Bundle-specific associations between white matter microstructure and Aβ and tau pathology in preclinical Alzheimer's disease.

ABSTRACT: Beta-amyloid (Aβ) and tau proteins, the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD), are believed to spread through connected regions of the brain. Combining diffusion imaging and positron emission tomography, we investigated associations between white matter microstructure specifically in bundles connecting regions where Aβ or tau accumulates and pathology. We focused on free-water-corrected diffusion measures in the anterior cingulum, posterior cingulum, and uncinate fasciculus in cognitively normal older adults at risk of sporadic AD and presymptomatic mutation carriers of autosomal dominant AD. In Aβ-positive or tau-positive groups, lower tissue fractional anisotropy and higher mean diffusivity related to greater Aβ and tau burden in both cohorts. Associations were found in the

SUBMITTER: Pichet Binette A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8169107 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature