Sector for Neurodegenerative Disease Research

Sector overview

Visualize what is happening in the brain in vivo by correlating brain images with neurological symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases. Our goal is to find important clinical information related to the imaging information and to establish earlier and more accurate diagnostic methods.

Sector Leader

My research focuses on developing imaging techniques based on the pathophysiology of prenatal patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Specifically, I am investigating the use of MRI and PET to evaluate pathophysiology.

Certifications

Medical, other state/government licensure

• 2008- License for medical practice: Japan

Boards, other specialty certification

• 2011- Board Certified Membership of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
• 2014- Board Certified Fellowship of the Japanese Society of Neurology
• 2017- Board Certified Fellowship of the Japan Society for Dementia Research
• 2017- Board Certified Fellowship of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine

Awards

• Best Free Paper Oral Presentation (Clinical Research) for Japanese Society of Neurology(JSN) members, 62nd Annual Meeting of the JSN (2021)
  「Establishment of diagnostic system for progressive supranuclear palsy using in vivo tau imaging」
• Honorable Award (Clinical Research) The 40th Annual Meeting of Japan Society for Dementia Research (2021)
  「Development of automated diagnosis of non-Alzheimer’s dementia based on machine learning using tau PET」

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Peer-reviewed Original Science Research Publications

1. 1. Kubota M, Endo H, Takahata K, Tagai K, Suzuki H, Onaya M, Sano Y, Yamamoto Y, Kurose S, Matsuoka K, Seki C, Shinotoh H, Kawamura K, Zhang MR, Takado Y, Shimada H, Higuchi M. In vivo PET classification of tau pathologies in patients with frontotemporal dementia. Brain Commun, 2024, DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae075.
2. 2. Matsuoka K, Hirata K, Kokubo N, Maeda T, Tagai K, Endo H, Takahata K, Shinotoh H, Ono M, Seki C, Tatebe H, Kawamura K, Zhang MR, Shimada H, Tokuda T, Higuchi M, Takado Y. Investigating neural dysfunction with abnormal protein deposition in Alzheimer's disease through magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, plasma biomarkers, and positron emission tomography. NeuroImage Clin, 2023, 41, 103560-103560.
3. 3. Hirata K, Matsuoka K, Tagai K, Endo H, Tatebe H, Ono M, Kokubo N, Oyama A, Shinotoh H, Takahata K, Obata T, Dehghani M, Near J, Kawamura K, Zhang MR, Shimada H, Yokota T, Tokuda T, Higuchi M, Takado Y. Altered Brain Energy Metabolism Related to Astrocytes in Alzheimer's Disease. Ann Neurol, 2023, DOI: 10.1002/ana.26797.
4. 4. Kitamura S, Kimura Y, Takahata K, Moriguchi S, Kubota M, Shimada H, Endo H, Takado Y, Kawamura K, Zhang MR, Suhara T, Higuchi M. Serotonergic neurotransmission in limbic regions may reflect therapeutic response of depressive patients: A PET study with 11C-WAY-100635 and 18F-MPPF. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2023; 26(7): 474-482.
5. 5. Nunomura H, Kasahara T, Hatano T, Shimada H, Takado Y, Endo H, Inoshita A, Inomata A, Murofushi T, Misawa S, Machida Y, Imai H. Front Neurol. 2023; 14: 1100931.
6. 6. Matsuoka K, Takado Y, Tagai K, Kubota M, Sano Y, Takahata K, Ono M, Seki C, Matsumoto H, Endo H, Shinotoh H, Sahara Y, Obata T, Jamie N, Kawamura K, Zhang MR, Suhara T, Shimada H, Higuchi M. Two pathways differentially linking tau depositions, oxidative stress, and neuronal loss to apathetic phenotypes in progressive supranuclear palsy. J Neurol Sci. 2022; 444: 120514.
7. 7. Tagai K, Ikoma Y, Endo H, Debnath OB, Seki C, Matsuoka K, Matsumoto H, Oya M, Hirata K, Shinotoh H, Takahata K, Kurose S, Sano Y, Ono M, Shimada H, Kawamura K, Zhang MR, Takado Y, Higuchi M. An optimized reference tissue method for quantification of tau protein depositions in diverse neurodegenerative disorders by PET with 18F-PM-PBB3 (18F-APN-1607). Neuroimage. 2022; 264: 119763.
8. 8. Endo H, Tagai K, Ono M, Ikoma Y, Oyama A, Matsuoka K, Kokubo N, Hirata K, Sano Y, Oya M, Matsumoto H, Kurose S, Seki C, Shimizu H, Kakita A, Takahata K, Shinoto H, Shimada H, Tokuda T, Kawamura K, Zhang MR, Oishi K, Mori S, Takado Y, Higuchi M. A Machine Learning–Based Approach to Discrimination of Tauopathies Using [18F]PM-PBB3 PET Images. Mov Disord. 2022; 37(11): 2236-2246.
9. 9. Matsuoka K, Ono M, Takado Y, Hirata K, Endo H, Ohfusa T, Kojima T, Yamamoto T, Onishi T, Orihara A, Tagai K, Takahata K, Seki C, Shinotoh H, Kawamura K, Shimizu H, Shimada H, Kakita A, Zhang MR, Suhara T, Higuchi M. High-Contrast Imaging of α-Synuclein Pathologies in Living Patients with Multiple System Atrophy. Mov Disord. 2022; 37(10): 2159-2161.
10. 10. Nakano Y, Shimada H, Shinotoh H, Hirano S, Tagai K, Sano Y, Yamamoto Y, Endo H, Matsuoka K, Takahata K, Kubota M, Takado Y, Kimura Y, Ichise M, Ono M, Sahara N, Kawamura K, Zhang MR, Kuwabara S, Suhara T, Higuchi M．PET-based classification of corticobasal syndrome．Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2022; 98(1): 92-98.
11. 11. Takahata K, Seki C, Kimura Y, Kubota M, Ichise M, Sano Y, Yamamoto Y, Tagai K, Shimada H, Kitamura S, Matsuoka K, Endo H, Shinotoh H, Kawamura K, Zhang MR, Takado Y, Higuchi M. First-in-human in vivo undefined imaging and quantification of monoacylglycerol lipase in the brain: a PET study with 18 F-T-401. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2022; Online ahead of print.
12. 12. Mano T, Nakayama T, Endo H, Bono K, Imafuku I. Non-invasive visualization of arterial stagnation in a dissected internal carotid artery. J Neurol Sci. 2020; 412: 116760.
13. 13. Endo H, Shimada H, Sahara N, Ono M, Koga S, Kitamura S, Niwa F, Hirano S, Kimura Y, Ichise M, Shinotoh H, Zhang MR, Kuwabara S, Dickson DW, Toda T, Suhara T, Higuchi M. In vivo binding of a tau imaging probe, [11C]PBB3, in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy. Mov Disord. 2019; 34(5): 744-754.
14. 14. Shinotoh H, Shimada H, Kokubo Y, Tagai K, Niwa F, Kitamura S, Endo H, Ono M, Kimura Y, Hirano S, Mimuro M, Ichise M, Sahara N, Zhang MR, Suhara T, Higuchi M. Tau imaging detects distinctive distribution of tau pathology in ALS/PDC on the Kii Peninsula. Neurology. 2019; 92(2): e136-e147.
15. 15. Endo H, Sekiguchi K, Shimada H, Ueda T, Kowa H, Kanda F, Toda T. Low signal intensity in motor cortex on susceptibility-weighted MR imaging is correlated with clinical signs of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a pilot study. J Neurol. 2018; 265: 552-561.
16. 16. Kitamura S, Shimada H, Niwa F, Endo H, Shinotoh H, Takahata K, Kubota M, Takado Y,Hirano S, Kimura Y, Zhang MR, Kuwabara S, Suhara T, Higuchi M. Tau-induced focal neurotoxicity and network disruption related to apathy in Alzheimer's disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2018; 89: 1208-1214.
17. 17. Endo H, Sekiguchi K, Ueda T, Kowa H, Kanda F, Toda T. Regional glucose hypometabolic spread within the primary motor cortex is associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease progression: A fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography study. eNeurologicalSci. 2017; 6: 74-79.
18. 18. Endo H, Uenaka T, Satake W, Suzuki Y, Tachibana H, Chihara N, Ueda T, Sekiguchi K, Taniguchi-Ikeda M, Kowa H, Kanda F, Toda T. Japanese WDR45 de novo mutation diagnosed by exome analysis: A case report. Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience. 2017; 5: 131-133.
19. 19. Shimada H, Kitamura S, Shinotoh H, Endo H, Niwa F, Hirano S, Kimura Y, Zhang MR, Kuwabara S, Suhara T, Higuchi M. Association between Aβ and tau accumulations and their influence on clinical features in aging and Alzheimer's disease spectrum brains: A [11C]PBB3-PET study. Alzheimers Dement (Amst). 2017; 6: 11-20.
20. 20. Takahata K, Kimura Y, Seki C, Tokunaga M, Ichise M, Kawamura K, Ono M, Kitamura S, Kubota M, Moriguchi S, Ishii T, Takado Y, Niwa F, Endo H, Nagashima T, Ikoma Y, Zhang MR, Suhara T, Higuchi M. A human PET study of [11C]HMS011, a potential radioligand for AMPA receptors. EJNMMI Res. 2017; 7: 1-10.
21. 21. Kimura Y, Endo H, Ichise M, Shimada H, Seki C, Ikoma Y, Shinotoh H, Yamada M, Higuchi M, Zhang MR, Suhara T. A new method to quantify tau pathologies with (11)C-PBB3 PET using reference tissue voxels extracted from brain cortical gray matter. EJNMMI Res. 2016; 6: 1-6.
22. 22. Kimura Y, Seki C, Ikoma Y, Ichise M, Kawamura K, Takahata K, Moriguchi S, Nagashima T, Ishii T, Kitamura S, Niwa F, Endo H, Yamada M, Higuchi M, Zhang MR, Suhara T. [(11)C]TASP457, a novel PET ligand for histamine H3 receptors in human brain. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2016; 43: 1653-1663.
23. 23. Endo H, Chihara N, Sekiguchi K, Kowa H, Kanda F, Toda T. A case of multiple sclerosis who relapsed early after fingolimod therapy introduced. Clin Neurol. 2015; 55: 417-420.

Invited Reviews (All Japanese)

1. 1. Endo H, Shimada H, Higuchi M, Shinotoh H, Suhara T.[Current status and prospect of molecular imaging in mental/neurological diseases.] Innervision. 2014; 29: 58-62.
2. 2. Endo H, Shimada H. [Tau PET in progressive supranuclear palsy and Corticobasal degeneration.] Neurological Medicine. 2015; 82: 153-159.
3. 3. Endo H, Sahara N, Shimada H. [Tau PET.] Clinical Neuroscience. 2015; 33: 1156-1158.
4. 4. Shimada H, Endo H, Suhara T.[Diagnosis of dementia by tau imaging.] Jpn J Clin Psychiatry. 2016; 45: 441-445.
5. 5. Endo H, Shimada H. [What is the role of biomarkers in the early diagnosis of AD?] Geriatric Medicine. 2021; 59: 191-194.
6. 6. Ono M, Endo H, Takado Y, Ming MR, Higuchi M. [α synuclein imaging.] Neurological Medicine. 2022; 86: 481-486.
7. 7. Takado Y, Tagai K, Ono M, Endo H, Higuchi M. [Tau imaging: Next-generation PET research directoly linked to the development of disease-modifying therapies.] Neurological Medicine. 2022; 96: 474-480.
8. 8. Kataoka Y, Endo H, Higuchi M. [Early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases using PET.] Experimental Medicine. 2023; 41: 214-220.