{"title":"NGF-based cholinergic therapies in Alzheimer disease.","authors":"Sumonto Mitra, Ruchi Gera, Maria Eriksdotter","doi":"10.1016/B978-0-443-19088-9.00007-X","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-19088-9.00007-X","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The cholinergic system is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which works in tandem with the sympathetic and enteric nervous systems to maintain the physiologic functioning of our body. The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) facilitates cholinergic signaling pathways by activating specific cell surface receptors (nicotinic and muscarinic receptors). Altered cholinergic signaling has been implicated in several pathologic conditions. In this chapter, conditions where cholinergic modulation in the central nervous system occurs through the neurotrophin nerve growth factor (NGF) are addressed. NGF is the master regulator of several pathways, ultimately leading to cell survival, ACh production, regenerative signaling, and anti-inflammatory tone. NGF and cholinergic-related pathways have been reported to be severely affected in the case of Alzheimer disease (AD), the most common dementia disorder. In AD, the cholinergic nuclei of the basal forebrain are affected early during the AD continuum, resulting in cholinergic cell loss and hampered ACh production, which overall affects the propagation of cholinergic signals in other brain regions. Since the 1990s clinically relevant strategies to treat AD patients have been the drugs that enhance cholinergic signaling-termed cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs), however, other strategies in AD have been and are presently being assessed for clinical efficacy. Delivery of NGF to the basal forebrain is considered crucial to revive the cholinergic cell bodies, restore ACh production, and sustain cognitive function. This chapter provides a description of the relevance of NGF-based therapies targeted for AD treatment, technical approaches for NGF delivery to the brain, and the status of ongoing clinical studies are provided.</p>","PeriodicalId":12907,"journal":{"name":"Handbook of clinical neurology","volume":"211 ","pages":"123-135"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143961710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Neuroglia in autism spectrum disorders.","authors":"Vivi M Heine, Stephanie Dooves","doi":"10.1016/B978-0-443-19102-2.00006-5","DOIUrl":"10.1016/B978-0-443-19102-2.00006-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behavior, typically diagnosed during early childhood and attributed to altered neuronal network connectivity. Several genetic and environmental risk factors contribute to ASD, including pre- or early life immune activation, which can trigger microglial and astroglial reactivity, impacting early neurodevelopment. In ASD, astrocytes show altered glutamate metabolism, directly influencing neuronal network activity, while microglia display impaired synaptic pruning, an essential developmental process for the refinement of neuronal connections. Additionally, reduced myelination in specific cortical and subcortical regions may affect brain connectivity in ASD, with white matter integrity correlating with the severity of the disorder, suggesting an important role for oligodendrocytes and myelin in ASD. This chapter provides an overview of current literature on the role of neuroglia cells in ASD, with a focus on immune activation, glutamate signaling, synaptic pruning, and myelination.</p>","PeriodicalId":12907,"journal":{"name":"Handbook of clinical neurology","volume":"210 ","pages":"303-311"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143729823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alice Laurenge, Luis Jaime Castro-Vega, Gilles Huberfeld
{"title":"Reciprocal interactions between glioma and tissue-resident cells fueling tumor progression.","authors":"Alice Laurenge, Luis Jaime Castro-Vega, Gilles Huberfeld","doi":"10.1016/B978-0-443-19102-2.00007-7","DOIUrl":"10.1016/B978-0-443-19102-2.00007-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gliomas are the most frequent primary brain tumor and are essentially incurable. While nondiffuse gliomas are circumscribed, diffuse gliomas display an aggressive behavior characterized by tumor cell migration over large distances into the brain parenchyma, thereby precluding curative surgical resection. Almost all diffuse gliomas progress and recur as higher grades and become resistant to standard-of-care treatments. It is being increasingly recognized that glioma cells establish functional interactions with cells residing in the tumor microenvironment. Of these, tumor-associated microglia and macrophages (TAMs) play critical roles in immunosuppression through modulation of the extracellular matrix, and the secretion of molecules such as cytokines, neurotrophic factors, and micro-RNAs (miRNAs). Conversely, glioma cell signals influence cell states and drive the metabolic reprogramming of TAMs. Similarly, emergent evidence indicates that neuronal activity influences glioma by released factors and by establishing functional synapses with glioma cells to promote tumor growth and invasion. Glioma cells also affect local neuronal activities and maintain connections through microtube gap junctions to amplify local effects. Here, we discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying bidirectional interactions between glioma cells and TAMs, as well as between glioma cells and neurons. A better understanding of these cellular cross talks is crucial for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for diffuse gliomas.</p>","PeriodicalId":12907,"journal":{"name":"Handbook of clinical neurology","volume":"210 ","pages":"177-190"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143729885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Gliotransmission in physiologic and pathologic conditions.","authors":"Eunji Cheong, C Justin Lee","doi":"10.1016/B978-0-443-19104-6.00003-6","DOIUrl":"10.1016/B978-0-443-19104-6.00003-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This chapter explores the roles of gliotransmission in physiologic and pathologic conditions, including psychiatric and neurologic disorders. Gliotransmission, facilitated by astrocytes through the release of gliotransmitters such as glutamate, d-serine, and GABA, regulates neuronal activity and synaptic transmission. Under physiologic conditions, astrocytic gliotransmission maintains the balance of tonic excitation and inhibition, influencing synaptic plasticity and cognitive functions. In psychiatric disorders, the chapter examines how dysregulated gliotransmission contributes to major depression and schizophrenia. In major depression, changes in astrocytic glutamate and adenosine signaling impact mood regulation and cognitive functions. Schizophrenia involves complex astrocyte-neuron interactions, with dysregulated astrocytic activity affecting synaptic function and contributing to symptoms. The chapter also delves into neurologic disorders. In Alzheimer disease, aberrant GABA release from reactive astrocytes impairs memory and cognitive functions. Parkinson disease features alterations in glutamatergic and GABAergic systems, affecting motor and nonmotor symptoms. Epilepsy involves a disruption in the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, with astrocytic GABA accumulation helping to maintain neuronal stability. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is linked to imbalances in glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission, underlying sensory, cognitive, and social impairments. Overall, the chapter underscores the pivotal role of gliotransmission in maintaining neural homeostasis and highlights its potential as a therapeutic target in various disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":12907,"journal":{"name":"Handbook of clinical neurology","volume":"209 ","pages":"93-116"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143692079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stefanie Blain-Moraes, Aarti Sarwal, J Claude Hemphill
{"title":"The Curing Coma Campaign: A platform for advancing science and clinical care worldwide.","authors":"Stefanie Blain-Moraes, Aarti Sarwal, J Claude Hemphill","doi":"10.1016/B978-0-443-13408-1.00005-1","DOIUrl":"10.1016/B978-0-443-13408-1.00005-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recovery from coma or impaired consciousness is often the central issue in acute neurologic conditions such as traumatic brain injury, hypoxic-ischemic brain injury, stroke, and central nervous system infections. Recent advances in the science underpinning acute disorders of consciousness (DoC) have also served to highlight further scientific gaps and the lack of a coordinated approach to improving care for these patients. The Curing Coma Campaign (CCC) was initiated by the Neurocritical Care Society in 2019 as a platform to bring together the scientific, clinical, and public communities to cohesively address this issue. Comprised of various modules and working groups focused on aspects including fundamental science, prospective clinical studies, ethics, care of the coma patient, and engagement and community, initial efforts of the CCC have ranged from developing strategies for biomarker development to creating World Coma Day as an opportunity for widespread interaction. To achieve the goal of relevance across different geographic and resourced environments, the CCC implemented specific considerations to ensure equity and generalizability. These include international representation of patients in research studies, attention to assessments and interventions that can be implemented in resource-limited settings, and recognition of the impact of culture on the care of DoC patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":12907,"journal":{"name":"Handbook of clinical neurology","volume":"207 ","pages":"265-280"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143476475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Structural changes to the basal forebrain cholinergic system in the continuum of Alzheimer disease.","authors":"Miriam Taza, Taylor W Schmitz, R Nathan Spreng","doi":"10.1016/B978-0-443-19088-9.00013-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-19088-9.00013-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this chapter, we review evidence, derived predominantly from in vivo human MRI studies, that the basal forebrain (BF) and its projection system undergo structural changes across the continuum of Alzheimer disease (AD) progression. We examine how these changes are detectable from the earliest presymptomatic stages and continue into the prodromal and clinical phases of AD. The chapter begins with a brief overview of BF neuroanatomy before characterizing how changes to the BF and ascending cholinergic white matter projections parallel AD progression. In subsequent sections, we describe how these structural changes are exacerbated in the presence of amyloid and tau pathology, as well as in individuals at elevated genetic risk for AD. We conclude with a review of recent findings implicating the BF as a potential origin site for AD neuropathology and discuss the transsynaptic spread hypothesis of AD progression, from the BF to cortical projection targets.</p>","PeriodicalId":12907,"journal":{"name":"Handbook of clinical neurology","volume":"211 ","pages":"81-93"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144004527","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Serge Gauthier, Joseph Therriault, Pedro Rosa-Neto
{"title":"Cholinergic therapy in Alzheimer disease.","authors":"Serge Gauthier, Joseph Therriault, Pedro Rosa-Neto","doi":"10.1016/B978-0-443-19088-9.00015-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-19088-9.00015-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This chapter describes how the clinical efficacy of orally administered cholinesterase inhibitors has been demonstrated through placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials leading to regulatory approval worldwide for the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer disease. Over time, other clinical indications have been found, such as Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson disease Dementia. The route of administration includes transdermal patches. Side effects predominantly arise from peripheral parasympathetic stimulation. There is hope that drugs acting on acetylcholine release or on muscarinic receptors can exert additional symptomatic benefits.</p>","PeriodicalId":12907,"journal":{"name":"Handbook of clinical neurology","volume":"211 ","pages":"155-159"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144008079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hemispheric asymmetries in face recognition in health and dysfunction.","authors":"Marlene Behrmann","doi":"10.1016/B978-0-443-15646-5.00010-5","DOIUrl":"10.1016/B978-0-443-15646-5.00010-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A defining characteristic of the human brain is that, notwithstanding the clear anatomic similarities, the two cerebral hemispheres have several different functional superiorities. The focus of this chapter is on the hemispheric asymmetry associated with the function of face identity processing, a finely tuned and expert behavior for almost all humans that is acquired incidentally from birth and continues to be refined through early adulthood. The first section lays out the well-accepted doctrine that face perception is a product of the right hemisphere, a finding based on longstanding behavioral data from healthy adult human observers. Data are then presented from neuropsychologic studies conducted with individuals with prosopagnosia, which is either acquired after a lesion to the right hemisphere or is developmental in nature with no obvious lesion. The second section reviews data on the neural correlates of face perception, gathered using a host of imaging methodologies all the way from electroencephalography (EEG) through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) studies to transcranial magnetic stimulation and intracranial depth recording. The penultimate section reviews empirical findings that track the emergence of the hemispheric asymmetry for faces, and offers a theoretical proposal that lays out possible origins of the adult asymmetry profile. Lastly, the hemispheric asymmetry associated with the perception of emotional face expression is considered. While considerable progress has been made in understanding the functional organization of the human cerebral cortex and its biases and asymmetries, much remains to be determined and the many inconsistencies remain to be reconciled in future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":12907,"journal":{"name":"Handbook of clinical neurology","volume":"208 ","pages":"433-447"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143614387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Chronobiologic treatments for mood disorders.","authors":"Sara Dallaspezia, Francesco Benedetti","doi":"10.1016/B978-0-323-90918-1.00011-3","DOIUrl":"10.1016/B978-0-323-90918-1.00011-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronotherapeutics are nonpharmacologic interventions whose development stems from investigations into sleep and circadian rhythm abnormalities associated with mood disorder. These therapies utilize controlled exposure to environmental cues (light, darkness) to regulate biologic rhythms. They encompass sleep-wake manipulations (partial/total sleep deprivation, sleep phase adjustment) and light therapy approaches. Growing evidence supports the safety and efficacy of chronotherapeutics in clinical settings. Indeed, they target core depressive symptoms, including suicidality and may represent a novel therapeutic approach for treatment-resistant depression. This makes them a viable treatment option, both as a monotherapy and in combination with existing psychopharmacologic medications and paves the way for their potential inclusion as first-line treatments for mood disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":12907,"journal":{"name":"Handbook of clinical neurology","volume":"206 ","pages":"181-192"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143045818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hemispheric asymmetry in neurodegenerative diseases.","authors":"Stefano F Cappa","doi":"10.1016/B978-0-443-15646-5.00009-9","DOIUrl":"10.1016/B978-0-443-15646-5.00009-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hemispheric asymmetry in pathologic involvement is frequently observed in neurodegenerative disorders (NDD) and is responsible for differences in cognitive and motor clinical manifestations in individual patients. While asymmetry is modest in typical Alzheimer disease (AD), atypical AD presentations with prominent language impairment [logopenic/phonologic variant of primary progressive aphasia (L/Phv-PPA)] are associated with prevalent involvement of the language-dominant hemisphere. Similarly, in the frontotemporal dementia-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD-ALS) spectrum, the semantic (Sv) and nonfluent/agrammatic (Nf/Av) variants of PPA are due to asymmetric pathology involving the language-dominant hemisphere. A reversed (typically right-sided) pattern of asymmetry is often found in conditions associated with prominent disorders of behavior and social cognition (i.e., behavioral variant of frontotemporal degeneration-Bv FTD). Asymmetry is generally modest and less consistent in NDD with prevalent motor manifestations, such as Parkinson disease (PD). Overall, the pattern of hemispheric involvement reflects the network-specific selectivity of NDD and is compatible with the spreading of pathology along connection pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":12907,"journal":{"name":"Handbook of clinical neurology","volume":"208 ","pages":"101-112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143614612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}