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Review
. 2022 Jan 18:12:750543.
doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.750543. eCollection 2021.

Pathophysiological Underpinnings of Extra-Motor Neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: New Insights From Biomarker Studies

Affiliations
Review

Pathophysiological Underpinnings of Extra-Motor Neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: New Insights From Biomarker Studies

David Reyes-Leiva et al. Front Neurol. .

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) lie at opposing ends of a clinical, genetic, and neuropathological continuum. In the last decade, it has become clear that cognitive and behavioral changes in patients with ALS are more frequent than previously recognized. Significantly, these non-motor features can impact the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of ALS. Partially overlapping neuropathological staging systems have been proposed to describe the distribution of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) aggregates outside the corticospinal tract. However, the relationship between TDP-43 inclusions and neurodegeneration is not absolute and other pathophysiological processes, such as neuroinflammation (with a prominent role of microglia), cortical hyperexcitability, and synaptic dysfunction also play a central role in ALS pathophysiology. In the last decade, imaging and biofluid biomarker studies have revealed important insights into the pathophysiological underpinnings of extra-motor neurodegeneration in the ALS-FTLD continuum. In this review, we first summarize the clinical and pathophysiological correlates of extra-motor neurodegeneration in ALS. Next, we discuss the diagnostic and prognostic value of biomarkers in ALS and their potential to characterize extra-motor neurodegeneration. Finally, we debate about how biomarkers could improve the diagnosis and classification of ALS. Emerging imaging biomarkers of extra-motor neurodegeneration that enable the monitoring of disease progression are particularly promising. In addition, a growing arsenal of biofluid biomarkers linked to neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation are improving the diagnostic accuracy and identification of patients with a faster progression rate. The development and validation of biomarkers that detect the pathological aggregates of TDP-43 in vivo are notably expected to further elucidate the pathophysiological underpinnings of extra-motor neurodegeneration in ALS. Novel biomarkers tracking the different aspects of ALS pathophysiology are paving the way to precision medicine approaches in the ALS-FTLD continuum. These are essential steps to improve the diagnosis and staging of ALS and the design of clinical trials testing novel disease-modifying treatments.

Keywords: TDP-43 = TAR DNA-binding protein 43; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); biomarker (BM); cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); frontotemporal dementia (FTD); frontotemporal lobar degeneration; neuroimage; neuropathology.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Neuropathological staging schemes in: (A) FTLD-TDP (104) and (B) ALS-TDP (93). Adapted from Burrell et al. (10). FTLD-TDP, frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TAR DNA-binding protein inclusions; ALS-TDP, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with TAR DNA-binding protein inclusions. BF, basal forebrain; A, Amygdala; H, Hippocampus; PC, precerebellar nuclei; C/P, Caudate nucleus and putamen; MD, Mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus; T, Thalamus; LT, Lateral thalamus; R, Red nucleus; SN, Substantia nigra; RF, Reticular formation; IOC, Inferior olivary complex; XII, Hypoglossal nucleus.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Group comparisons between those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) without cognitive or behavioral impairment (ALSno-cbi; left column), those with ALS with cognitive or behavioral impairment (ALScbi; middle column), and those with the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD; right column) compared to controls for (A) cortical thickness and (B) cortical mean diffusivity. Regions in blue represent thinner cortex; regions in green represent higher cortical mean diffusivity; and regions in purple represent lower cortical mean diffusivity. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, education, and MRI equipment. Only clusters that survived family-wise error correction p < 0.05 are shown. ALSno-cbi, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis without cognitive and behavioral impairment; ALScbi, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with cognitive and behavioral impairment; bvFTD, Behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Representation of the increasing neurodegenerative burden in patients with ALS over time depending on their pathophysiological profile. The use of biomarkers may help to improve the current detection threshold (detection threshold and diagnostic window 1) from 1 to earlier clinical stages and differentiating between profiles (detection threshold and diagnostic window 2).

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