Dementia is a major health issue worldwide in the 21st century, impacting over 50 million people globally. This figure is expected to soar to 152 million by 2050, as the global population ages. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading type of dementia, responsible for 60–80% of all dementia cases.
Research on AD identifies two primary pathological hallmarks: the progressive accumulation of extracellular amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and the presence of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs).
The accumulation of these pathological proteins in specific brain regions, followed by their dissemination throughout the broader brain network, leads to disruptions in both individual brain regions and their interconnections. Consequently, brain networks play a pivotal role in the development and progression of AD.
Innovative Research in Alzheimer’s Disease
In a study recently published in Psychoradiology, researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Georgia have systematically summarized studies on brain networks within the context of AD, critically analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of existing methodologies, and offered novel perspectives and insights, intending to serve as inspiration for future research.
This study offers a comprehensive overview of the dynamic landscape of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research within the realm of brain network analysis. It underscores the pivotal role of brain networks in elucidating the mechanisms underpinning AD and their profound impact on disease progression.
Structural connectivity (SC) refers to anatomical links and is usually estimated using fiber bundles derived from diffusion MRI; Functional connectivity (FC) and effective connectivity (EC) are generally inferred through the correlation of nodal activities based on BOLD-fMRI or EEG/MEG. Credit: Psychoradiology
The review sheds light on the rich spectrum of graph-based methods employed in AD investigations, classifying them into traditional graph theory-based approaches and cutting-edge deep graph neural network-based techniques. These methodologies have significantly enriched our understanding of AD by unveiling intricate patterns within brain networks. Consequently, they have opened doors to pioneering diagnostic tools, predictive models, and the identification of potential biomarkers.
Moreover, this review highlights numerous substantial challenges lying ahead. These challenges encompass issues such as the interpretability of complex models and the effective integration of multimodal data, especially within the context of limited medical datasets. Addressing these hurdles remains paramount for the continued advancement of AD research and its translation into clinical practice.
Lead researcher, Dr. Lu Zhang, states, “Today, we have easier access to diverse modalities of data and possess more powerful computational models. I firmly believe that based on these advancements, we will ultimately overcome Alzheimer’s disease in the near future.”
Reference: “Exploring Alzheimer’s disease: a comprehensive brain connectome-based survey” by Lu Zhang, Junqi Qu, Haotian Ma, Tong Chen, Tianming Liu and Dajiang Zhu, 11 January 2024, Psychoradiology.
DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkad033
News
Studies detail high rates of long COVID among healthcare, dental workers
Researchers have estimated approximately 8% of Americas have ever experienced long COVID, or lasting symptoms, following an acute COVID-19 infection. Now two recent international studies suggest that the percentage is much higher among healthcare workers [...]
Melting Arctic Ice May Unleash Ancient Deadly Diseases, Scientists Warn
Melting Arctic ice increases human and animal interactions, raising the risk of infectious disease spread. Researchers urge early intervention and surveillance. Climate change is opening new pathways for the spread of infectious diseases such [...]
Scientists May Have Found a Secret Weapon To Stop Pancreatic Cancer Before It Starts
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have found that blocking the FGFR2 and EGFR genes can stop early-stage pancreatic cancer from progressing, offering a promising path toward prevention. Pancreatic cancer is expected to become [...]
Breakthrough Drug Restores Vision: Researchers Successfully Reverse Retinal Damage
Blocking the PROX1 protein allowed KAIST researchers to regenerate damaged retinas and restore vision in mice. Vision is one of the most important human senses, yet more than 300 million people around the world are at [...]
Differentiating cancerous and healthy cells through motion analysis
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have found that the motion of unlabeled cells can be used to tell whether they are cancerous or healthy. They observed malignant fibrosarcoma [...]
This Tiny Cellular Gate Could Be the Key to Curing Cancer – And Regrowing Hair
After more than five decades of mystery, scientists have finally unveiled the detailed structure and function of a long-theorized molecular machine in our mitochondria — the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier. This microscopic gatekeeper controls how [...]
Unlocking Vision’s Secrets: Researchers Reveal 3D Structure of Key Eye Protein
Researchers have uncovered the 3D structure of RBP3, a key protein in vision, revealing how it transports retinoids and fatty acids and how its dysfunction may lead to retinal diseases. Proteins play a critical [...]
5 Key Facts About Nanoplastics and How They Affect the Human Body
Nanoplastics are typically defined as plastic particles smaller than 1000 nanometers. These particles are increasingly being detected in human tissues: they can bypass biological barriers, accumulate in organs, and may influence health in ways [...]
Measles Is Back: Doctors Warn of Dangerous Surge Across the U.S.
Parents are encouraged to contact their pediatrician if their child has been exposed to measles or is showing symptoms. Pediatric infectious disease experts are emphasizing the critical importance of measles vaccination, as the highly [...]
AI at the Speed of Light: How Silicon Photonics Are Reinventing Hardware
A cutting-edge AI acceleration platform powered by light rather than electricity could revolutionize how AI is trained and deployed. Using photonic integrated circuits made from advanced III-V semiconductors, researchers have developed a system that vastly [...]
A Grain of Brain, 523 Million Synapses, Most Complicated Neuroscience Experiment Ever Attempted
A team of over 150 scientists has achieved what once seemed impossible: a complete wiring and activity map of a tiny section of a mammalian brain. This feat, part of the MICrONS Project, rivals [...]
The Secret “Radar” Bacteria Use To Outsmart Their Enemies
A chemical radar allows bacteria to sense and eliminate predators. Investigating how microorganisms communicate deepens our understanding of the complex ecological interactions that shape our environment is an area of key focus for the [...]
Psychologists explore ethical issues associated with human-AI relationships
It's becoming increasingly commonplace for people to develop intimate, long-term relationships with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. At their extreme, people have "married" their AI companions in non-legally binding ceremonies, and at least two people [...]
When You Lose Weight, Where Does It Actually Go?
Most health professionals lack a clear understanding of how body fat is lost, often subscribing to misconceptions like fat converting to energy or muscle. The truth is, fat is actually broken down into carbon [...]
How Everyday Plastics Quietly Turn Into DNA-Damaging Nanoparticles
The same unique structure that makes plastic so versatile also makes it susceptible to breaking down into harmful micro- and nanoscale particles. The world is saturated with trillions of microscopic and nanoscopic plastic particles, some smaller [...]
AI Outperforms Physicians in Real-World Urgent Care Decisions, Study Finds
The study, conducted at the virtual urgent care clinic Cedars-Sinai Connect in LA, compared recommendations given in about 500 visits of adult patients with relatively common symptoms – respiratory, urinary, eye, vaginal and dental. [...]
