People with dementia commonly have neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, apathy, agitation, delusions, hallucinations, and sleep disorders, among other symptoms. However, it can be difficult to identify and treat these symptoms across stages of cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. In earlier, preclinical stages, it can be challenging to parse out whether neuropsychiatric symptoms represent early manifestations of neurodegenerative disorders or are better explained by a primary psychiatric condition. Furthermore, it is still poorly understood how trajectories of neuropsychiatric symptoms progress over time in neurodegenerative disease, and whether neuropsychiatric symptoms may have a negative prognostic value for the progression of dementia. Most of the psychiatric traits are known to dysregulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis consequently impacting glucocorticoid levels, increasing neuroinflammation, and leading to a cluster of neuropathologic hallmarks observed in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). In recent years, very few studies have investigated the role of APOE4 (risk factor gene for Alzheimer’s disease) with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more recently psychosis, and, similarly, depression has been associated with several genes that are also known to play roles in AD pathology. However, we do not yet understand the specific roles of such genes and their corresponding pathways in linking neuropsychiatric symptoms and ADRD. Neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia, including preclinical symptoms, may relate to structural and functional changes in brain circuitry caused by an underlying neurodegenerative process. Structural and functional MRI, as well as newly available tau and other PET ligands, may play a critical role in allowing us to pinpoint and target structural and functional brain correlates of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Finally, data from clinical trials suggest the importance of early treatment for neurodegenerative disorders, thus emphasizing the need for the delineation between psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and understanding the crosslink between the two conditions.
This Research Topic aims to highlight studies that focus on better understanding the relationships between neuropsychiatric symptoms and neurodegenerative disease, their trajectories, and the molecular mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric symptoms in ADRD, in order to improve the earlier identification and treatment of these symptoms in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. Our goal is to promote discussion on the development of tools to diagnose neurodegenerative diseases from early neuropsychiatric manifestations, on the underlying structural and functional circuits and the molecular players which may be targeted for developing personalized treatments and interventions tailored to the specific stages of the neuropsychiatric symptoms and ADRD. We also wish to shed light on research addressing the culture-bound syndrome related to neuropsychiatric symptoms and their relationship with neurodegenerative disease states. With this Research Topic, we hope to promote the finding of low-cost measures to help quickly and effectively diagnose and treat neurodegenerative processes and associated neuropsychiatric symptoms.
We welcome the submission of different types of manuscripts (Original Research articles, Reviews etc.) that focus on, but are not limited to, the following:
- Longitudinal studies of neuropsychiatric symptoms across preclinical and clinical stages of neurodegenerative disease
- Comparison of neuropsychiatric symptoms across different dementia syndromes
- Innovative approaches to assess neuropsychiatric symptoms in preclinical disease stages and dementia syndromes and their prognostic relationship with preclinical and clinical stages of neurodegenerative disease
- Functional and structural neuroimaging studies of neuropsychiatric symptomatology in both preclinical and symptomatic disease
- Omics studies such as genomics, RNA-sequencing, and methylation profiles of psychiatric traits and ADRD
- Treatment and intervention for neuropsychiatric symptoms across the continuum of cognitive impairment and the impact of those treatments on the progression of the dementia
- Cross-cultural examinations of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
Dr. Foteini Christidi acts as Field Expert in Neuropsychological and Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques at Advantis Medical Imaging. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
People with dementia commonly have neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety, apathy, agitation, delusions, hallucinations, and sleep disorders, among other symptoms. However, it can be difficult to identify and treat these symptoms across stages of cognitive decline and neurodegeneration. In earlier, preclinical stages, it can be challenging to parse out whether neuropsychiatric symptoms represent early manifestations of neurodegenerative disorders or are better explained by a primary psychiatric condition. Furthermore, it is still poorly understood how trajectories of neuropsychiatric symptoms progress over time in neurodegenerative disease, and whether neuropsychiatric symptoms may have a negative prognostic value for the progression of dementia. Most of the psychiatric traits are known to dysregulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis consequently impacting glucocorticoid levels, increasing neuroinflammation, and leading to a cluster of neuropathologic hallmarks observed in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). In recent years, very few studies have investigated the role of APOE4 (risk factor gene for Alzheimer’s disease) with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more recently psychosis, and, similarly, depression has been associated with several genes that are also known to play roles in AD pathology. However, we do not yet understand the specific roles of such genes and their corresponding pathways in linking neuropsychiatric symptoms and ADRD. Neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia, including preclinical symptoms, may relate to structural and functional changes in brain circuitry caused by an underlying neurodegenerative process. Structural and functional MRI, as well as newly available tau and other PET ligands, may play a critical role in allowing us to pinpoint and target structural and functional brain correlates of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Finally, data from clinical trials suggest the importance of early treatment for neurodegenerative disorders, thus emphasizing the need for the delineation between psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders and understanding the crosslink between the two conditions.
This Research Topic aims to highlight studies that focus on better understanding the relationships between neuropsychiatric symptoms and neurodegenerative disease, their trajectories, and the molecular mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric symptoms in ADRD, in order to improve the earlier identification and treatment of these symptoms in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. Our goal is to promote discussion on the development of tools to diagnose neurodegenerative diseases from early neuropsychiatric manifestations, on the underlying structural and functional circuits and the molecular players which may be targeted for developing personalized treatments and interventions tailored to the specific stages of the neuropsychiatric symptoms and ADRD. We also wish to shed light on research addressing the culture-bound syndrome related to neuropsychiatric symptoms and their relationship with neurodegenerative disease states. With this Research Topic, we hope to promote the finding of low-cost measures to help quickly and effectively diagnose and treat neurodegenerative processes and associated neuropsychiatric symptoms.
We welcome the submission of different types of manuscripts (Original Research articles, Reviews etc.) that focus on, but are not limited to, the following:
- Longitudinal studies of neuropsychiatric symptoms across preclinical and clinical stages of neurodegenerative disease
- Comparison of neuropsychiatric symptoms across different dementia syndromes
- Innovative approaches to assess neuropsychiatric symptoms in preclinical disease stages and dementia syndromes and their prognostic relationship with preclinical and clinical stages of neurodegenerative disease
- Functional and structural neuroimaging studies of neuropsychiatric symptomatology in both preclinical and symptomatic disease
- Omics studies such as genomics, RNA-sequencing, and methylation profiles of psychiatric traits and ADRD
- Treatment and intervention for neuropsychiatric symptoms across the continuum of cognitive impairment and the impact of those treatments on the progression of the dementia
- Cross-cultural examinations of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
Dr. Foteini Christidi acts as Field Expert in Neuropsychological and Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques at Advantis Medical Imaging. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.