with more WML in CU individuals. In those with MCI, higher levels of PlGF (β = 0.172, p = 0.001), IL-16 (β = 0.125, p = 0.001), IL-8 (β = 0.096, p = 0.013), IL-6 (β = 0.088, p = 0.023), VEGF-A (β = 0.068, p = 0.028), and VEGF-D (β = 0.082, p = 0.028) were associated with more WML. PlGF was the only biomarker that was associated with WML independent of Aβ status and cognitive impairment. Longitudinal analyses of cognition showed independent effects ofCSF inflammatory markers andWMLon longitudinal cognition, especially in peoplewithout cognitive impairment at baseline. Discussion Most neuroinflammatory CSF biomarkers were associated with WML in individuals without dementia. Our findings especially highlight a role for PlGF, which was associated with WML independent of Aβ status and cognitive impairment.
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| 8. |
- Gustavsson, Anna Märta, et al.
(författare)
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Midlife Atherosclerosis and Development of Alzheimer or Vascular Dementia
- 2020
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Ingår i: Annals of Neurology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0364-5134 .- 1531-8249. ; 87:1, s. 52-62
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether midlife atherosclerosis is associated with different dementia subtypes and related underlying pathologies.METHODS: Participants comprised the cardiovascular cohort of the Swedish prospective population-based Malmö Diet and Cancer Study (N = 6,103). Carotid plaques and intima media thickness (IMT) were measured at baseline (1991-1994). Dementia incidence until 2014 was obtained from national registers. Diagnoses were reviewed and validated in medical records. In a cognitively unimpaired subcohort (n = 330), β-amyloid42 and tau were quantified in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and white matter hyperintensity volume, lacunar infarcts, and cerebral microbleeds were estimated on magnetic resonance imaging (2009-2015).RESULTS: During 20 years of follow-up, 462 individuals developed dementia (mean age at baseline = 57.5 ± 5.9 years, 58% women). Higher IMT in midlife was associated with an increased hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause dementia (adjusted HR = 1.14 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03-1.26]) and vascular dementia (adjusted HR = 1.32 [95% CI = 1.10-1.57]) but not Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia (adjusted HR = 0.95 [95% CI = 0.77-1.17]). Carotid plaques were associated with vascular dementia when assessed as a 3-graded score (adjusted HR = 1.90 [95% CI = 1.07-3.38]). In the cognitively unimpaired subcohort (53.8 ± 4.6 years at baseline, 60% women), higher IMT in midlife was associated with development of small vessel disease (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.47 [95% CI = 1.05-2.06]) but not significantly with abnormal CSF AD biomarkers (adjusted OR = 1.28 [95% CI = 0.87-1.90] for Aβ42 and 1.35 [95% CI = 0.86-2.13] for Aβ42 /p-tau). Carotid plaques revealed no significant association with any of the underlying brain pathologies.INTERPRETATION: Our findings support an association between midlife atherosclerosis and development of vascular dementia and cerebral small vessel disease but not between atherosclerosis and subsequent AD dementia or AD pathology. ANN NEUROL 2019.
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| 9. |
- Hahn, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Association Between Earliest Amyloid Uptake and Functional Connectivity in Cognitively Unimpaired Elderly
- 2019
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Ingår i: Cerebral Cortex. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1460-2199 .- 1047-3211. ; 29, s. 2173-2182
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alterations in cognitive performance have been noted in nondemented subjects with elevated accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) fibrils. However, it is not yet understood whether brain function is already influenced by Aβ deposition during the very earliest stages of the disease. We therefore investigated associations between [18F]Flutemetamol PET, resting-state functional connectivity, gray and white matter structure and cognitive performance in 133 cognitively normal elderly that exhibited normal global Aβ PET levels. [18F]Flutemetamol uptake in regions known to accumulate Aβ fibrils early in preclinical AD (i.e., mainly certain parts of the default-mode network) was positively associated with dynamic but not static functional connectivity (r = 0.77). Dynamic functional connectivity was further related to better cognitive performance (r = 0.21-0.72). No significant associations were found for Aβ uptake with gray matter volume or white matter diffusivity. The findings demonstrate that the earliest accumulation of Aβ fibrils is associated with increased functional connectivity, which occurs before any structural alterations. The enhanced functional connectivity may reflect a compensatory mechanism to maintain high cognitive performance in the presence of increasing amyloid accumulation during the earliest phases of AD.
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| 10. |
- Harper, Luke, et al.
(författare)
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Prenatal Gyrification Pattern Affects Age at Onset in Frontotemporal Dementia
- 2022
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Ingår i: Cerebral Cortex. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1460-2199 .- 1047-3211. ; 32:18, s. 3937-3944
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The paracingulate sulcus is a tertiary sulcus formed during the third trimester. In healthy individuals paracingulate sulcation is more prevalent in the left hemisphere. The anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyri are focal points of neurodegeneration in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). This study aims to determine the prevalence and impact of paracingulate sulcation in bvFTD. Structural magnetic resonance images of individuals with bvFTD (n = 105, mean age 66.9 years), Alzheimer's disease (n = 92, 73.3), and healthy controls (n = 110, 62.4) were evaluated using standard protocol for hemispheric paracingulate sulcal presence. No difference in left hemisphere paracingulate sulcal frequency was observed between groups; 0.72, 0.79, and 0.70, respectively, in the bvFTD, Alzheimer's disease, and healthy control groups, (P = 0.3). A significant impact of right (but not left) hemispheric paracingulate sulcation on age at disease onset was identified in bvFTD (mean 60.4 years where absent vs. 63.8 where present [P = 0.04, Cohen's d = 0.42]). This relationship was not observed in Alzheimer's disease. These findings demonstrate a relationship between prenatal neuronal development and the expression of a neurodegenerative disease providing a gross morphological example of brain reserve.
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