Elsevier

Neurobiology of Aging

Volume 47, November 2016, Pages 83-90
Neurobiology of Aging

Regular article
A spatial covariance 123I-5IA-85380 SPECT study of α4β2 nicotinic receptors in Alzheimer's disease

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.07.017Get rights and content
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open access

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by widespread degeneration of cholinergic neurons, particularly in the basal forebrain. However, the pattern of these deficits and relationship with known brain networks is unknown. In this study, we sought to clarify this and used 123I-5-iodo-3-[2(S)-2-azetidinylmethoxy] pyridine (1235IA-85380) single photon emission computed tomography to investigate spatial covariance of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in AD and healthy controls. Thirteen AD and 16 controls underwent 1235IA-85380 and regional cerebral blood flow (99mTc-exametazime) single photon emission computed tomography scanning. We applied voxel principal component (PC) analysis, generating series of principal component images representing common intercorrelated voxels across subjects. Linear regression generated specific α4β2 and regional cerebral blood flow covariance patterns that differentiated AD from controls. The α4β2 pattern showed relative decreased uptake in numerous brain regions implicating several networks including default mode, salience, and Papez hubs. Thus, as well as basal forebrain and brainstem cholinergic system dysfunction, cholinergic deficits mediated through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors could be evident within key networks in AD. These findings may be important for the pathophysiology of AD and its associated cognitive and behavioral phenotypes.

Keywords

Alzheimer's disease
Cholinergic
Acetylcholine
Nicotinic
Spatial covariance
SPECT

Cited by (0)

1

Indicates joint first authors.

2

Indicates joint senior authors.