Citations

AbstractObjectiveThe Longitudinal Early‐Onset Alzheimer's Disease Study (LEADS) seeks to provide comprehensive understanding of early‐onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD; onset <65 years), with the current study profiling baseline clinical, cognitive, biomarker, and genetic characteristics of the cohort nearing the data‐collection mid‐point.MethodsData from 371 LEADS participants were compared based on diagnostic group classification (cognitively normal [n = 89], amyloid‐positive EOAD [n = 212], and amyloid‐negative early‐onset non‐Alzheimer's disease [EOnonAD; n = 70]).ResultsCognitive performance was worse for EOAD than other groups, and EOAD participants were apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 homozygotes at higher rates. An amnestic presentation was common among impaired participants (81%), with several clinical phenotypes present. LEADS participants generally consented at high rates to optional trial procedures.ConclusionsWe present the most comprehensive baseline characterization of sporadic EOAD in the United States to date. EOAD presents with widespread cognitive impairment within and across clinical phenotypes, with differences in APOE ε4 allele carrier status appearing to be relevant.HIGHLIGHTS Findings represent the most comprehensive baseline characterization of sporadic early‐onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) to date. Cognitive impairment was widespread for EOAD participants and more severe than other groups. EOAD participants were homozygous apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 carriers at higher rates than the EOnonAD group. Amnestic presentation predominated in EOAD and EOnonAD participants, but other clinical phenotypes were present.

AbstractOBJECTIVEInvestigation of learning slopes in early‐onset dementias has been limited. The current study aimed to highlight the sensitivity of learning slopes to discriminate disease severity in cognitively normal participants and those diagnosed with early‐onset dementia with and without β‐amyloid positivityMETHODData from 310 participants in the Longitudinal Early‐Onset Alzheimer's Disease Study (aged 41 to 65) were used to calculate learning slope metrics. Learning slopes among diagnostic groups were compared, and the relationships of slopes with standard memory measures were determinedRESULTSWorse learning slopes were associated with more severe disease states, even after controlling for demographics, total learning, and cognitive severity. A particular metric—the learning ratio (LR)—outperformed other learning slope calculations across analysesCONCLUSIONSLearning slopes appear to be sensitive to early‐onset dementias, even when controlling for the effect of total learning and cognitive severity. The LR may be the learning measure of choice for such analyses.Highlights Learning is impaired in amyloid‐positive EOAD, beyond cognitive severity scores alone. Amyloid‐positive EOAD participants perform worse on learning slopes than amyloid‐negative participants. Learning ratio appears to be the learning metric of choice for EOAD participants.

Abstract Cerebral white matter rarefaction (CWMR) was considered by Binswanger and Alzheimer to be due to cerebral arteriolosclerosis. Renewed attention came with CT and MR brain imaging, and neuropathological studies finding a high rate of CWMR in Alzheimer disease (AD). The relative contributions of cerebrovascular disease and AD to CWMR are still uncertain. In 1181 autopsies by the Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders (AZSAND), large-format brain sections were used to grade CWMR and determine its vascular and neurodegenerative correlates. Almost all neurodegenerative diseases had more severe CWMR than the normal control group. Multivariable logistic regression models indicated that Braak neurofibrillary stage was the strongest predictor of CWMR, with additional independently significant predictors including age, cortical and diencephalic lacunar and microinfarcts, body mass index, and female sex. It appears that while AD and cerebrovascular pathology may be additive in causing CWMR, both may be solely capable of this. The typical periventricular pattern suggests that CWMR is primarily a distal axonopathy caused by dysfunction of the cell bodies of long-association corticocortical projection neurons. A consequence of these findings is that CWMR should not be viewed simply as “small vessel disease” or as a pathognomonic indicator of vascular cognitive impairment or vascular dementia.

Abstract Introduction: ATRi and PARPi combinations kill tumor cells via synergistic modulation of complementary DDR pathways but clinical utility is limited by overlapping toxicities. A genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen identified DDR alterations that sensitize tumors to the ATRi camonsertib (cam) plus PARPi. Based on preclinical models, tolerability and efficacy of cam plus PARPi given intermittently at low doses in pts with solid tumors with DDR alterations, including BRCA-mutated PARPi-resistant cancers, was evaluated. Methods: Pts (≥ 18 yrs) with relapsed/refractory (r/r) solid tumors with DDR alterations were treated with cam plus talazoparib (tala), niraparib (nira), or olaparib (ola) in 2 phase I trials (NCT04497116, NCT04972110). An adaptive BOIN design was used to optimize dose/schedule. Endpoints were safety, recommended phase II dose (RP2D), pharmacokinetics (PK), response (RECIST v1.1 [confirmed/unconfirmed], CA 125, or PSA), clinical benefit rate (CBR; RECIST/tumor marker response or treatment duration ≥ 16 wk), and ctDNA molecular response rate (MRR; best reduction in mean variant allele frequency [mVAF] ≥ 50%). Results: As of Nov 2022, 99 pts were enrolled (61 with ≥ 3 prior lines of therapy, 36 PARPi-pretreated); 43, 27, 29 pts in tala, nira, and ola combinations, respectively. Tumors included ovarian (n=20), prostate (n=13), breast (n=17), bile duct (n=3); most common genotypes were ATM (n=26), BRCA1 (n=19), and BRCA2 (n=33). Grade 3+ toxicities included reversible myelosuppression (neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia in 35%, 28%, and 14% of pts overall; 33%, 16%, and 11% at preliminary RP2Ds), fatigue (3%), and alkaline phosphatase increase (2%). Two pts discontinued treatment due to drug-related toxicity. Forty pts remain on therapy, up to 63 wks. Preliminary RP2Ds: cam 80 mg QD (d 5-7) + tala 0.25 mg QD, 1 wk on/1 wk off; cam 80 mg QD + nira 100 mg QD, 2 d on/5 d off; cam 50 mg QD + ola 100 mg BID, 3 d on/4 d off. As of abstract submission, response rate was 13% in 85 evaluable pts; CBR was 49%. Responders included pts with ovarian (n=6), bile duct (n=2), and breast, pancreatic, and carcinoma of unknown primary (n=1 each) cancers harboring alterations in BRCA1/2 (n=9), IDH1 (n=1), and ATM (n=1). Of 30 evaluable PARPi-pretreated pts, response rate was 23% and CBR was 52%. MRR was 64% (14/22 evaluable); change in mVAF correlated with a change in target lesion size (r=0.63, P=0.001). PK of each drug in the combination was consistent with respective monotherapy PK. Conclusion: Combination of cam plus PARPi at low doses on intermittent schedules was generally well-tolerated with clinical activity in DDR-aberrant tumors, including those pretreated with PARPi. RP2D optimization and translational correlative studies are ongoing. Citation Format: Timothy A. Yap, Siddhartha Yadav, Benjamin Herzberg, Benedito A. Carneiro, Elisa Fontana, Martin Højgaard, Michael J. Pishvaian, Ruth Plummer, Theresa L. Werner, Vaibhav Sahai, Stephanie Lheureux, Elizabeth K. Lee, Niharika B. Mettu, Gregory M. Cote, Joseph D. Schonhoft, Victoria Rimkunas, Ian M. Silverman, Marisa Wainszelbaum, Gerson Peltz, Adrian J. Fretland, Kezhen Fei, Danielle Ulanet, Insil Kim, Maria Koehler, Ezra Rosen, Michael Cecchini. Safety and efficacy of three PARP inhibitors (PARPi) combined with the ataxia telangiectasia- and Rad3-related kinase inhibitor (ATRi) camonsertib in patients (pts) with solid tumors harboring DNA damage response (DDR) alterations [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 2 (Clinical Trials and Late-Breaking Research); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(8_Suppl):Abstract nr CT018.

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, incidence, and clinical diagnostic accuracy for neuropathologically diagnosed progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) with data from a longitudinal clinicopathological study using Rainwater criteria to define neuropathological PSP. Of 954 autopsy cases, 101 met Rainwater criteria for the neuropathologic diagnosis of PSP. Of these, 87 were termed clinicopathological PSP as they also had either dementia or parkinsonism or both. The prevalence of clinicopathologically defined PSP subjects in the entire autopsy dataset was 9.1%, while the incidence rate was estimated at 780 per 100 000 persons per year, roughly 50-fold greater than most previous clinically determined PSP incidence estimates. A clinical diagnosis of PSP was 99.6% specific but only 9.2% sensitive based on first examination, and 99.3% specific and 20.7% sensitive based on the final clinical exam. Of the clinicopathologically defined PSP cases, 35/87 (∼40%) had no form of parkinsonism at first assessment, while this decreased to 18/83 (21.7%) at final assessment. Our study confirms a high specificity but low sensitivity for the clinical diagnosis of PSP. The low clinical sensitivity for PSP is likely primarily responsible for previous underestimates of the PSP population incidence rate.

Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical trials are designed and powered to detect the impact of a therapeutic intervention, and there has been considerable discussion on what constitutes a clinically meaningful change in those receiving treatment versus placebo. The pathology of AD is complex, beginning many years before clinical symptoms are detectable, with multiple potential opportunities for therapeutic engagement. Introducing treatment strategies early in the disease and assessing meaningful change over the course of an 18‐month clinical trial are critical to understanding the value to an effective intervention. With new clinical trial data expected soon on emerging therapeutics from several AD studies, the Alzheimer's Association convened a work group of experts to discuss key considerations for interpreting data from cognitive and functional measures and what is considered a clinically meaningful benefit or meaningful slowing of this fatal disease. Our expectations of outcomes from therapeutic interventions in AD may need to be modified.

AbstractBackgroundPreviously, we found that female sex is associated with greater pathology burden in early‐onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD) in the Longitudinal EOAD Study (LEADS). Here, we have expanded our analyses by adding APOE‐ε4 carrier status as a further predictor of EOAD pathologic burden.MethodWe included 180 EOAD LEADS participants with available APOE genotype, Flortaucipir PET, Florbetaben PET, and MRI data. Demographic and biomarker differences were analyzed using ANOVA. EOAD participants were split by sex and APOE‐ε4 carrier status. Box plots were created in R and a voxel‐wise multiple linear regression in SPM12 yielded statistical brain maps of gray matter density (GMD), amyloid and tau burden.ResultCompared to males, EOAD females showed significantly greater global amyloid uptake (mean SUVR, p=0.002) and greater tau SUVR in the MetaROI, Braak 3&4 and 5&6 regions (p=0.0007, p=0.001, p=0.01, resp., Table 1). Female APOE‐ε4 carriers showed greater tau SUVR in Braak regions 1&2 than female non‐carriers (p<0.01, Figure 2B). Male APOE‐ε4 carriers showed trend‐level thinner entorhinal cortex than male non‐carriers (p=0.06, Figure 1). Interestingly however, femaleAPOE‐ε4 non‐carriers showed greater global amyloid SUVR than female carriers (p<0.01, Figure 2A). Further, APOE‐ε4 non‐carriers showed significantly thinner medial temporal cortices than carriers in both sexes (M, p<0.05; F, p<0.01). Male APOE‐ε4 non‐carriers also showed significantly lower mean cortical thickness than male carriers (p<0.05, Figure 1). Female APOE‐ε4 non‐carriers showed trend‐level lower mean cortical thickness than female carriers (p=0.06, Figure 1). The FWE corrected SPM12 maps showed significantly greater GM atrophy in the right temporal lobe and greater amyloid burden in a right lateralized occipitoparietal pattern in female APOE‐ε4 non‐carriers compared to female carriers. Further, male APOE‐ε4 non‐carriers showed greater tau uptake in the left frontal lobe than male carriers (Figure 3).ConclusionThese results suggest that APOE‐ε4 non‐carrier status is associated with greater atrophy, amyloid and tau deposition in EOAD. This might be due to the presence of other strong genetic drivers of disease pathology in EOAD.

AbstractBackgroundWe previously reported that in our autopsy‐confirmed cohort of Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), Parkinson’s Disease Dementia (PDD) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), DLB with parkinsonism (DLB+Park) predicted faster progression of UPDRS‐III scores compared to PDD, DLB without parkinsonism (DLB‐Park), and AD. This study examined annualized rate of change of UPDRS‐III subscales in our cohort.MethodsData included were from participants in Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases (AZSAND) with clinicopathologic diagnosis of DLB (n = 48), PDD (n = 98) or pure AD (n = 48), and longitudinal movement exams. Mixed effects model (accounting for age, education, and sex) was used to determine predicted mean UPDRS‐III and subscale scores (0‐4) for all groups. Individual UPDRS‐III subscale scores were derived for: Body Bradykinesia, Limb Bradykinesia, Gait, Postural Instability, Limb Rest Tremor, Neck Rigidity and Limb Rigidity. Where applicable, scores for multiple limbs involved were averaged.ResultsLongitudinal data was analyzed for over 1430‐participant years. Parkinsonism was present in 65.6% of DLB participants. PDD participants were more likely to be treated with dopaminergic agents (87.8%) compared to (p<0.001) DLB+Park (57.6%), DLB‐park (0%) and AD (2.1%). Frequency (29.4% vs. 29.0%) and severity (mean±SE = 0.4±0.07 and 0.4±0.12) of Limb Rest Tremor was similar for PDD and DLB+park. Limb Bradykinesia frequency and severity were PDD: 100%, 2.4±0.11, DLB+Park: 96.8%, 2.1±0.18, DLB‐Park: 20%, 0.4±0.23, and AD: 62%, 1.1±0.16. Frequency of gait abnormality was 98.5% in PDD, 90.3% in DLB+park, 60% in DLB‐Park and 57.8% in AD. Rigidity was most frequent in the PDD group (88.2%), followed by DLB+Park (71%), AD (19.6%), and none DLB‐park (0%). Over 8 years trajectories for limb bradykinesia and gait were greater for DLB+park than PDD (Figure 1, Cohen’s d range 0.89‐2.18 and 0.63‐1.99 over 8 years, p<0.001).ConclusionOur results suggest that DLB+Park group have faster motor progression predominantly related to gait abnormalities and limb bradykinesia. Future analyses will explore more convergent data, integrated effects of various measures and their differential contributions in this cohort.