The brainstem locus coeruleus: potential bridge between sleep-wake disruption and Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis
Description: Sleep has been recently identified as an important modifiable factor to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the brain structures critically involved in the relationships between sleep disturbances and early AD pathology remain poorly investigated. The proposed project postulates that a tiny region located deep in the brain, the brainstem locus coeruleus (Latin for ‘blue spot’, LC), is particularly important for the link between sleep-wake disturbances and the earliest manifestations of AD. Indeed, the LC is a crucial structure in the consolidation of the sleep-wake cycle and has been demonstrated to be among the first regions affected by AD. This research aims to use advanced brain imaging methods to extensively characterize the LC in healthy adults across the lifespan, in order to determine how modifications in the structure and function of the LC relate to changes in the sleep-wake cycle, in the accumulation of hallmark AD pathologies, and ultimately to cognitive decline.
Funder: BrightFocus Foundation
Amount: $200,000
Funding type: fellowship
Funder scheme: Alzheimer's Disease Research: Postdoctoral Fellowship
Start date: 2021-07-01
End date: 2023-12-31
Investigators: Maxime van Egroo, Maxime van Egroo
Institution: Maastricht University (Netherlands)
Funded outputs count: 0
Funder award ID: A2021016F
OpenAlex ID: G9000652273