Differential involvement of neurotransmitter pathways in AD, bvFTD and MCI: Whole-brain MRI analysis

Ricardo Félix Morais, José Maria Sousa,  Cemal  Koba,  Leon  Andres, Tiago Jesus,  Inês  Baldeiras, Tiago Gil  Oliveira,  Isabel  Santana

 In the publication Differential involvement of neurotransmitter pathways in AD, bvFTD and MCI: Whole-brain MRI analysis, the authors explore how neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) affect neurotransmitter systems differently. As these disorders grow more prevalent, understanding their neurochemical underpinnings becomes increasingly important. While structural brain changes have been widely studied, the role of neurotransmitter pathways has received less attention.

This study analyzed MRI data from 214 participants (89 AD, 74 bvFTD, 51 MCI) using FreeSurfer segmentation and JuSpace neurotransmitter maps. Volumetric and correlation analyses identified disease-specific patterns: AD-related atrophy was linked to dopaminergic and GABAergic systems; bvFTD showed associations with mu-opioid receptor loss; MCI exhibited early serotonergic disruptions before structural changes were evident.

The findings reveal distinct neurochemical profiles for each condition, suggesting that neurotransmitter mapping may provide valuable insights for diagnosis and therapeutic strategies beyond conventional imaging approaches.

Autors: Ricardo Félix Morais, José Maria Sousa,  Cemal  Koba,  Leon  Andres, Tiago Jesus, Inês  Baldeiras, Tiago Gil  Oliveira,  Isabel  Santana

DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2025.106897

Keywords: JuSpace, Brain volumetry, Receptor density, Neuroimaging analysis, Neurotransmitter mapping, Dementia biomarkers