Establishing a large prospective clinical cohort in people with head and neck cancer as a biomedical resource: head and neck 5000

BACKGROUND: Head and neck cancer is an important cause of ill health. Survival appears to be improving but the reasons for this are unclear. They could include evolving aetiology, modifications in care, improvements in treatment or changes in lifestyle behaviour. Observational studies are required to explore survival trends and identify outcome predictors. METHODS: We are identifying people with a new diagnosis of head and neck cancer. We obtain consent that includes agreement to collect longitudinal data, store samples and record linkage. Prior to treatment we give participants three questionnaires on health and lifestyle, quality of life and sexual history. We collect blood and saliva samples, complete a clinical data capture form and request a formalin fixed tissue sample. At four and twelve months we complete further data capture forms and send participants further quality of life questionnaires. DISCUSSION: This large clinical cohort of people with head and neck cancer brings together clinical data, patient-reported outcomes and biological samples in a single co-ordinated resource for translational and prognostic research

Aperiodic EEG and 7T MRSI evidence for maturation of E/I balance supporting the development of working memory through adolescence

Adolescence has been hypothesized to be a critical period for the development of human association cortex and higher-order cognition. A defining feature of critical period development is a shift in the excitation: inhibition (E/I) balance of neural circuitry, however how changes in E/I may enhance cortical circuit function to support maturational improvements in cognitive capacities is not known. Harnessing ultra-high field 7 T MR spectroscopy and EEG in a large, longitudinal cohort of youth (N = 164, ages 10–32 years old, 347 neuroimaging sessions), we delineate biologically specific associations between age-related changes in excitatory glutamate and inhibitory GABA neurotransmitters and EEG-derived measures of aperiodic neural activity reflective of E/I balance in prefrontal association cortex. Specifically, we find that developmental increases in E/I balance reflected in glutamate:GABA balance are linked to changes in E/I balance assessed by the suppression of prefrontal aperiodic activity, which in turn facilitates robust improvements in working memory. These findings indicate a role for E/I-engendered changes in prefrontal signaling mechanisms in the maturation of cognitive maintenance. More broadly, this multi-modal imaging study provides evidence that human association cortex undergoes physiological changes consistent with critical period plasticity during adolescence

Age-related differences in transient gamma band activity during working memory maintenance through adolescence

ABSTRACT: Adolescence is a stage of development characterized by neurodevelopmental specialization of cognitive processes. In particular, working memory continues to improve through adolescence, with increases in response accuracy and decreases in response latency continuing well into the twenties. Human electroencephalogram (EEG) studies indicate that gamma oscillations (35–65 Hz) during the working memory delay period support the maintenance of mnemonic information guiding subsequent goal-driven behavior, which decrease in power with development. Importantly, recent electrophysiological studies have shown that gamma events, more so than sustained activity, may underlie working memory maintenance during the delay period. However, developmental differences in gamma events during working memory have not been studied. Here, we used EEG in conjunction with a novel spectral event processing approach to investigate age-related differences in transient gamma band activity during a memory guided saccade (MGS) task in 164 10- to 30-year-olds. Total gamma power was found to significantly decrease through adolescence, replicating prior findings. Results from the spectral event pipeline showed age-related decreases in the mean power of gamma events and trial-by-trial power variability across both the delay period and fixation epochs of the MGS task. In addition, we found that while event number decreased with age during the fixation period, the developmental decrease during the delay period was more dramatic, resulting in an increase in event spiking from fixation to delay in adolescence but not adulthood. While average power of the transient gamma events was found to mediate age-related differences in total gamma power in the fixation and delay periods, the number of gamma events was related to total power in only the delay period, suggesting that the power of gamma events may underlie the sustained gamma activity seen in EEG literature while the number of events may directly support age-related improvements in working memory maintenance. Our findings provide compelling new evidence for mechanistic changes in neural processing characterized by refinements in neural function as behavior becomes optimized in adulthood

Gestational and postnatal age associations for striatal tissue iron deposition in early infancy.

Striatal development is crucial for later motor, cognitive, and reward behavior, but age-related change in striatal physiology during the neonatal period remains understudied. An MRI-based measure of tissue iron deposition, T2*, is a non-invasive way to probe striatal physiology neonatally, linked to dopaminergic processing and cognition in children and adults. Striatal subregions have distinct functions that may come online at different time periods in early life. To identify if there are critical periods before or after birth, we measured if striatal iron accrued with gestational age at birth [range= 34.57-41.85 weeks] or postnatal age at scan [range= 5-64 days], using MRI to probe the T2* signal in N = 83 neonates in three striatal subregions. We found iron increased with postnatal age in the pallidum and putamen but not the caudate. No significant relationship between iron and gestational age was observed. Using a subset of infants scanned at preschool age (N = 26), we show distributions of iron shift between time points. In infants, the pallidum had the least iron of the three regions but had the most by preschool age. Together, this provides evidence of distinct change for striatal subregions, a possible differentiation between motor and cognitive systems, identifying a mechanism that may impact future trajectories

Age-related differences in transient gamma band activity during working memory maintenance through adolescence

Adolescence is a stage of development characterized by neurodevelopmental specialization of cognitive processes. In particular, working memory continues to improve through adolescence, with increases in response accuracy and decreases in response latency continuing well into the twenties. Human electroencephalogram (EEG) studies indicate that gamma oscillations (35–65 Hz) during the working memory delay period support the maintenance of mnemonic information guiding subsequent goal-driven behavior, which decrease in power with development. Importantly, recent electrophysiological studies have shown that gamma events, more so than sustained activity, may underlie working memory maintenance during the delay period. However, developmental differences in gamma events during working memory have not been studied. Here, we used EEG in conjunction with a novel spectral event processing approach to investigate age-related differences in transient gamma band activity during a memory guided saccade (MGS) task in 164 10- to 30-year-olds. Total gamma power was found to significantly decrease through adolescence, replicating prior findings. Results from the spectral event pipeline showed age-related decreases in the mean power of gamma events and trial-by-trial power variability across both the delay period and fixation epochs of the MGS task. In addition, we found that while event number decreased with age during the fixation period, the developmental decrease during the delay period was more dramatic, resulting in an increase in event spiking from fixation to delay in adolescence but not adulthood. While average power of the transient gamma events was found to mediate age-related differences in total gamma power in the fixation and delay periods, the number of gamma events was related to total power in only the delay period, suggesting that the power of gamma events may underlie the sustained gamma activity seen in EEG literature while the number of events may directly support age-related improvements in working memory maintenance. Our findings provide compelling new evidence for mechanistic changes in neural processing characterized by refinements in neural function as behavior becomes optimized in adulthood.Fil: McKeon, Shane D.. University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown; Estados Unidos. University of Pittsburgh; Estados UnidosFil: Calabro, Finnegan. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados Unidos. University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown; Estados Unidos. University of Pittsburgh; Estados UnidosFil: Thorpe, Ryan V.. University Brown; Estados UnidosFil: de la Fuente de la Torre, Laura Alethia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad Favaloro; ArgentinaFil: Foran, Will. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Parr, Ashley C.. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Jones, Stephanie R.. University Brown; Estados UnidosFil: Luna, Beatriz. Univeristy of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine; Estados Unido

Gestational and postnatal age associations for striatal tissue iron deposition in early infancy

Striatal development is crucial for later motor, cognitive, and reward behavior, but age-related change in striatal physiology during the neonatal period remains understudied. An MRI-based measure of tissue iron deposition, T2*, is a non-invasive way to probe striatal physiology neonatally, linked to dopaminergic processing and cognition in children and adults. Striatal subregions have distinct functions that may come online at different time periods in early life. To identify if there are critical periods before or after birth, we measured if striatal iron accrued with gestational age at birth [range= 34.57–41.85 weeks] or postnatal age at scan [range= 5–64 days], using MRI to probe the T2* signal in N = 83 neonates in three striatal subregions. We found iron increased with postnatal age in the pallidum and putamen but not the caudate. No significant relationship between iron and gestational age was observed. Using a subset of infants scanned at preschool age (N = 26), we show distributions of iron shift between time points. In infants, the pallidum had the least iron of the three regions but had the most by preschool age. Together, this provides evidence of distinct change for striatal subregions, a possible differentiation between motor and cognitive systems, identifying a mechanism that may impact future trajectories

Validation of an Accelerated Diagnostic Protocol for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patients with Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome

Introduction: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people have a high burden of cardiovascular disease. Observed rates of major coronary events are seven to nine times higher in people aged Purpose: To determine if the ImpACT protocol should be altered for the assessment of ATSI patients who present to an emergency department (ED) with suspected ACS.Methods: The ImpACT ATSI study is a single-centre, prospective, observational trial being conducted in partnership with the Queensland Health Clinical Excellence Division and the Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation (AusHSI). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients who present with symptoms of suspected ACS are prospectively recruited and managed according to intermediate or high-risk pathways, including objective testing for coronary artery disease. 30-follow-up with cardiologist adjudication of events is occurring.Outcomes: To date, 67 patients have been recruited into the trial and the authors look forward to sharing the preliminary findings of the research

Ivosidenib (AG-120) in Mutant IDH1 AML and Advanced Hematologic Malignancies: Results of a Phase 1 Dose Escalation and Expansion Study

Abstract BACKGROUND: Recurrent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) 1 mutations are observed in 6-10% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Ivosidenib (AG-120), a potent, selective, oral, small-molecule inhibitor of the mutant IDH1 (mIDH1) protein, is a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of patients with mIDH1 AML. Through inhibition of mIDH1, ivosidenib suppresses the abnormal production of the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), leading to clinical responses via differentiation of malignant cells. AIM: To report safety and efficacy data from the first-in-human phase 1 study of ivosidenib in patients with mIDH1 advanced hematologic malignancies including relapsed/refractory (R/R) AML (NCT02074839). This is the first report of data from the 4 expansion cohorts, with a total of 258 patients treated on study. METHODS: The ongoing phase 1 study assesses the safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and clinical activity of ivosidenib in mIDH1 hematologic malignancies. Enrollment was completed on May 8, 2017. During dose escalation, patients received ivosidenib as a single agent orally once daily (QD) or twice daily (BID) in 28-day cycles. The MTD was not reached and 500 mg QD was selected as the recommended dose to be tested in 4 expansion cohorts: R/R AML (Arms 1 and 4, where Arm 1 patients are those with relapse after transplantation, second or later relapse, resistance to initial induction or reinduction treatment, or relapse within 1 year of initial treatment, and Arm 4 patients have R/R AML but are not eligible for Arm 1); untreated AML (Arm 2); and other advanced hematologic malignancies including myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) (Arm 3). Updated safety data will be presented for all patients. Efficacy outcomes will be presented for all R/R AML patients treated at 500 mg QD across the dose escalation and expansion cohorts who received their first dose of ivosidenib at least 6 months prior to the analysis cut-off date of May 12, 2017, as well as for the poorest prognosis Arm 1 subset. Efficacy data for all treated patients from the other expansion cohorts (untreated AML and other advanced hematologic malignancies including MDS) will also be presented. RESULTS: In all, 258 patients (78 in dose escalation, 180 in expansion) were treated with ivosidenib. As of May 12, 2017, 62 of 258 (24%) patients were continuing on treatment. The median duration of exposure to ivosidenib was 3.5 months (range 0.1-33.5). Twenty-two (8.5%) patients discontinued treatment to proceed to allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Treatment was well tolerated; the most common adverse events (AEs) (n=258) of any grade irrespective of causality occurring in ≥20% of patients were diarrhea (33%), leukocytosis (30%), nausea (30%), fatigue (29%), febrile neutropenia (25%), dyspnea (24%), anemia (23%), QT prolongation (23%), peripheral edema (22%), pyrexia (21%), and decreased appetite (20%). The majority of these AEs were grades 1-2 and reported as unrelated to treatment. Differentiation syndrome (DS) was observed in 29 of 258 (11.2%) patients, including grade ≥3 DS in 14 (5.4%); study drug was held owing to DS in 11 patients (4.3%), and no instances of DS led to permanent treatment discontinuation or death. The primary efficacy endpoint for R/R AML is the CR+CRh rate, i.e., the rate of complete remission (CR according to modified IWG 2003 criteria plus CR with partial hematologic recovery, defined as CR except absolute neutrophil count >0.5 × 109/L [500/µL] and platelet count >50 × 109/L [50,000/µL]). Among 125 Arm 1 R/R AML patients receiving ivosidenib 500 mg QD across dose escalation and expansion who received their first dose at least 6 months prior to the analysis cutoff date, the CR+CRh rate was 30.4% (95% CI 22.5%, 39.3%), including CR in 27 (21.6%) and CRh in 11 (8.8%) patients. Median duration of CR+CRh was 8.2 months (95% CI 5.5, 12.0), and duration of CR was 9.3 months (95% CI 5.6, 18.3). The overall response rate (CR+CRi/CRp+PR+MLFS) was 41.6% (95% CI 32.9%, 50.8%) (52/125 patients). CONCLUSION: Ivosidenib monotherapy is well tolerated in patients with mIDH1 AML and other advanced hematologic malignancies. In a high-risk, molecularly defined R/R AML patient population with unmet medical need, ivosidenib induced durable remissions and improved patient outcomes. These findings support the role of ivosidenib as an effective, oral, targeted treatment for patients with mIDH1 AML. Disclosures DiNardo: Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Agios: Honoraria, Research Funding; Daiichi-Sankyo: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding. De Botton: Pfizer: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Servier: Honoraria; Agios: Honoraria, Research Funding. Stein: GSK: Other: Advisory Board, Research Funding; Constellation Pharma: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene Corporation: Consultancy, Other: Travel expenses, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Other: Travel expenses; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding. Roboz: AbbVie, Agios, Amgen, Amphivena, Array Biopharma Inc., Astex, AstraZeneca, Celator, Celgene, Clovis Oncology, CTI BioPharma, Genoptix, Immune Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Juno, MedImmune, MEI Pharma, Novartis, Onconova, Pfizer, Roche Pharmace: Consultancy; Cellectis: Research Funding. Mims: Novartis: Honoraria. Pollyea: Takeda, Ariad, Alexion, Celgene, Pfizer, Pharmacyclics, Gilead, Jazz, Servier, Curis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Agios, Pfizer: Research Funding. Altman: Syros: Consultancy; NCCN: Other: Educational speaker; BMS: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Astellas: Consultancy; Ceplene: Consultancy; Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; ASH: Other: Educational speaker. Collins: Celgene Corporation: Research Funding; Agios: Research Funding; Arog: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding. Mannis: Curis: Honoraria; Juno: Research Funding; Agios: Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria. Uy: GlycoMimetics: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Other: Travel Suppport; Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy. Fathi: Juno: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Agios: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Medimmune: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Stein: Amgen: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Stemline: Consultancy. Erba: Celgene: Consultancy, Other: Chair, Scientific Steering Committee , Speakers Bureau; Incyte: all research support paid to University of Alabama, Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Jazz: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Consultancy, Other: all research support paid to University of Alabama, Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Other: all research support paid to University of Alabama, Research Funding; ImmunoGen: Consultancy, Other: all research support paid to University of Alabama, Research Funding; MacroGen: Consultancy; Ono: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Other: all research support paid to University of Alabama, Research Funding; Sunesis: Consultancy; Millennium/Takeda: Consultancy, Other: all research support paid to University of Alabama, Research Funding; Agios: Other: all research support paid to University of Alabama, Research Funding; Juno: Other: all research support paid to University of Alabama, Research Funding; Astellas: Other: all research support paid to University of Alabama, Research Funding; Celator: Other: all research support paid to University of Alabama, Research Funding; Janssen: Other: all research support paid to University of Alabama, Research Funding; Glycomimetics: Other: Chair, Data and Safety Monitoring Committee. Traer: ImmunoGen: Consultancy; Tolero: Consultancy; Notable Labs: Equity Ownership. Stuart: Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Agios: Research Funding; Celator/Jazz: Research Funding; Sunesis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Travel Support, Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; ONO: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; MedImmune: Research Funding; Cantex: Research Funding; Astellas: Research Funding. Arellano: Cephalon Oncology: Research Funding. Sekeres: Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Yen: Agios: Employment, Equity Ownership. Kapsalis: Agios: Employment, Equity Ownership. Liu: Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Goldwasser: Agios: Employment, Equity Ownership. Agresta: Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Attar: Agios: Employment, Equity Ownership. Stone: Novartis: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Fuji Film: Consultancy; Jazz: Consultancy; Astellas: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Arog: Consultancy; Ono: Consultancy; Agios: Consultancy; Sumitomo: Consultancy. Kantarjian: ARIAD: Research Funding; Bristol-Meyers Squibb: Research Funding; Delta-Fly Pharma: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding