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Association between left hemisphere MK6240 uptake and language dysfunction in aging and Alzheimer’s disease
Author(s) -
Poltronetti Nina Margherita,
Rahmouni Nesrine,
Lussier Firoza Z,
Stevenson Jenna,
Stevenson Alyssa,
Benedet Andréa Lessa,
Tissot Cécile,
Pascoal Tharick A.,
Chamoun Mira,
Kang Min Su,
Therriault Joseph,
Savard Melissa,
Mathotaarachchi Sulantha,
Gauthier Serge,
RosaNeto Pedro
Publication year - 2020
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.046493
Subject(s) - neurodegeneration , psychology , boston naming test , alzheimer's disease , standardized uptake value , cognition , lateralization of brain function , neuroscience , disease , audiology , medicine , pathology , neuropsychology , positron emission tomography
Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by a progressive deterioration of multiple cognitive domains. The relative effect of amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and neurodegeneration on cognitive decline, more specifically in the language‐related areas, is still unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the independent effects of Amyloid‐β, Tau and neurodegeneration on language using The Boston Naming Test. Method The present study was conducted in a population of 163 individuals (116 cognitively unimpaired, 33 mild cognitively impaired and 14 AD). Boston naming Test (BNT) was used to measure the confrontational word retrieval in individuals. Tau was assessed with [18F]MK6240. [18F]MK6240 standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRs) used the cerebellum grey matter as the reference region and were calculated between 90‐110 min post‐injection. A voxel‐based regression model evaluated the relationship between BNT and [18F]MK6240, adjusting for age, sex, years of education, diagnosis. Analyses were corrected for multiple comparisons using random field theory at p<0.001. Result In the present study, negative associations were observed between the levels of BNT scores and accumulation of tau indexed by [18F]MK6240‐PET. The brain regions affected were the medial frontal, parietal and temporal lobes, with a predominance in the left hemisphere. Conclusion These results support the claim that only tau seems to be related to language dysfunction in aging and AD. Associations were more pronounced in the left hemisphere, recapitulating known functional neuroanatomy of language production in humans. Our results support the emerging concept that tau pathology is a major driver of local neurodegeneration and domain‐specific cognitive impairment.