Brain Arrhythmias Induced by Amyloid Beta and Inflammation: Involvement in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Inflammation-related Pathologies

Abstract

A variety of neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), involve amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation and/or neuroinflammation, which can alter synaptic and neural circuit functions. Consequently, these pathological conditions induce changes in neural network rhythmic activity (brain arrhythmias), which affects many brain functions. Neural network rhythms are involved in information processing, storage and retrieval, which are essential for memory consolidation, executive functioning and sensory processing. Therefore, brain arrhythmias could have catastrophic effects on circuit function, underlying the symptoms of various neurological diseases. Moreover, brain arrhythmias can serve as biomarkers for a variety of brain diseases. The aim of this review is to provide evidence linking Aβ and inflammation to neural network dysfunction, focusing on alterations in brain rhythms and their impact on cognition and sensory processing. I reviewed the most common brain arrhythmias characterized in AD, in AD transgenic models and those induced by Aβ. In addition, I reviewed the modulations of brain rhythms in neuroinflammatory diseases and those induced by immunogens, interleukins and microglia. This review reveals that Aβ and inflammation produce a complex set of effects on neural network function, which are related to the induction of brain arrhythmias and hyperexcitability, both closely related to behavioral alterations. Understanding these brain arrhythmias can help to develop therapeutic strategies to halt or prevent these neural network alterations and treat not only the arrhythmias but also the symptoms of AD and other inflammation-related pathologies.