Biomarkers.

Background: In the era of disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD), accurate detection of underlying AD pathology is critical. Blood-based biomarkers for AD are increasingly available, but their diagnostic performance is not well-understood across the spectrum of neurodegenerative disease, especially when AD presents as co-pathology in non-AD syndromes. We investigated the diagnostic performance of three plasma biomarkers (phosphorylated tau 217 [p-tau217], neurofilament light chain [NfL], and glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP]) to detect AD, confirmed by autopsy, across 12 clinical neurodegenerative syndromes with various underlying etiologies.

Biomarkers.

Background: Tau-PET with [18F]Flortaucipir is FDA-approved for the identification of AD tau neuropathology in the differential diagnosis of patients with cognitive impairment. However, its performance in detecting early AD stages requires further assessment. We aimed to i) examine the relationships between Flortaucipir-PET and AD neuropathology, and ii) characterize the relationship between Flortaucipir-PET and emerging plasma ptau217 biomarker in autopsy cases.

Biomarkers.

Background: Neuropathological studies indicate that locus coeruleus(LC) volume decreases in Alzheimer's disease(AD) by 8% at each stage, (from Braak 0-1), whereas in normal aging, the LC remains unchanged. These changes make LC volumetry by neuroimaging a promising way to track AD progression even before symptoms appear. However, LC's small size and location make it prone to imaging artifacts.

Biomarkers.

Background: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative tauopathy specific to individuals with repetitive head trauma. Traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) is the proposed clinical syndrome resulting from CTE with or without other contributing neuropathologies. Pathophysiological mechanisms driving CTE and underlying TES symptoms are not understood.

Public Health.

Background: Racial differences in dementia prevalence and incidence were found with higher dementia burden in African descendants. Previous neuropathological studies were conducted mostly in white participants in convenience samples. Further studies in diverse populations are important to foster the understanding of race differences in dementia pathology.