title: Levels of tau protein in plasma are associated with neurodegeneration and cognitive function in a population-based elderly cohort.
abstract: Tau protein levels in plasma may be a marker of neuronal damage. We examined associations between plasma tau levels and Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) neuroimaging measures among nondemented individuals.
  
  
  
  Participants included 378 cognitively normal (CN) and 161 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) individuals enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging with concurrent neuropsychological measures and amyloid PET, fluorodeoxyglucose PET, and MRI. Baseline plasma tau levels were measured using the Quanterix Simoa-HD1 tau assay.
  
  
  
  Plasma tau levels were higher in MCI compared with CN (4.34 vs. 4.14 pg/mL, P = .078). In regression models adjusted for age, gender, education, and APOE, higher plasma tau was associated with worse memory performance (b = -0.30, P = .02) and abnormal cortical thickness in an AD signature region (odds ratio = 1.80, P = .018).
  
  
  
  Plasma tau is associated with cortical thickness and memory performance. Longitudinal studies will better elucidate the associations between plasma tau, neurodegeneration, and cognition.
authors.affiliation: Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dage
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Alexandra M V
authors.initials: AMV
authors.lastname: Wennberg
authors.affiliation: Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Airey
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Clinton E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Knopman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Mary M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Machulda
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Rosebud O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Clifford R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Jack
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Electronic address: mielke.michelle@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mielke
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001921:Brain; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016875:tau Proteins
keywords: Amyloid; Cognition; Cortical thickness; MCI; MRI; Memory; Plasma tau