Striatal amyloid is associated with tauopathy and memory decline in familial Alzheimer’s disease

Bernard J. Hanseeuw,
Francisco Lopera,
Reisa A. Sperling,
Daniel J. Norton,
Edmarie Guzman-Velez,
Ana Baena,
Enmanuelle Pardilla-Delgado,
Aaron P. Schultz,
Jennifer Gatchel,
David Jin,
Kewei Chen,
Eric M. Reiman,
Keith A. Johnson† and
Yakeel T. Quiroz†Email author

†Contributed equally

Alzheimer's Research & Therapy201911:17

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-019-0468-1

Received: 6 November 2018
Accepted: 14 January 2019
Published: 4 February 2019

Abstract

Background

Autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease (ADAD) is distinguished from late-onset AD by early striatal amyloid-β deposition. To determine whether striatal Pittsburgh compound B (PiB)-PET measurements of amyloid-β can help predict disease severity in ADAD, we compared relationships of striatal and neocortical PiB-PET to age, tau-PET, and memory performance in the Colombian Presenilin 1 E280A kindred.

Methods

Fourteen carriers (age = 28–42, Mini-Mental State Examination = 26–30) and 20 age-matched non-carriers were evaluated using PiB, flortaucipir (FTP; tau), and memory testing (CERAD Word List Learning). PiB-PET signal was measured in neocortical and striatal aggregates. FTP-PET signal was measured in entorhinal cortex.

Results

Compared to non-carriers, mutation carriers had age-related elevations in both neocortical and striatal PiB binding. The PiB elevation in carriers was significantly greater in the striatum than in the neocortex. In mutation carriers, PiB binding in both the neocortex and the striatum is related to entorhinal FTP; however, the association was stronger with the striatum. Only striatal PiB was associated with worse memory. Remarkably, PiB binding in the striatum, but not in the neocortex, predicted entorhinal FTP and lower memory scores after adjusting for age, indicating that striatal PiB identified the carriers with the most severe disease.

Conclusions

Based on these preliminary cross-sectional findings, striatal PiB-PET measurements may offer particular value in the detection and tracking of preclinical ADAD, informing a mutation carrier’s prognosis and evaluating amyloid-β-modifying ADAD treatments.