HAI Book 2025 - Flipbook - Page 661
Slade, Elliott
160
Impact of early-stage amyloidosis on tau accumulation throughout
the medial temporal lobe and neocortex
Elliott Slade2, Emma Thibault2, Jackson Thompson2, Jessie Fanglu Fu1,2, Alex Becker2, Julie
Price1,2, Amal Tiss2, Kuang Gong3, Reisa Sperling2, Keith Johnson2, Michelle Farrell2
1
Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, US
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, US
3
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, US
2
Background: Tau accumulates in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) throughout the adult lifespan in most individuals.
Amyloid-´ (A´) is believed to trigger the spread of tau from MTL to the neocortex in Alzheimer9s disease (AD),
setting off a cascade leading to dementia. A´ and tau PET research over the last decade suggest that this
triggering event occurs after a certain threshold level of A´ is reached, with some studies suggesting this
threshold falls at 40 Centiloids (CL). However, advances in PET scanners, quantification methods and the use of
more sensitive second-generation tau radioligands like [18F]MK-6240 (MK) may reveal changes in tau burden
earlier in the course of amyloidosis than previously thought. This study evaluates whether baseline A´ contributes
to predicting greater tau accumulation.
Methods: We examined 60 participants in HABS2 with low A´-burden (
