Functional connectivity associated with tau levels in ageing, Alzheimer's, and small vessel disease.

ABSTRACT: In Alzheimer's disease, tau pathology spreads hierarchically from the inferior temporal lobe throughout the cortex, ensuing cognitive decline and dementia. Similarly, circumscribed patterns of pathological tau have been observed in normal ageing and small vessel disease, suggesting a spatially ordered distribution of tau pathology across normal ageing and different diseases. In vitro findings suggest that pathological tau may spread 'prion-like' across neuronal connections in an activity-dependent manner. Supporting this notion, functional brain networks show a spatial correspondence to tau deposition patterns. However, it remains unclear whether higher network-connectivity facilitates tau propagation. To address this, we included 55 normal aged elderly (i.e. cognitively normal, amyloid-ne

SUBMITTER: Franzmeier N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6439332 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature