ANNALS OF CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL NEUROLOGY | NOVEMBER 29, 2020

Hansson O, Cullen N, Zetterberg H, Blennow K and Mattsson-Carlgren N.

Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2020 Nov 29

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.51253

This study was peformed using a Simoa® Homebrew assay.

ABSTRACT

We examined if plasma phosphorylated tau is associated with neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease. We investigated 372 cognitively unimpaired participants, 554 mild cognitive impairment patients, and 141 Alzheimer’s disease dementia patients. Tau phosphorylated at threonine 181, regional cortical thickness (using magnetic resonance imaging) and hypometabolism (using fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography) were measured longitudinally. High plasma tau was associated with hypometabolism and cortical atrophy at baseline and over time, and longitudinally increased tau was associated with accelerated atrophy, but these associations were only observed in Aβ‐positive participants. Plasma phosphorylated tau may identify and track processes linked to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.