Premium
Interaction of amyloid and tau on cortical microstructure in cognitively unimpaired adults
Author(s) -
Vogt Nicholas M.,
Hunt Jack F. V.,
Adluru Nagesh,
Ma Yue,
Van Hulle Carol A.,
III Douglas C. Dean,
Kecskemeti Steven R.,
Chin Nathaniel A.,
Carlsson Cynthia M.,
Asthana Sanjay,
Johnson Sterling C.,
Kollmorgen Gwendlyn,
Batrla Richard,
Wild Norbert,
Buck Katharina,
Zetterberg Henrik,
Alexander Andrew L.,
Blennow Kaj,
Bendlin Barbara B.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.12364
Subject(s) - neuroscience , neuroimaging , magnetic resonance imaging , pittsburgh compound b , alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative , cerebrospinal fluid , amyloid (mycology) , biomarker , atrophy , psychology , neurite , diffusion mri , alzheimer's disease , cognitive decline , cognitive impairment , medicine , pathology , dementia , cognition , disease , chemistry , radiology , biochemistry , in vitro
Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), a multi‐compartment diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) model, may be useful for detecting early cortical microstructural alterations in Alzheimer's disease prior to cognitive impairment. Methods Using neuroimaging (NODDI and T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker data (measured using Elecsys® CSF immunoassays) from 219 cognitively unimpaired participants, we tested the main and interactive effects of CSF amyloid beta (Aβ) 42 /Aβ 40 and phosphorylated tau (p‐tau) on cortical NODDI metrics and cortical thickness, controlling for age, sex, and apolipoprotein E ε4. Results We observed a significant CSF Aβ 42 /Aβ 40 × p‐tau interaction on cortical neurite density index (NDI), but not orientation dispersion index or cortical thickness. The directionality of these interactive effects indicated: (1) among individuals with lower CSF p‐tau, greater amyloid burden was associated with higher cortical NDI; and (2) individuals with greater amyloid and p‐tau burden had lower cortical NDI, consistent with cortical neurodegenerative changes. Discussion NDI is a particularly sensitive marker for early cortical changes that occur prior to gross atrophy or development of cognitive impairment.