Open AccessNetwork interdigitations of Tau and amyloid‐beta deposits define cognitive levels in aging
Author(s) -
Kim ChanMi,
Montal Victor,
Diez Ibai,
Orwig William,
Sepulcre Jorge
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/hbm.25350
Subject(s) - dementia , cognition , neuroscience , psychology , neurodegeneration , cognitive decline , alzheimer's disease , positron emission tomography , pittsburgh compound b , pathological , amyloid (mycology) , disease , medicine , cognitive impairment , pathology
Amyloid‐beta (Aβ) plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD); their contribution to neurodegeneration and clinical manifestations are critical in understanding preclinical AD. At present, the mechanisms related to Aβ and tau pathogenesis leading to cognitive decline in older adults remain largely unknown. Here, we examined graph theory‐based positron emission tomography (PET) analytical approaches, within and between tau and Aβ PET modalities, and tested the effects on cognitive changes in cognitively normal older adults (CN). Particularly, we focused on the network interdigitations of Aβ and tau deposits, along with cognitive test scores in CN at both baseline and 2‐year follow‐up (FU). We found highly significant Aβ‐tau network integrations in AD vulnerable areas, as well as significant associations between those Aβ‐tau interdigitations and general cognitive impairment in CN at baseline and FU. Our findings suggest a distinctive contribution of interlinking network relationships between Aβ and tau deposits in heteromodal areas of the human brain. They support a network‐based interaction between Aβ and tau accumulations as a key factor for cognitive deterioration in CN prior to dementia.