Imaging functional brain connectivity : pharmacological modulation, aging and Alzheimer's disease

Klaassens, B.L. (2018)

Doctoral Thesis

The main objective of this thesis was to investigate the serotonergic and cholinergic neurotransmitter systems, and the way these are altered in older age and Alzheimer’s disease. For that purpose, the neuroimaging technique resting state fMRI (RS-fMRI) was used to measure whole brain functional connectivity with and without pharmacological stimulation. The first part of the thesis concerns two pharmacological RS-fMRI studies that were executed in young adults. Pharmacological challenge effects of two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (sertraline and citalopram) and a cholinesterase inhibitor (galantamine) on brain connectivity were examined to gain more insight into the underlying neurotransmitter systems and the mechanisms of drug action in the central nervous system. The second part of this thesis was aimed at discovering changes in brain connectivity and serotonergic and cholinergic system functioning in aging and Alzheimer’s disease, by comparing brain network connections and the pharmacological response of this measure between young and older adults and patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

• Resting state fMRI
• Functional brain connectivity
• Serotonin
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
• Acetylcholine
• Cholinesterase inhibitor
• Aging
• Alzheimer’s disease

• All authors: Klaassens, B.L.
• Supervisor: Rombouts, S.A.R.B.; Gerven, J.M.A. van
• Co-supervisor: Grond, J. van der
• Committee: Rooij, M.J. de; Swieten, M.J.; Middelkoop, H.A.M.; Groeneveld, G.J.; Rover, M. de
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Psychology, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University
• Date: 2018-09-06
• ISBN (print): 9789462339651