Dr. Amir Dehsarvi

Dr. Amir Dehsarvi

I am a Principal Scientist of Neuroimaging at Boehringer Ingelheim. My research focuses on the application of machine learning and deep learning to medical data, with a strong emphasis on leveraging neuroimaging to accelerate disease diagnosis and therapeutic target identification.

Publications

ApoE4 lowers the ptau217 threshold for tau aggregation and spread in an allele dose-dependent manner

Published in Brain, 2025

This study demonstrates that the ApoE4 risk allele lowers the threshold of plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (ptau217) required to drive fibrillar tau aggregation and spread in Alzheimer’s disease in a dose-dependent manner.

Recommended citation: Steward, A., Dewenter, A., Hirsch, F., Roemer-Cassiano, S. N., Zhu, Z., Dehsarvi, A., Biel, D., Klonowski, M., Frontzkowski, L., Palleis, C., Gnörich, J., Dichgans, M., Höglinger, G., Brendel, M., & Franzmeier, N. (2025). ApoE4 lowers the ptau217 threshold for tau aggregation and spread in an allele dose-dependent manner. Brain, awaf463. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awaf463
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A systematic comparison of ATN biomarkers for monitoring longitudinal cognitive changes in Alzheimer's disease

Published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, vol 21, issue 10, pp e70783., 2025

This systematic study compares longitudinal changes in A/T/N biomarkers (amyloid-PET, tau-PET, plasma p-tau217, and MRI) for tracking cognitive changes in Alzheimer's disease, finding plasma p-tau217 to be a robust, cost-effective alternative to tau-PET.

Recommended citation: Biel, D., Steward, A., Dewenter, A., Dehsarvi, A., Zhu, Z., Roemer‐Cassiano, S. N., Frontzkowski, L., Hirsch, F., et al. (2025). A systematic comparison of ATN biomarkers for monitoring longitudinal cognitive changes in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 21(10), e70783. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70783
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Cortical tau deposition promotes atrophy in connected white matter regions in Alzheimer’s disease

Published in Brain, 2025

This study demonstrates that cortical tau accumulation promotes atrophy in connected white matter regions in Alzheimer's disease, highlighting the role of tau-induced axonal degeneration.

Recommended citation: Pescoller, J., Dewenter, A., Dehsarvi, A., Steward, A., Frontzkowski, L., Zhu, Z., Roemer-Cassiano, S.N., Palleis, C., et al. (2025). Cortical tau deposition promotes atrophy in connected white matter regions in Alzheimer's disease. Brain. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awaf339
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Developing a novel reference region for [18F]PI-2620-PET imaging to facilitate the assessment of 4-repeat tauopathies

Published in European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 2025

This study develops and validates a novel data-driven temporo-orbital white matter reference region for [18F]PI-2620-PET imaging, optimizing the assessment of 4-repeat tauopathies, particularly in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).

Recommended citation: Frontzkowski, L., Gnörich, J., Gross, M., Dehsarvi, A., Roemer-Cassiano, S. N., Palleis, C., Katzdobler, S., Dewenter, A., Steward, A., Biel, D., Hirsch, F., Zhu, Z., Levin, J., Stephens, A. W., Müller, A., Koglin, N., Bischof, G. N., Kovacs, G. G., Höglinger, G. U., Brendel, M., & Franzmeier, N. (2025). Developing a novel reference region for [18F]PI-2620-PET imaging to facilitate the assessment of 4-repeat tauopathies. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-025-07396-8
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Brain Networks Route Neurodegeneration Patterns in Patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

Published in Movement Disorders, 2025

This study investigates how brain networks influence the patterns of neurodegeneration in patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).

Recommended citation: Palleis, C., Quattrone, A., Dehsarvi, A., Roemer-Cassiano, S.N., Bernhardt, A.M., Huppertz, H.-J., Malpetti, M., Boxer, A.L., Gnörich, J., Frontzkowski, L., Levin, J., Brendel, M., Höglinger, G.U. and Franzmeier, N. (2025). Brain Networks Route Neurodegeneration Patterns in Patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. Movement Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.30257
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Multimodal spatial gradients to explain regional susceptibility to fibrillar tau in Alzheimer's disease

Published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, vol 21, issue 7, pp e70170., 2025

This study investigates multimodal spatial gradients to explain regional susceptibility to fibrillar tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease.

Recommended citation: Luan, Y., Zheng, L., Denecke, J., Dehsarvi, A., Roemer-Cassiano, S. N., Dewenter, A., Steward, A., Shcherbinin, S., Otero Svaldi, D., Kotari, V., Higgins, I. A., Pontecorvo, M. J., Valentim, C., Schnabel, J. A., Casale, F. P., Dyrba, M., Teipel, S., Franzmeier, N., & Ewers, M. (2025). Multimodal spatial gradients to explain regional susceptibility to fibrillar tau in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 21(7), e70170. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70170
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Higher blood–brain barrier leakage in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: A comparative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging study with healthy controls

Published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, vol 128, pp 40-49., 2025

This study investigates blood–brain barrier (BBB) leakage in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SZS) compared to healthy controls using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI).

Recommended citation: Moussiopoulou, J., Yakimov, V., Roell, L., Rauchmann, B.-S., Toth, H., Melcher, J., Jäger, I., Lutz, I., Kallweit, M. S., Papazov, B., Boudriot, E., Seelos, K., Dehsarvi, A., Campana, M., Raabe, F., Maurus, I., Lührs, L., Brendel, M., Stöcklein, S., Falkai, P., Hasan, A., CDP Working Group, Franzmeier, N., Keeser, D., & Wagner, E. (2025). Higher blood–brain barrier leakage in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: A comparative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging study with healthy controls. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 128, 40-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2025.04.003
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Alpha-synuclein co-pathology is associated with accelerated amyloid-driven tau accumulation in Alzheimer's disease

Published in Molecular Neurodegeneration, vol 20, article number 31., 2025

This study investigates how alpha-synuclein co-pathology influences amyloid-β–induced tau aggregation, revealing that αSyn co-pathology accelerates tau accumulation and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease.

Recommended citation: Franzmeier, N., Roemer-Cassiano, S.N., Bernhardt, A.M., Dehsarvi, A., Dewenter, A., Steward, A., Biel, D., Frontzkowski, L., Zhu, Z., Gnörich, J., Pescoller, J., Wagner, F., Hirsch, F., de Bruin, H., Ossenkoppele, R., Palleis, C., Strübing, F., Schöll, M., Levin, J., Brendel, M., Höglinger, G.U. (2025). Alpha-synuclein co-pathology is associated with accelerated amyloid-driven tau accumulation in Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener. 20(31). doi: 10.1186/s13024-025-00822-3.
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Female sex is linked to a stronger association between sTREM2 and CSF p-tau in Alzheimer's disease

Published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, vol 17, issue 2., 2025

This study examines how female sex influences the relationship between soluble TREM2 (sTREM2) and cerebrospinal fluid phosphorylated tau (CSF p-tau) in Alzheimer's disease, suggesting that women may experience a stronger association between sTREM2-related microglial activation and tau pathology.

Recommended citation: Biel, D., Suárez-Calvet, M., Dewenter, A., Steward, A., Roemer, S.N., Dehsarvi, A., Zhu, Z., Pescoller, J., Frontzkowski, L., Kreuzer, A., Haass, C., Schöll, M., Brendel, M., Franzmeier, N. (2025). Female sex is linked to a stronger association between sTREM2 and CSF p-tau in Alzheimer's disease. EMBO Mol Med. 17(2): 235-248. doi: 10.1038/s44321-024-00190-3.
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Amyloid-associated hyperconnectivity drives tau spread across connected brain regions in Alzheimer's disease

Published in Science Translational Medicine, vol 17, issue 782., 2025

This study investigates how amyloid-β–induced neuronal hyperconnectivity facilitates the spread of tau pathology across connected brain regions in Alzheimer's disease.

Recommended citation: Roemer-Cassiano, S.N., Wagner, F., Evangelista, L., Rauchmann, B.-S., Dehsarvi, A., Steward, A., Dewenter, A., Biel, D., Zhu, Z., Pescoller, J., Gross, M., Perneczky, R., Malpetti, M., Ewers, M., Schöll, M., Dichgans, M., Höglinger, G.U., Brendel, M., Jäkel, S., Franzmeier, N. (2025). Amyloid-associated hyperconnectivity drives tau spread across connected brain regions in Alzheimer's disease. Sci Transl Med. 17(782): eadp2564. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adp2564.
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Amyloid-β and tau deposition in traumatic brain injury: a study of Vietnam War veterans

Published in Brain Communications, vol 7, issue 1., 2025

This study examines the spatial patterns of amyloid-β and tau deposition in Vietnam War veterans with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI), revealing distinct deposition patterns compared to typical Alzheimer's disease cases.

Recommended citation: de Bruin, H., Groot, C., Kamps, S., Vijverberg, E.G.B., Steward, A., Dehsarvi, A., Pijnenburg, Y.A.L., Ossenkoppele, R., Franzmeier, N. (2025). Amyloid-β and tau deposition in traumatic brain injury: a study of Vietnam War veterans. Brain Commun. 7(1): fcaf009. doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaf009.
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Neuroinflammation Parallels 18F-PI-2620 Positron Emission Tomography Patterns in Primary 4-Repeat Tauopathies

Published in Movement Disorders, 2024

This study explores the relationship between neuroinflammation and tau pathology in primary 4-repeat tauopathies using PET imaging.

Recommended citation: Malpetti, M., Roemer, S.N., Harris, S., Gross, M., Gnörich, J., Stephens, A., Dewenter, A., Steward, A., Biel, D., Dehsarvi, A., Wagner, F., Müller, A., Koglin, N., Weidinger, E., Palleis, C., Katzdobler, S., Rupprecht, R., Perneczky, R., Rauchmann, B.-S., Levin, J., Höglinger, G.U., Brendel, M., Franzmeier, N. (2024). Neuroinflammation Parallels 18F-PI-2620 Positron Emission Tomography Patterns in Primary 4-Repeat Tauopathies. Movement Disorders. doi: 10.1002/mds.29924.
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Subcortical tau is linked to hypoperfusion in connected cortical regions in 4-repeat tauopathies

Published in Brain, 2024; awae174., 2024

This study investigates the link between subcortical tau and hypoperfusion in connected cortical regions in 4-repeat tauopathies.

Recommended citation: Roemer, S.N., Brendel, M., Gnoerich, J., Malpetti, M., Zaganjori, M., Quattrone, A., Gross, M., Steward, A., Dewenter, A., Wagner, F., Dehsarvi, A., Ferschmann, C., Wall, S., Palleis, C., Rauchmann, B.S., Katzdobler, S., Jaeck, A., Stockbauer, A., Fietzek, U.M., Bernhardt, A.M., Weidinger, E., Zwergal, A., Stoecklein, S., Perneczky, R., Barthel, H., Sabri, O., Levin, J., Hoeglinger, G.U., Franzmeier, N. (2024). Subcortical tau is linked to hypoperfusion in connected cortical regions in 4-repeat tauopathies. Brain, 2024; awae174. doi: 10.1093/brain/awae174.
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Characterizing the Neurobiological Mechanisms of Action of Exercise and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions for Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Brain Study

Published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, vol 76, issue 4., 2024

This paper investigates the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the effects of exercise and cognitive-behavioral interventions on fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Recommended citation: Dehsarvi, A., Al-Wasity, S., Stefanov, K., Wiseman, S.J., Ralston, S.H., Wardlaw, J.M., Emsley, R., Bachmair, E.M., Cavanagh, J., Waiter, G.D., Basu, N. (2024). Characterizing the Neurobiological Mechanisms of Action of Exercise and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions for Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Brain Study. Arthritis Rheumatol. 76(4): 522-530. doi: 10.1002/art.42755.
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Elevated CSF GAP-43 is associated with accelerated tau accumulation and spread in Alzheimer's disease

Published in Nature Communications, vol 15, issue 1., 2024

This paper investigates the association between elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) GAP-43 levels and the accelerated accumulation and spread of tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease.

Recommended citation: Franzmeier, N., Dehsarvi, A., Steward, A., Biel, D., Dewenter, A., Roemer, S.N., Wagner, F., Gross, M., Brendel, M., Moscoso, A., Arunachalam, P., Blennow, K., Zetterberg, H., Ewers, M., Schoell, M. (2024). Elevated CSF GAP-43 is associated with accelerated tau accumulation and spread in Alzheimer's disease. Nat Commun. 15(1): 202. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-44374-w.
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Effects of Cerebrovascular Disease on Tau Progression and Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease

Published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2023

This paper examines the effects of cerebrovascular disease on tau progression and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease.

Recommended citation: Dewenter, A., Steward, A., Dehsarvi, A., Biel, D., Roemer, S.N., Wanger, F., Franzmeier, N. (2023). Effects of Cerebrovascular Disease on Tau Progression and Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's Dement., 19: e078894. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.078894.
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APOE4 Facilitates the Accumulation and Connectivity-Mediated Spreading of Tau Pathology at Lower Amyloid Levels

Published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2023

This paper investigates how APOE4 facilitates the accumulation and connectivity-mediated spreading of tau pathology at lower amyloid levels.

Recommended citation: Steward, A., Biel, D., Dewenter, A., Roemer, S.N., Wanger, F., Dehsarvi, A., Svaldi, D., Higgins, I.A., Brendel, M., Shcherbinin, S., Ewers, M., Franzmeier, N. (2023). APOE4 Facilitates the Accumulation and Connectivity-Mediated Spreading of Tau Pathology at Lower Amyloid Levels. Alzheimer's Dement., 19: e074017. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.074017.
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Increased CSF GAP-43 is associated with accelerated tau accumulation and spread in Alzheimer's disease

Published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2023

This paper investigates the association between increased CSF GAP-43 and accelerated tau accumulation and spread in Alzheimer's disease.

Recommended citation: Franzmeier, N., Dehsarvi, A., Steward, A., Biel, D., Dewenter, A., Roemer, S.N., Wanger, F., Brendel, M., Ewers, M., Moscoso, A., Blennow, K., Zetterberg, H., Schoell, M. (2023). Increased CSF GAP-43 is associated with accelerated tau accumulation and spread in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's Dement., 19: e080039. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.080039.
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The Effect of Local versus Remote Beta-Amyloid on Functional Connectivity Mediated Tau-Spread in Alzheimer's Disease

Published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2023

This paper investigates the effect of local versus remote Beta-Amyloid on functional connectivity mediated Tau-Spread in Alzheimer's Disease.

Recommended citation: Wanger, F., Steward, A., Biel, D., Dewenter, A., Roemer, S.N., Ewers, M., Dehsarvi, A., Franzmeier, N. (2023). The Effect of Local versus Remote Beta-Amyloid on Functional Connectivity Mediated Tau-Spread in Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's Dement., 19: e079578. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.079578.
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ADPrep - A Fully Automated Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Preprocessing Pipeline for MRI and Multi-tracer PET Data

Published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2023

This paper introduces ADPrep, a fully automated preprocessing pipeline for Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging analysis using MRI and multi-tracer PET data.

Recommended citation: Dehsarvi, A., Denecke, J., Biel, D., Dewenter, A., Roemer, S.N., Steward, A., Wanger, F., Brendel, M., Franzmeier, N. (2023). ADPrep - A fully automated Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Preprocessing Pipeline for MRI and multi-tracer PET data. Alzheimer's Dement., 19: e079614. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.079614.
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ApoE4 and Connectivity-Mediated Spreading of Tau Pathology at Lower Amyloid Levels

Published in JAMA Neurology, vol 80, issue 12., 2023

This paper explores the role of ApoE4 in the connectivity-mediated spreading of tau pathology at lower amyloid levels in the brain.

Recommended citation: Steward, A., Biel, D., Dewenter, A., Roemer, S., Wagner, F., Dehsarvi, A., Rathore, S., Otero Svaldi, D., Higgins, I., Brendel, M., Dichgans, M., Shcherbinin, S., Ewers, M., Franzmeier, N. (2023). ApoE4 and Connectivity-Mediated Spreading of Tau Pathology at Lower Amyloid Levels. JAMA Neurol. 80(12): 1295-1306. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.4038.
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Developing a Biomarker of Depression Using White-Box Machine Learning of Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published in Neuroscience Applied, 2023

This paper discusses the development of a biomarker of depression using white-box machine learning of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Recommended citation: Matthews, F., Dehsarvi, A., Dutta, A., Moriarty, A., Paton, L., & Smith, S. (2023). Developing a Biomarker of Depression Using White-Box Machine Learning of Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Neuroscience Applied, 2, 103668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neappl.2023.103668.
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Artificial Intelligence for Biomarker Discovery in Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia

Published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, vol 19, issue 12., 2023

This paper explores the use of artificial intelligence in discovering biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Recommended citation: Winchester, L.M., Harshfield, E.L., Shi, L., Badhwar, A., Khleifat, A.A., Clarke, N., Dehsarvi, A., Lengyel, I., Lourida, I., Madan, C.R., Marzi, S.J., Proitsi, P., Rajkumar, A.P., Rittman, T., Silajdžić, E., Tamburin, S., Ranson, J.M., Llewellyn, D.J. (2023). Artificial Intelligence for Biomarker Discovery in Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia. Alzheimers Dement. 19(12): 5860-5871. doi: 10.1002/alz.13390.
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Artificial Intelligence for Dementia Research Methods Optimization

Published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, vol 19, issue 12., 2023

This paper discusses the application of artificial intelligence in optimizing research methods for dementia studies.

Recommended citation: Bucholc, M., James, C., Khleifat, A.A., Badhwar, A., Clarke, N., Dehsarvi, A., Madan, C.R., Marzi, S.J., Shand, C., Schilder, B.M., Tamburin, S., Tantiangco, H.M., Deep Dementia Phenotyping (DEMON) Network, Lourida, I., Llewellyn, D.J., Ranson, J.M. (2023). Artificial Intelligence for Dementia Research Methods Optimization. Alzheimers Dement. 19(12): 5934-5951. doi: 10.1002/alz.13441.
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Structural Correlates of Overt Sentence Reading in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease

Published in Current Alzheimer Research, 2022

This preliminary case-control study investigates whether the temporal organization of speech is associated with the volume of brain regions involved in overt sentence reading and explores the discriminative ability of temporal speech parameters and standard volumetric MRI measures for the classification of MCI and Alzheimer's disease.

Recommended citation: De Looze, C., Dehsarvi, A., Crosby, L., Vourdanou, A., Coen, R. F., Lawlor, B., & Reilly, R. B. (2022). "Structural Correlates of Overt Sentence Reading in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease"; Current Alzheimer Research. 19. doi: 10.2174/1567205019666220805110248.
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Towards Automated Monitoring of Parkinson's Disease Following Drug Treatment

Published in Pattern Recognition and Artificial Intelligence. ICPRAI 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13364. Springer, Cham., 2022

This paper reports an automated approach to the clinical monitoring of Parkinson's disease (PD) by applying Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) to resting-state functional magnetic imaging (rs-fMRI) data.

Recommended citation: Dehsarvi, A., South Palomares, J.K., Smith, S.L. (2022). Towards Automated Monitoring of Parkinson's Disease Following Drug Treatment. In: El Yacoubi, M., Granger, E., Yuen, P.C., Pal, U., Vincent, N. (eds) Pattern Recognition and Artificial Intelligence. ICPRAI 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13364. Springer, Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-09282-4_17.
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Cognitive and structural correlates of conversational speech timing in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease: relevance for early detection approaches.

Published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2021

This study examines whether temporal characteristics in a collaborative referencing task are associated with cognitive function and the volumes of brain regions involved in speech production and known to be reduced in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's pathology. We also explored the discriminative ability of the temporal speech measures for the classification of mild cognitive impairement and Alzheimer's disease.

Recommended citation: De Looze, C., Dehsarvi, A., Crosby, L., Vourdanou, A., Coen, R. F., Lawlor, B., & Reilly, R. B. (2021). "Cognitive and structural correlates of conversational speech timing in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease: relevance for early detection approaches."; Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. 13:637404. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.637404.
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Classification of resting-state fMRI for olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson's disease using evolutionary algorithms.

Published in Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference Companion on - GECCO '18, 2018

This paper develops automatic methods for detecting brain imaging preclinical biomarkers for olfactory dysfunction in early stage Parkinson's disease (PD) by considering the novel application of evolutionary algorithms. Classification will be applied to PD patients with severe hyposmia, patients with no/mild hyposmia, and healthy controls.

Recommended citation: Dehsarvi, A., & Smith, S. L. (2018). "Classification of resting-state fMRI for olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson's disease using evolutionary algorithms." Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference Companion on - GECCO '18. New York, New York, USA: ACM Press.
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