Christopher H. van Dyck

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Christopher H. van Dyck (born 25 August 1955), is the Founder and Director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit (ADRU) at Yale University School of Medicine, where he is Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neuroscience. His research uses brain imaging to learn about the progression of pathology in Alzheimer's disease, and to test potential new treatments for this disease.

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Van Dyck was born in Wichita, Kansas to Barbara Kroll Dyck, an elementary school teacher, and Walter Dyck, a college art professor. He has two brothers, Peter and Tim van Dyck. His family moved to Vermont in 1957, where he grew up in Johnson and Underhill. [1] He graduated from Burlington High School, where he and his partner won the varsity state debate championship. [2]

Alzheimer's disease research

Van Dyck created the Yale Alzheimer's Research Unit in 1992, performing research on Alzheimer's disease and related cognitive disorders. He has helped to pioneer the use of SPECT and PET imaging to learn about brain alterations related to cognitive and behavioral changes in Alzheimer's Disease and the aging brain, and to test potential treatments for Alzheimer's Disease.

Using SPECT imaging of the Dopamine transporter, van Dyck's work has shown that there is loss of dopamine from the aging striatum, [3] and that this is related to a slowing of reaction time, [4] a measure of mental chronometry.

van Dyck uses PET imaging to track Alzheimer's-related pathology, to learn how pathology relates to ApoE genotype, and whether it is diminished by potential treatments. Dr. van Dyck has collaborated with Dr. Richard Carson at the Yale PET Center to test the new PET ligand 11C-UCB-J, which binds to SV2A to provide an assay of presynaptic axon terminals in the human brain. Studies of this ligand in early Alzheimer's Disease patients have shown a loss of synapses from the perforant path, the connections between the entorhinal cortex and hippocampal formation needed for memory consolidation. [5]

van Dyck and the Yale ADRU have tested potential Alzheimer's therapeutics for over 20 years. They have contributed to the successful development of memantine now in use for the treatment of mid-late stage Alzheimer's Disease, [6] and assess potential new therapeutic strategies, e.g. antibodies that reduce amyloid pathology such as Crenezumab, [7] and based on the work of Dr. Stephen Strittmatter, an inhibitor of fyn. [8] van Dyck is the lead author on the New England Journal of Medicine report on lecanemab, the first treatment to significantly slow the course of Alzheimer's disease. [9]

Dr. van Dyck serves on the Steering Committees of the National Institute on Aging Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). He serves as co-director of the Yale Alzheimer's Disease Research Center with Dr. Strittmatter, and is Director of the Division of Aging and Geriatric Psychiatry at Yale. Dr. van Dyck is the Chair of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Council of the Connecticut chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. He received the "Compassion and Cure" Award from the Alzheimer's Association in 2005.

Chess

Chris was an avid Correspondence Chess player. In 1992, Chris won the International Correspondence Chess Federation title International Correspondence Chess Master, winning the 1979 Absolute. [10] His games from this tournament have been published, including in Alex Dunne's Modern Postal Masterpieces. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Positron emission tomography</span> Medical imaging technique

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a functional imaging technique that uses radioactive substances known as radiotracers to visualize and measure changes in metabolic processes, and in other physiological activities including blood flow, regional chemical composition, and absorption. Different tracers are used for various imaging purposes, depending on the target process within the body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dementia with Lewy bodies</span> Type of progressive dementia

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a type of dementia characterized by changes in sleep, behavior, cognition, movement, and regulation of automatic bodily functions. Memory loss is not always an early symptom. The disease worsens over time and is usually diagnosed when cognitive impairment interferes with normal daily functioning. Together with Parkinson's disease dementia, DLB is one of the two Lewy body dementias. It is a common form of dementia, but the prevalence is not known accurately and many diagnoses are missed. The disease was first described on autopsy by Kenji Kosaka in 1976, and he named the condition several years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vascular dementia</span> Dementia resulting from stroke

Vascular dementia is dementia caused by a series of strokes. Restricted blood flow due to strokes reduces oxygen and glucose delivery to the brain, causing cell injury and neurological deficits in the affected region. Subtypes of vascular dementia include subcortical vascular dementia, multi-infarct dementia, stroke-related dementia, and mixed dementia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single-photon emission computed tomography</span> Nuclear medicine tomographic imaging technique

Single-photon emission computed tomography is a nuclear medicine tomographic imaging technique using gamma rays. It is very similar to conventional nuclear medicine planar imaging using a gamma camera, but is able to provide true 3D information. This information is typically presented as cross-sectional slices through the patient, but can be freely reformatted or manipulated as required.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amantadine</span> Medication used to treat dyskinesia

Amantadine, sold under the brand name Gocovri among others, is a medication used to treat dyskinesia associated with parkinsonism and influenza caused by type A influenzavirus, though its use for the latter is no longer recommended because of widespread drug resistance. It is also used for a variety of other uses. The drug is taken by mouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memantine</span> Medication used to treat Alzheimers disease

Memantine, sold under the brand name Namenda among others, is a medication used to slow the progression of moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease. It is taken by mouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corticobasal degeneration</span> Rare neurodegenerative disease

Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) is a rare neurodegenerative disease involving the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia. CBD symptoms typically begin in people from 50 to 70 years of age, and typical survival before death is eight years. It is characterized by marked disorders in movement and cognition, and is classified as one of the Parkinson plus syndromes. Diagnosis is difficult, as symptoms are often similar to those of other disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and dementia with Lewy bodies, and a definitive diagnosis of CBD can only be made upon neuropathologic examination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neuroimaging</span> Set of techniques to measure and visualize aspects of the nervous system

Neuroimaging is the use of quantitative (computational) techniques to study the structure and function of the central nervous system, developed as an objective way of scientifically studying the healthy human brain in a non-invasive manner. Increasingly it is also being used for quantitative research studies of brain disease and psychiatric illness. Neuroimaging is highly multidisciplinary involving neuroscience, computer science, psychology and statistics, and is not a medical specialty. Neuroimaging is sometimes confused with neuroradiology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pramipexole</span> Dopamine agonist medication

Pramipexole, sold under the brand Mirapex among others, is a medication used to treat Parkinson's disease (PD) and restless legs syndrome (RLS). In Parkinson's disease it may be used alone or together with levodopa. It is taken by mouth. Pramipexole is a dopamine agonist of the non-ergoline class.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chronic traumatic encephalopathy</span> Neurodegenerative disease caused by head injury

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse over time and can result in dementia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RTI-55</span> Chemical compound

RTI(-4229)-55, also called RTI-55 or iometopane, is a phenyltropane-based psychostimulant used in scientific research and in some medical applications. This drug was first cited in 1991. RTI-55 is a non-selective dopamine reuptake inhibitor derived from methylecgonidine. However, more selective analogs are derived by conversion to "pyrrolidinoamido" RTI-229, for instance. Due to the large bulbous nature of the weakly electron withdrawing iodo halogen atom, RTI-55 is the most strongly serotonergic of the simple para-substituted troparil based analogs. In rodents RTI-55 actually caused death at a dosage of 100 mg/kg, whereas RTI-51 and RTI-31 did not. Another notable observation is the strong propensity of RTI-55 to cause locomotor activity enhancements, although in an earlier study, RTI-51 was actually even stronger than RTI-55 in shifting baseline LMA. This observation serves to highlight the disparities that can arise between studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RTI-121</span> Chemical compound

(–)-2β-Carboisopropoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl)tropane is a stimulant drug used in scientific research, which was developed in the early 1990s. RTI-121 is a phenyltropane based, highly selective dopamine reuptake inhibitor and is derived from methylecgonidine. RTI-121 is a potent and long-lasting stimulant, producing stimulant effects for more than 10 hours after a single dose in mice which would limit its potential uses in humans, as it might have significant abuse potential if used outside a medical setting. However RTI-121 occupies the dopamine transporter more slowly than cocaine, and so might have lower abuse potential than cocaine itself.

Ioflupane (<sup>123</sup>I) Chemical compound

Ioflupane (123I) is the international nonproprietary name (INN) of a cocaine analogue which is a neuro-imaging radiopharmaceutical drug, used in nuclear medicine for the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and the differential diagnosis of Parkinson's disease over other disorders presenting similar symptoms. During the DaT scan procedure it is injected into a patient and viewed with a gamma camera in order to acquire SPECT images of the brain with particular respect to the striatum, a subcortical region of the basal ganglia. The drug is sold under the brand name Datscan and is manufactured by GE Healthcare, formerly Amersham plc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DaT scan</span> Diagnostic method

DaT Scan commonly refers to a diagnostic method, based on SPECT imaging, to investigate if there is a loss of dopaminergic neurons in striatum. The term may also refer to a brand name of Ioflupane (123I) tracer used for the study. The scan principle is based on use of the radiopharmaceutical Ioflupane (123I) which binds to dopamine transporters (DaT). The signal from them is then detected by the use of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) which uses special gamma-cameras to create a pictographic representation of the distribution of dopamine transporters in the brain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DASB</span> Chemical compound

DASB, also known as 3-amino-4-(2-dimethylaminomethylphenylsulfanyl)-benzonitrile, is a compound that binds to the serotonin transporter. Labeled with carbon-11 — a radioactive isotope — it has been used as a radioligand in neuroimaging with positron emission tomography (PET) since around year 2000. In this context it is regarded as one of the superior radioligands for PET study of the serotonin transporter in the brain, since it has high selectivity for the serotonin transporter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altropane</span> Stimulant drug

Altropane is a phenyltropane derivative which acts as a potent dopamine reuptake inhibitor and long-acting stimulant drug. It has mainly been used as the 125I radiolabelled form for mapping the distribution of dopamine transporters in the brain, and consequently this has led to its development as a potential diagnostic tool for early detection of Parkinson's disease. It is also being investigated for potential use in the diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alzheimer's disease</span> Progressive neurodegenerative disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems with language, disorientation, mood swings, loss of motivation, self-neglect, and behavioral issues. As a person's condition declines, they often withdraw from family and society. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Although the speed of progression can vary, the average life expectancy following diagnosis is three to twelve years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PHA-543,613</span> Chemical compound

PHA-543,613 is a drug that acts as a potent and selective agonist for the α7 subtype of neural nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, with a high level of brain penetration and good oral bioavailability. It is under development as a possible treatment for cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. It reduces excitotoxicity and protects striatal dopaminergic neurons in rat models. It also potentiates cognitive enhancement from memantine, decreases dynorphin release and inhibits GSK-B3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brain positron emission tomography</span> Form of positron emission tomography

Brain positron emission tomography is a form of positron emission tomography (PET) that is used to measure brain metabolism and the distribution of exogenous radiolabeled chemical agents throughout the brain. PET measures emissions from radioactively labeled metabolically active chemicals that have been injected into the bloodstream. The emission data from brain PET are computer-processed to produce multi-dimensional images of the distribution of the chemicals throughout the brain.

Crenezumab is a fully humanized monoclonal antibody against human 1-40 and 1-42 beta amyloid, which is being investigated as a treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Crenezumab is highly homologous to solanezumab, another monoclonal antibody targeting amyloid-β peptides. In June 2022, the US National Institutes of Health announced that the drug failed as a medication for early-onset Alzheimer's disease following the results of a decade-long clinical trial.

References

  1. "Barbara Goss 1926 2016". United States Obituary Notices. 2019-03-05. Retrieved 2020-12-24.
  2. "BHS Debaters Tops at Tourney". Burlington Free Press. 1973-03-13. p. 7. Retrieved 2020-12-24.
  3. van Dyck, C; et al. (1995). "Age-related decline in striatal dopamine transporter binding with iodine-123-beta-CIT SPECT". J. Nucl. Med. 36 (7): 1175–81. PMID   7790941.
  4. van Dyck, C; et al. (2008). "Striatal dopamine transporters correlate with simple reaction time in elderly subjects". Neurobiol Aging. 29 (8): 1237–46. doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2007.02.012. PMC   3523216 . PMID   17363113.
  5. Chen, MK; et al. (2018). "Assessing Synaptic Density in Alzheimer Disease With Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A Positron Emission Tomographic Imaging". JAMA Neurology. July 16 epub ahead of print.
  6. van Dyck, C; et al. (2007). "A 24-week randomized, controlled trial of memantine in patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer disease". Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 21 (2): 136–43. doi:10.1097/WAD.0b013e318065c495. PMID   17545739. S2CID   25621202.
  7. Cummings, J; et al. (2018). "A phase 2 randomized trial of crenezumab in mild to moderate Alzheimer disease- The ABBY study". Neurology. 90 (21): e1889–97. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000005550. PMC   5962917 . PMID   29695589.
  8. Nygaard, HB; et al. (2015). "A phase Ib multiple ascending dose study of the safety, tolerability, and central nervous system availability of AZD0530 (saracatinib) in Alzheimer's disease". Alzheimers Res Ther. 7 (1): 35. doi: 10.1186/s13195-015-0119-0 . PMC   4396171 . PMID   25874001.
  9. van Dyck et al., N Engl J Med 388: 9-21, 2023
  10. Alex Dunne (2012). The Absolute Correspondence Championship of the United States Chess Federation, 1976-2010. McFarland. pp. 348pp.
  11. Alex Dunne (1994). Modern Postal Masterpieces. Thinkers' Press. pp. 141pp.