New and Noteworthy Information—June 2016

Tau tangles provide a good indication of cognitive decline in the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published May 11 in Science Translational Medicine. The study suggests that while β-amyloid remains a critical marker for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, tau may be more useful for tracking disease progression and, potentially, patient response to therapies. Researchers analyzed PET imaging of tau and β-amyloid in 10 patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease and 36 healthy adults. Compared with amyloid plaques, tau tangles in the temporal lobe more closely correlated with cognitive deficits, as measured by a battery of memory tests. Tau deposits in the temporal lobe also were strongly associated with tau detected in the patients’ CSF. Tau therefore may better predict dementia during Alzheimer’s disease progression than β-amyloid.

—Kimberly Williams