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Background: Growing evidence suggests that there may be a sex-specific biological risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Individuals with autosomal dominant AD due to a mutation (E280A) in Presenilin-1 (PSEN1) are genetically determined to develop early-onset dementia and thus, have few age-related risk factors for AD that are known to vary by sex (i.e., cardiovascular disease, menopause, life expectancy).
Objective: Investigate sex differences in markers of cognition and neurodegeneration in autosomal dominant AD.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in 19 cognitively-unimpaired PSEN1 mutation carriers (age range 20-44; 11 females), 11 symptomatic carriers (age range 42-56; 8 females), and 23 matched non-carriers family members (age range 20-50; 13 females). We examined hippocampal volume ratio, CERAD Total Score, and CERAD Word List (i.e., Learning, Delayed Recall, and Recognition). Mann-Whitney U tests, Spearman correlations and regression models were conducted.
Results: There were no differential associations between age, CERAD Total Score, CERAD Word List-Learning, Delayed Recall, Recognition, and hippocampal volume ratio in male and female carriers and non-carriers. Cognitively-unimpaired female carriers showed better CERAD Total scores and CERAD Word List-Learning than cognitively-unimpaired male carriers, despite having similar hippocampal volume ratios. The interaction of sex and hippocampal volume ratio did not predict cognitive performance across groups.
Conclusion: Our preliminary findings suggest that cognitively-unimpaired female carriers showed a verbal memory reserve, and as disease progresses, female carriers did not exhibit a cognitive susceptibility to AD-related neurodegeneration. Future studies with larger samples of autosomal dominant AD are warranted to further understand sex differences in AD-related clinical and pathological markers.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JAD-200723 | DOI Listing |
J Neural Transm (Vienna)
September 2025
Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, 40139, Italy.
Multisystem proteinopathy 1 (MSP1) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the valosin-containing protein (VCP) gene typically presenting with inclusion body myopathy (IBM), Paget's disease of bone (PDB), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Parkinsonism is a rare feature of MSP1, occurring in 3-4% of cases, with limited post-mortem evidence suggesting neuronal synucleinopathy. We report a case of VCP-related parkinsonism providing the first in vivo demonstration of phosphorylated alpha-synuclein deposition in skin biopsy, a highly sensitive and specific in vivo biomarker of synucleinopathy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSignal Transduct Target Ther
September 2025
Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Essential tremor (ET) is a common neurological disease that is characterized by 4-12 Hz kinetic tremors of the upper limbs and high genetic heterogeneity. Although numerous candidate genes and loci have been reported, the etiology of ET remains unclear. A novel ET-related gene was initially identified in a five-generation family via whole-exome sequencing, and other variants were identified in 772 familial ET probands and 640 sporadic individuals via whole-genome sequencing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
September 2025
Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
Background: In Alzheimer's disease (AD), sensitive measures of cognitive decline prior to overt symptoms are urgently needed. Accelerated long-term forgetting (ALF), where new information is retained normally over conventional testing intervals but is then lost at an accelerated rate over the following days and weeks, has been identified cross-sectionally in presymptomatic autosomal dominant and sporadic AD cohorts. We aimed to assess whether ALF testing is predictive of proximity to future symptom onset.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurol Sci
August 2025
Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia, University Campus Darcy Ribeiro, UNB Área 1 - Asa Norte, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil.
Background: Dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD) is a rare genetic and neurotransmitter disorder also known as Segawa Disease. The guanosine triphosphate cyclohydrolase 1 (GCH1) gene variants, inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, are the most common cause of DRD.
Objectives: To describe the genetic and clinical profile of a Brazilian cohort of DRD patients.