Synergistic interaction between amyloid and tau predicts the progression to dementia

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.11.005
• Publication Date: 2016-12-24T08:15:27Z
• Authors: Tharick A. Pascoal; Sulantha Mathotaa...; Monica Shin; Andrea L. Benedet; Sara Mohades; Seqian Wang; Tom Beaudry; Min Su Kang; Jean‐Paul Soucy; Aurelie Labbe; Serge Gauthier; Pedro Rosa‐Neto
• Keywords: Male; Epidemiology; Apolipoprotein E4; Clinical Neurology; tau Proteins; Neuropsychological Tests; Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Developmental Neuroscience; Alzheimer Disease; Humans; Cognitive Dysfunction; Aged; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Aniline Compounds; Health Policy; Brain; 3. Good health; Psychiatry and Mental health; Logistic Models; Positron-Emission Tomography; Disease Progression; Ethylene Glycols; Female; Geriatrics and Gerontology; Radiopharmaceuticals; Biomarkers; Follow-Up Studies

AbstractIntroductionRecent literature proposes that amyloid β (Aβ) and phosphorylated tau (p‐tau) synergism accelerates biomarker abnormalities in controls. Yet, it remains to be answered whether this synergism is the driving force behind Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia.MethodsWe stratified 314 mild cognitive impairment individuals using [18F]florbetapir positron emission tomography Aβ imaging and cerebrospinal fluid p‐tau. Regression and voxel‐based logistic regression models with interaction terms evaluated 2‐year changes in cognition and clinical status as a function of baseline biomarkers.ResultsWe found that the synergism between [18F]florbetapir and p‐tau, rather than their additive effects, was associated with the cognitive decline and progression to AD. Furthermore, voxel‐based analysis revealed that temporal and inferior parietal were the regions where the synergism determined an increased likelihood of developing AD.DiscussionTogether, the present results support that progression to AD dementia is driven by the synergistic rather than a mere additive effect between Aβ and p‐tau proteins.