Brain regional susceptibility to tauopathy in individuals at risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Wiegand, Tim L. T.; Rubinski, Anna; Jung, Leonard B.; Franzmeier, Nicolai; Arciniega, Hector; Ravanfar, Parsa; Dewenter, Anna; Alosco, Michael L.; Tripodis, Yorghos; Su, Yi; Protas, Hillary; Lin, Alexander P.; Pasternak, Ofer; Chen, Kewei; Coleman, Michael J.; Bouix, Sylvain; Adler, Charles H.; Balcer, Laura J.; Bernick, Charles; Cummings, Jeffrey L.; Stern, Robert A.; Reiman, Eric M.; Shenton, Martha E.; Ewers, Michael; Koerte, Inga K. (2026): Brain regional susceptibility to tauopathy in individuals at risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 22 (6): e71503. ISSN 1552-5260

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a tauopathy linked to repetitive head impacts. Factors influencing brain regional susceptibility to tau deposition and spreading remain unclear.

METHODS:
We used three datasets: [18F]flortaucipir positron emission tomography (PET) in 157 former professional American football players and 53 controls (DIAGNOSE CTE); cortical myelin water fractions (MWF) in 50 healthy individuals (Myelin Water Atlas); and white matter (WM) tract MWF and functional connectivity (FC) in 100 healthy individuals (Human Connectome Project). We tested associations between tau-PET uptake and covariance in football players and typical cortical gray matter (GM) MWF, WM tract MWF, and FC.

RESULTS:
Cortical regions with lower typical GM MWF showed higher tau-PET uptake (β = −0.399, p = 0.001). WM tracts with lower typical MWF were associated with higher tau-PET covariance (β = −0.238, p < 0.001). Higher typical FC was associated with higher tau-PET covariance (β = 0.447, p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION:
In former football players at risk for CTE, regional susceptibility to tau deposition may be driven by low myelin and high FC.

• Dokumententyp: Artikel (Klinikum der LMU)
• Organisationseinheit (Fakultäten): 07 Medizin > Klinikum der LMU München > Klinik und Poliklinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie
• DFG-Fachsystematik der Wissenschaftsbereiche: Lebenswissenschaften
• DFG: Gefördert durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - 491502892