Laura Wisse, Sweden

Lund University Diagnostic Radiology
I studied neuropsychology in the Netherlands after which I obtained a PhD investigating hippocampal subfields using 7 tesla MRI in aging and age-related diseases. I did my postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, where is continued to work on structural imaging of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) in aging and dementia and expanded my work to automated methods, ex vivo imaging and neuropathology. In 2019 I started as an assistant professor at Lund University, Sweden. My research centers on aging and neurodegenerative diseases and my overarching career ambition is to gain a better understanding of underlying disease mechanisms, and to aid in the development of better biomarkers for disease progression and clinical trials. I focus on characterizing the causes and effects of granular patterns of neurodegeneration, particularly in MTL subregions, because they are selectively and early affected by neurodegenerative pathologies and might be good biomarkers. I mainly use ultra-high resolution ex vivo and in vivo structural imaging because it allows detailed and precise visualization of the MTL and could lead to more sensitive biomarkers, but I combine it often with other imaging modalities, including positron emission tomography, and measures of cognition.

Presenter of 2 Presentations

 Conference Calendar

LIVE DISCUSSION

Session Name
LIVE DISCUSSION - MRI 2
Session Type
LIVE SYMPOSIUM DISCUSSION
Date
12.03.2021, Friday
Session Time
17:30 - 18:00
Room
Live Symposia Discussion C
Lecture Time
17:30 - 17:30
Presenter
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Live

HIGH-RESOLUTION POSTMORTEM MRI REVEALS PATHOLOGY-SPECIFIC NEURODEGENERATION PATTERNS IN THE MEDIAL TEMPORAL LOBE

Session Name
MRI 2
Session Type
SYMPOSIUM
Date
12.03.2021, Friday
Session Time
12:00 - 13:45
Room
On Demand Symposia C
Lecture Time
12:45 - 13:00
Presenter
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On-Demand

Abstract

Aims

The medial temporal lobe (MTL) is a hotspot for neurodegenerative pathologies and therefore an important region to study polypathology. We investigate the association of different neurodegenerative pathologies and the thickness of different granular MTL subregions measured on high-resolution postmortem MRI.

Methods

Tau, TDP-43, β-amyloid and α-synuclein pathology were rated (0-absent – 3-frequent) in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex (ERC) of 58 individuals with and without neurodegenerative diseases (mean age 74.7 years, 39.7% female). Thickness measurements using a semi-automated approach were obtained from 0.2x0.2x0.2 mm3 post-mortem MRI scans of excised MTL specimens from the contralateral hemisphere in the ERC, Brodmann Area (BA) 35 and 36, parahippocampal cortex (PHC), subiculum (SUB), cornu ammonis (CA)1 and the stratum radiatum lacunosum moleculare (SRLM). Spearman’s rank correlations were performed, correcting for age, sex and hemisphere, including all four proteinopathies in the model.

Results

We find significant associations of 1) TDP-43 with all subregions (r=-0.27 – r=-0.46, trend for subiculum), and 2) tau with ERC (r=-0. 26, trend), BA35 (r=-0.31) and SRLM (r=-0.33). In β-amyloid and TDP-43 negative cases, we find strong significant associations of tau with ERC (r=-0.40, trend), BA35 (r=-0.55), subiculum (r=-0.42), CA1 (r=-0.47) and SRLM (r=-0.38, trend). See figures 1-3.

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Conclusions

This unique dataset showed widespread atrophy in relation to TDP-43 pathology and atrophy in early Braak regions and tau pathology. Moreover, the strong association of tau with thickness in early Braak regions in the absence of β-amyloid and TDP-43 is indicative for a role of Primary Age Related Tauopathy in neurodegeneration.

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