Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35951510›Full record

ArticlePloS one2022

Network diffusion model predicts neurodegeneration in limb-onset Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Anjan Bhattarai, Zhaolin Chen, Phyllis Chua, Paul Talman, Susan Mathers, Caron Chapman, James Howe, C M Sarah Lee, Yenni Lie, Govinda R Poudel and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 28% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Anjan BhattaraiDepartment of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-9178-6509
Zhaolin ChenMonash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Phyllis ChuaDepartment of Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Paul TalmanSchool of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Susan MathersStatewide Progressive Neurological Disease Service, Calvary Health Care Bethlehem, South Caulfield, Victoria, Australia.
Caron ChapmanNeurosciences Department, University Hospital, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
James HoweStatewide Progressive Neurological Disease Service, Calvary Health Care Bethlehem, South Caulfield, Victoria, Australia.
C M Sarah LeeStatewide Progressive Neurological Disease Service, Calvary Health Care Bethlehem, South Caulfield, Victoria, Australia.
Yenni LieStatewide Progressive Neurological Disease Service, Calvary Health Care Bethlehem, South Caulfield, Victoria, Australia.
Govinda R PoudelMary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Gary F EganMonash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Calvary Health Care Bethlehem · AUMonash University · AUAustralian Catholic University · AUDeakin University · AUGeelong Hospital · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveEmerging evidences suggest that the trans-neural propagation of phosphorylated 43-kDa transactive response DNA-binding protein (pTDP-43) contributes to neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). We investigated whether Network Diffusion Model (NDM), a biophysical model of spread of pathology via the brain connectome, could capture the severity and progression of neurodegeneration (atrophy) in ALS.

methodsWe measured degeneration in limb-onset ALS patients (n = 14 at baseline, 12 at 6-months, and 9 at 12 months) and controls (n = 12 at baseline) using FreeSurfer analysis on the structural T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data. The NDM was simulated on the canonical structural connectome from the IIT Human Brain Atlas. To determine whether NDM could predict the atrophy pattern in ALS, the accumulation of pathology modelled by NDM was correlated against atrophy measured using MRI. In order to investigate whether network spread on the brain connectome derived from healthy individuals were significant findings, we compared our findings against network spread simulated on random networks.

resultsThe cross-sectional analyses revealed that the network diffusion seeded from the inferior frontal gyrus (pars triangularis and pars orbitalis) significantly predicts the atrophy pattern in ALS compared to controls. Whereas, atrophy over time with-in the ALS group was best predicted by seeding the network diffusion process from the inferior temporal gyrus at 6-month and caudal middle frontal gyrus at 12-month. Network spread simulated on the random networks showed that the findings using healthy brain connectomes are significantly different from null models.

interpretationOur findings suggest the involvement of extra-motor regions in seeding the spread of pathology in ALS. Importantly, NDM was able to recapitulate the dynamics of pathological progression in ALS. Understanding the spatial shifts in the seeds of degeneration over time can potentially inform further research in the design of disease modifying therapeutic interventions in ALS.

Indexed as

Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisConnectomeAtrophyBrainCross-Sectional StudiesHumansMagnetic Resonance Imaging

Identifiers

PMID35951510
PMCPMC9371353
OpenAlexW4291020581

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.