Altered spontaneous brain activity pattern in cognitively normal young adults carrying mutations of APP, presenilin-1/2 and APOE ε4

• Published in: European journal of radiology 2017-10, Vol.95, p.18-23
• Main Authors: Zheng, Li Juan, Su, Yun Yan, Wang, Yun Fei, Zhong, Jianhui, Liang, Xue, Zheng, Gang, Lu, Guang Ming, Zhang, Long Jiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Algorithms; Alzheimer’s disease; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor - genetics; Amyloid precursor protein; Apolipoprotein E; Apolipoprotein E4 - genetics; Brain - metabolism; Case-Control Studies; Cognition - physiology; Female; Frontal Lobe - metabolism; Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Mutation - genetics; Neuropsychological Tests; Prefrontal Cortex - metabolism; Presenilin 1/2; Presenilin-1 - genetics; Presenilin-2 - genetics; Regional homogeneity; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0720-048X; 1872-7727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2017.07.006

•Cognitively normal young APP/presenilin-1/2 and APOE ε4 carriers had different spontaneous brain activity patterns.•Regional homogeneity algorithm is helpful in detecting local brain functional alteration.•APP/presenilin-1/2 carriers have decreased spontaneous brain activity in the temporal lobe.•ReHo may detect genetic effect on regional brain function in cognitively normal young adults. To explore genetic effects of amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin-1/2 and apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 on brain structural and functional alterations in cognitively normal young adults. Eighty healthy adults (mean age 24.0±2.5years; n=18, APP/presenilin-1/2 group; n=31, APOE ε4 group; n=31, control group [without above-mentioned gene mutation]) underwent high-resolution T1-weighted 3D anatomical imaging, resting-state functional MR imaging and neuropsychological assessments. We used voxel-based morphometry and regional homogeneity (ReHo) algorithms to investigate brain structural and functional changes among three groups, and performed correlation analyses between the brain regions with statistically significant difference and neuropsychological results. No brain structural changes were found, however, ReHo values were increased in right parietal-frontal lobes in APOE ε4 group, and decreased in the left middle temporal gyrus in APP/presenilin-1/2 group compared with controls (all P