Department of Medical Physics
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Publications

Select Publications

  • Darst BF, Koscik RL, Racine AM, Oh JM, Carlsson CM, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Christian BT, Bendlin BB, Okonkwo OC, Hogan KJ, Hermann BP, Johnson SC, Engelman CD. Pathway specific polygenic risk scores as predictors of beta-amyloid deposition and cognitive function in a sample at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease. J Alzheimer’s Disease. 55(2):473-484, 2017. PMCID: PMC5123972.
  • Dougherty RJ, Schultz SA, Kirby TK, Boots EA, Oh JM, Edwards DF, Gallagher CL, Carlsson CM, Bendlin BB, Asthana S, Sager MA, Hermann BP, Christian BT, Johnson SC, Cook DB, Okonkwo OC. Moderate physical activity is associated with cerebral glucose metabolism in adults at risk for AD. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 58(4):1089-1097, 2017. PMCID: pending.
  • Lao PJ, Handen BL, Betthauser TJ, Mihaila I, Hartley SL, Cohen AD, Tudorascu DL, Bulova PD, Lopresti BJ, Tumuluru RV, Murali D, Mathis CA, Barnhart TE, Stone CK, Price JC, Devenny DA, Mailick MR, Klunk WE, Johnson SC, Christian BT. Longitudinal changes in amyloid PET and volumetric MRI in the non-demented Down syndrome population. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring. 23(9):1-9, 2017. PMCID: PMC5454131.
  • Mihaila I, Hartley SL, Handen BL, Bulova PD, Tumuluru RV, Devenny DA, Johnson SC, Lao PJ, Christian BT (2017). Leisure Activity in Middle-Aged and Older Adults with Down Syndrome. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 55(2), 97-109. PMCID: PMC5580086.
  • Nicholas C, Hoscheidt SM, Clark LR, Racine AM, Berman SE, Koscik RL, Dowling NM, Asthana S, Christian BT, Sager MA, Johnson SC. Positive affect predicts cerebral glucose metabolism in late middle-aged adults. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 2017 Apr 11. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsx027. [Epub ahead of print]. PMCID: PMC5472120.
  • Boots EA, Schultz SA, Clark LA, Racine AM, Darst BF, Koscik RL, Carlsson CM, Gallagher CL, Kirk J. Hogan KJ, Bendlin BB, Asthana S, Sager MA, Hermann BP, Christian BT, Dubal DB, Engelman CD, Johnson SC, Okonkwo OC. BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism Predicts Cognitive Decline in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention. Neurology. 88(22):2098-2106, 2017. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000003980. Epub 2017 May 3. PMCID: PMC5447398.
  • Betthauser TJ, Lao PJ, Murali D, Barnhart TE, Furumoto S, Okamura N, Stone C, Johnson SC, Christian BT. In vivo comparison of tau radioligands 18F-THK-5351 and 18F-THK-5317. J Nucl Med. 58(6): 996-1002, 2017. PMCID: PMC5425312.
  • Lao PJ, Betthauser TJ, Tudorascu DL, Barnhart TE, Hillmer AT, Stone CK, Mukherjee J, Christian BT. [18F]Nifene test-retest reproducibility in first-in-human imaging of α4β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Synapse. 2017 Aug;71(8). doi: 10.1002/syn.21981. Epub 2017 Apr 26. PMCID: PMC5541262.
  • Hartley SL, Handen BL, Devenny DA, Hardison R, Mihaila I, Price JC, Cohen AD, Klunk WE, Mailick MR, Johnson SC, Christian BT. Cognitive Decline and Brain Amyloid-β Accumulation across 3-years in Adults with Down Syndrome. Neurobiology of Aging. 58:68-76, 2017. PMCID: PMC5581712
  • Betthauser TJ, Ellison P, Murali D, Lao PJ, Barnhart TE, Furumoto S, Okamura N, Johnson SC, Engle JW, Nickles RJ, Christian BT. Characterization of the radiosynthesis and purification of [18F]THK-5351, a PET ligand for neurofibrillary tau. Applied Radiation and Isotopes. 130:230-237, 2017.
  • Betthauser TJ, Lao PJ, Ehlerding E, Hillmer AT, Mukherjee J, Christian BT. Human biodistribution and dosimetry of [18F]nifene, an α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor PET tracer. 55:7-11. doi: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2017.08.001. Epub 2017 Aug 17.
  • Lao PJ, Handen BL, Betthauser TJ, Mihaila I, Hartley SL, Cohen AD, Tudorascu DL, Bulova PD, Lopresti BJ, Tumuluru RV, Murali D, Mathis CA, Barnhart TE, Stone CK, Price JC, Devenny DA, Johnson SC, Klunk WE, Christian BT. Alzheimer-like pattern of hypometabolism emerges with elevated amyloid burden in Down syndrome. Neurobiology of Aging. In Press (accepted on 9/19/17).
  • Mukherjee J, Lao P, Betthauser T, Pan ML, Samra GK, Patel IH, Liang C, Matherate R, Christian BT. Human Brain Imaging of Nicotinic Acetylcholine α4β2* Receptors using [18F]Nifene: Selectivity, Functional Activity,Toxicity, Aging Effects, Gender Effects and Extrathalamic Pathways. J Comp Neurol. 2018 Jan 1;526(1):80-95. doi: 10.1002/cne.24320. Epub 2017 Sep 19.
  • Albrecht DS, Mackie PJ, Kareken DA, Hutchins GD, Chumin EJ, Christian BT, Yoder KK. Differential dopamine function in fibromyalgia. Brain Imaging and Behavior. Sep;10(3):829-39, 2016. PCMCID: PMC4842344.
  • Racine AM, Nicholas CR, Oh JM, Clark LR, Koscik R, Okonkwo OC, Hillmer AT, Murali D, Barnhart TE, Gallagher CL, Rowley HA, Dowling NM, Asthana S, Bendlin BB, Zetterberg H, Carlsson CM, Christian BT, Johnson SC. Cerebrospinal fluid markers of neural injury predict preclinical β-amyloid accumulation. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring. 2:27-38,2016. PMCID: PMC4778249.
  • Rosenkranz MA, Esnault S, Christian BT, Crisafi G, Gresham LK, Higgins AT, Moore MN, Weng HY, Salk RH, Busse WW, Davidson RJ. Mind-body interactions in the regulation of airway inflammation in asthma: A PET study of acute and chronic stress. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. Nov;58:18-30, 2016. PMCID: PMC5045317.
  • Clark LR, Racine AM, Koscik RL, Okonkwo OC, Nicholas CR, Oh JM, Engleman CD, Hermann B, Carlsson CM, Asthana S, Rowley HA, Sager MA, Christian BT, Johnson SC. Amyloid burden predicts decline in memory function in middle-aged at-risk cohort: Findings from the WRAP study. Alzheimer’s & Dementia. 12(7):805-14, 2016. PCMCID: PMC4947439.
  • Racine AM, Clark LR, Berman SE, Koscik RL, Mueller KD, Norton D, Mueller KD, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Jedynak B, Bilgel M, Carlsson CM, Christian BT, Asthana S, Johnson SC. Associations between CogState performance on an abbreviated CogState battery, other cognitive measures of cognitive function tests, and biomarkers in people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Journals of Alzheimer’s Disease. 54(4):1395-1408, 2016.
  • Lao PJ, Betthauser TJ, Hillmer AT, Price JC, Klunk WE, Mihaila I, Higgins AT, Bulova PD, Hartley SL, Hardison R, Tumuluru RV, Murali D, Mathis CA, Cohen AD, Barnhart TE, Devenny DA, Mailick MR Johnson SC, Handen BL, Christian BT. The effects of normal aging on amyloid-β deposition in a population of nondemented adults with Down syndrome as imaged by [11C]PiB. Alzheimer’s & Dementia. 12(4):380-390, 2016. PMCID: PMC4677061.
  • Mukherjee J, Bajwa AK, Wooten DW, Hillmer AT, Pan ML, Pandey SK, Saigal N, Christian BT. Comparative assessment of 18F-Mefway as a serotonin 5-HT1A receptor PET imaging agent across species- rodents, monkeys, and humans. J Comparative Neurology, 524(7): 1457-71, 2016. PCMCID: PMC4783179.
  • Willette AA, Johnson SC, Birdsill A, Sager MA, Christian BT, Baker LD, Craft S, Oh J, Statz E, Hermann BP, Jonaitis EM, Koscik RL, LaRue A, Asthana S, Bendlin BB. Insulin resistance predicts brain amyloid deposition in late middle-aged adults. Alzheimer’s and Dementia. 11(5):504-510, 2015. PMCID: PMC4297592.
  • Doherty BM, Schultz SA, Oh JM, Koscik R, Dowling M, Barnhart TE, Murali D, Gallagher CL, Carlsson CM, Bendlin BB, LaRue A, Hermann BP, Rowley HA, Asthana S, Sager MA, Christian BT, Johnson SC, Okonkwo OC. Amyloid burden, cortical thickness, and cognitive function in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment, and Disease Monitoring. 1(2):160-169, 2015. PMCID: PMC4492165
  • Willette AA, Bendlin BB, Starks E, Birdsill A, Johnson SC, Christian BT, Okonkwo OC, LaRue A, Hermann BP, Koscik RL, Jonaitis EM, Sager MA, Asthana S. Association of insulin resistance with cerebral glucose utilization in late middle-aged adults at risk for Alzheimer Disease. JAMA Neurology, 72(9):1013-1020, 2015. PMCID: PMC4570876
  • Thio JP, Liang C, Bajwa AK, Wooten DW, Christian BT, Mukherjee J. Synthesis and Evaluation of Mefway Analogs as Ligands for Serotonin 5HT1A Receptors. Medicinal Chemistry Research, 24(4):1480-1486, 2015. PMCID: PMC4349336.
  • Sprecher KE, Bendlin BB, Racine AM, Okonkwo OC, Christian BT, Koscik R, Sager MA, Asthana S, Johnson SC, Benca RM. Amyloid Burden Is Associated With Self-Reported Sleep In Non-Demented Late Middle-Aged Adults. Neurobiology of Aging, 36(9):2568-76, 2015. PMCID: PMC4523445
  • Schultz SA, Boots EA, Dougherty RJ, Almeida RP, Oh JM, Einerson J, Korcarz CE, Edwards DF, Larson J, Edwards DF, Koscik RL, Dowling M, Gallagher CL, Bendlin BB, Christian BT, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Carlsson CM, Asthana S, Hermann BP, Sager MA, Johnson SC, Stein JH, Cook DB, Okonkwo O. Cardiorespiratory fitness attenuates the influence of amyloid on cognition. Journal of the International Neuropsychological 21(10):841-850, 2015. PMCID: PMC4716656.
  • Gallagher CL, Bell B, Holden JE, Palotti M, Oh J, Christian BT, Okonkwo O, Sojkova J, Buyan-Dent L, Harding SJ, Stone CK, Johnson SC. Anterior cingulate turnover and executive function in Parkinson’s disease. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 9(4):821-827, 2015. PMCID: PMC4469641.
  • Johnson SC, Christian BT, Okonkwo O, Oh J, Harding S, Xu G, Hillmer AT, Wooten DW, Murali D, Barnhart T, Hall L, Klunk W, Mathis C, Bendlin BB, Gallagher CL, Carlsson CM, Rowley H, Hermann BP, Dowling NM, Asthana S, Sager MA. Amyloid burden and neural function in people at risk for AD. Neurobiology of Aging. 35(3):576-584, 2014. PMCID: PMC4018215.
  • Kamasak ME, Christian BT, Bouman CA, Morris ED. Quality and precision of parametric images created from PET sinogram data by direct reconstruction. IEEE Trans Med Imag. 33(3):695-707, 2014. PMCID – In Process.
  • Tomer R, Slagter HA, Christian BT, Fox AS, King CR, Murali D, Gluck MA, Davidson RJ. Love to win or hate to lose? Asymmetry of dopamine D2 receptor binding predicts differential sensitivity to reward vs. punishment. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 26(5):1039-1048, 2014. PMCID: PMC3972269.
  • Okonkwo OC, Oh JM, Koscik R, Jonaitis E, Cleary C, Dowling NM, Bendlin BB, LaRue A, Hermann BP, Rowley HA, Carlsson CM, Gallagher CL, Asthana S, Sager MA, Christian BT, Johnson SC. Amyloid burden, neuronal function, and cognitive decline in Middle-Aged Adults at Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease. J Inter Neuropsych Society. 20(4):422-433, 2014. PMCID: PMC4103611.
  • Hillmer AT, Tudorascu DL, Wooten DW, Lao PJ, Barnhart TE, Ahlers EO, Resch L, Larson JA, Converse AK, Moore CF, Schneider ML, Christian BT. Changes in the α4β2* nicotinic acetylcholine system during chronic controlled alcohol exposure in nonhuman primates. Drug & Alcohol Dependence. 138:216-219, 2014. PMCID: PMC3992705.
  • Albrecht DS, Kareken DA, Christian BT, Yoder KK. Cortical Dopamine Release During a Behavioral Response Inhibition Task in Social Drinkers. Synapse. 68(6):266-274, 2014. PMCI: PMC4135361.
  • Racine AM, Adluru N, Alexander AL, Christian BT, Okonkwo OC, Oh J, Cleary CA, Birdsill A, Hillmer AT, Murali D, Barnhart TE, Gallagher CL, Carlsson CM, Rowley HA, Dowling NM, Asthana S, Sager MA, Bendlin BB, Johnson SC. Associations between white matter microstructure and amyloid burden in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease: a multimodal imaging investigation. NeuroImage: Clinical. 4:604-214, 2014. PMCID: PMC4053642.
  • Peng Y, Li M, Clarkson B, Pehar M, Lao P, Hillmer AT, Barnhart TE, Christian BT, Mitchell HA, Bendlin BB, Sandor M, Puglielli L. Deficient import of acetyl-CoA into the ER lumen causes neurodegeneration as well as propensity to infections, inflammation and cancer. J Neuroscience. 34(20):6772-6789, 2014. PMCID: PMC4019794.
  • Hartley SL, Handen BL, Devenny DA, Hardison R, Mihaila I, Price JC, Cohen AD, Klunk WE, Mailick MR, Johnson SC, Christian BT. Cognitive functioning in relation to brain β-amyloid in healthy adults with Down syndrome. Brain. 137:2556-2563, 2014. PMCID: PMC4189400.
  • Wooten DW, Hillmer AT, Dhanabalan M, Barnhart TE , Thio JP, Bajwa AK, Bonab AA, Normandin MD, Schneider ML, Mukherjee J, Christian BT. Initial in vivo PET imaging of 5-HT1A receptors with 3-[18F]mefway. Am J of Nucl Med and Mol Imaging. 4(5):483-489, 2014. PMCID: PMC4138142.
  • Li C, Palotti M, Holden JE, Oh J, Okonkwo O, Christian BT, Bendlin BB, Buyan-Dent L, Harding SJ, Stone CK, Dejesus OT, Nickles RJ, Gallagher CL. A dual-tracer study of extrastriatal 6-[18F]fluoro-m-tyrosine and 6-[18F]-Fluoro-L-dopa uptake in Parkinson’s disease. Synapse, 68(8):325-331, 2014. PMCID: PMC4284201.
  • Kuruvilla SA, Hillmer AT, Wooten DW, Patel A, Christian BT, Mukherjee J. Synthesis and evaluation of 2-18F-5-iodo-3-[2-(S)-3,4-dehydropyrrolinylmethoxy]pyridine (18F-niofene) as a potential nicotinic α4β2 receptor imaging agent for PET and SPECT. Am J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 4(4): 354-364. 2014. PMCID: PMC4074501.
  • Okonkwo O, Oh JM, Schultz SA, Larson J, Edwards D, Cook D, Koscik R, Gallagher CL, Dowling M, Carlsson CM, Bendlin BB, LaRue A, Rowley HA, Christian BT, Asthana S, Hermann BP, Johnson SC, Sager MA. Physical Activity Attenuates Age-Related Biomarker Abnormalities in Preclinical AD. Neurology, 83(19):1753-1760, 2014. PMCID: PMC4239838.
  • Converse AK, Moore CF, Holden JE, Ahlers E, Moirano J, Larson JA, Resch LM, DeJesus OT, Barnhart TE, Nickles RJ, Murali D, Christian BT, Schneider ML. Moderate level prenatal alcohol exposure induces sex differences in dopamine D1 receptor binding in adult rhesus monkeys. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 38(12):2934-2943, 2014. PMCID: PMC4293080.
  • Hillmer AT, Wooten DW, Tudorascu DL, Barnhart TE, Ahlers EO, Resch LM, Larson JA, Converse AK, Moore CF, Schneider ML, Christian BT. The effects of chronic alcohol self-administration on serotonin-1A receptor binding in nonhuman primates. Drug & Alcohol Dependence. 144:119-126, 2014. PMCID: PMC4253864
  • Hillmer AT, Wooten DW, Bajwa AK, Higgins AT, Lao PJ, Betthauser TJ, Barnhart TE, Rowley HA, Stone CK, Johnson SC, Mukherjee J, Christian BT. First in Human Evaluation of [18F]Mefway, a PET Radioligand Specific to Serotonin-1A Receptors. Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 55(12):1973-1979, 2014. PMCID: PMC4316674
  • Christian BT, Wooten DW, Hillmer AT, Tudorascu DL, Converse AK, Moore CF, Ahlers EO, Barnhart TE, Kalin NH, Barr CS, Schneider ML. Serotonin Transporter Genotype Affects Serotonin 5-HT1A Binding in Primates. Journal of Neuroscience 33(6):2512-2516, 2013. PMCID: PMC3711259.
  • Murali D, Barnhart TE, Vandehey NT, Christian BT, Nickles RJ, Converse AK, Larson JA, Holden JE, Schneider ML, DeJesus OT. An Efficient Synthesis of Dopamine Transporter Tracer [18F]FECNT. Applied Rad Isotop 72:128-132, 2013. PMCID: PMC3540169.
  • Hillmer AT, Wooten DW, Farhoud M, Barnhart TE, Mukherjee J, Christian BT. The Effects of Lobeline on α4β2* Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Binding and Uptake of [18F]Nifene in Rats. J Neurosci Methods.214(2):163-9, 2013. PMCID: PMC3644313.
  • Converse AK, Moore CF, Moirano JM, Ahlers EO, Larson JA, Engle JW, Barnhart TE, Murali D, Christian BT, DeJesus OT, Holden JE, Nickles RJ, Schneider ML. Prenatal Stress Induces Increases in Striatal Dopamine Transporters in Adult Nonhuman Primates. Biological Psychiatry. 74(7):502-510, 2013. PMCID: PMC3775901.
  • Wooten DW, Hillmer AT, Moirano JM, Tudorascu DL, Ahlers EO, Slesarev MS, Barnhart TE, Mukherjee J, Schneider ML, Christian BT. 5-HT1A Sex Based Differences in Bmax, in vivo KD, and BPND in the Nonhuman Primate. NeuroImage 77:125-32, 2013. PMCID: PMC3654069.
  • Hillmer AT, Wooten DW, Farhoud M, Higgins AT, Lao P, Barnhart TE , Mukherjee J, Christian BT. PET Imaging of Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor Induced Effects on α4β2* Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Binding. Synapse 67(12):882-886, 2013. PMCID: PMC3806056.
  • Hillmer AT, Wooten DW, Slesarev MS, Ahlers EO, Barnhart TE , Schneider ML, Mukherjee J, Christian BT. Measuring α4β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptor density in vivo with [18F]nifene PET in the nonhuman primate. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 33:1806-1814, 2013. PMCID: PMC23942367.
  • Pichika R, Kuruvilla SA, Patel N, Vu K, Sinha S, Easwaramoorthy B, Narayanan TK, Shi B, Christian BT, Mukherjee J. Nicotinic α4β2 receptor imaging agents. Part IV. Synthesis and biological evaluation of 3-(2-(S)-3,4-dehydropyrrolinyl methoxy)-5-(3′-¹⁸F-fluoropropyl)pyridine (¹⁸F-Nifrolene) using PET. Nucl Med Biol 40(1):117-125, 2013. PMCID: PMC3514651.
  • Tomer R, Slagter HA, Christian BT, Fox AS, King CR, Murali D, Davidson RJ. Dopamine Asymmetries Predict Orienting Bias in Healthy Individuals. Cerebral Cortex 23(12):2899-2904, 2013. PMCID: PMC3827711.
  • Floberg JM, Holden JE, Weichert JP, Hall LT, Mistretta CA, Christian BT. Improved graphical analysis of dynamic PET data with optimized HYPR-LR. Medical Physics 39(6):3319-3331, 2012. PMCID: PMC3371076
  • Wooten DW, Hillmer AT, Moirano JM, Ahlers EO, Slesarev M, Barnhart TE, Mukherjee J, Schneider ML, Christian BT. Measurement of 5-HT1A Receptor Density and In Vivo Binding Parameters of [18F]Mefway in the Nonhuman Primate. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 32(8):1546-1558, 2012. PMCID: PMC3421091
  • Slagter HA, Tomer R, Christian BT, Fox AS, Colzato LS, King CR, Murali D, Davidson RJ. PET evidence for a role for striatal dopamine in mediating the attentional blink: Functional implications. J Cognitive Neuroscience. 24(9):1932-1940, 2012. PMCID: PMC3536486
  • Hillmer AT, Wooten DW, Slesarev M, Ahlers EO, Barnhart TE, Murali D, Schneider ML, Mukherjee J, Christian BT. Specific α4β2 PET Imaging of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: Quantitative Analysis of [18F]Nifene Kinetics in the Nonhuman Primate. J Nucl Med 53(9):1471-1480, 2012. PMCID: PMC3580212.