Presenter of 1 Presentation
TAU DISRUPTS THE COVARIANCE BETWEEN CORTICAL THICKNESS AND WHITE MATTER ARCHITECTURE IN AD.
Abstract
Aims
The current literature investigating the effects of AD pathological hallmarks on the covariance between the gray matter and white matter architecture is limited. Here, we aimed to elucidate tau may impose a significant disturbance in the covariance between the cortical thickness and global graph theory metrics and lead to cognitive decline in AD.
Methods
A total of 214 participants (103 A-T-, 32 A+T-, 79 A+T+) from the TRIAD cohort underwent T1 for cortical thickness, multiband DWI for global graph theory metrics, [18F]AZD4694 and [18F]MK6240 PET, and MMSE. A multivariate PLS analysis model was conducted to evaluate the covariance between regional cortical thickness and global graph theory metrics. Then, the difference in the LV scores between the AD continuum groups, and their effects on cognition were investigated based on a multiple regression with age, sex, education, and APOEε4 as covariates.
Results
Our study revealed two significant LVs that explained 67% and 16%, respectively. While both LV scores showed significant effects on MMSE, only the first LV score showed a significant reduction in A+T+ compared to A-T- and A+T- only. Upon further examination of the first LV, the cortical thickness in the AD vulnerable regions such as precuneus showed the largest positive effects on transitivity, small worldness, clustering, strength, and modularity but negative effects on global efficiency.
Conclusions
: This study highlights a significant covariance between the cortical thickness and global graph theory metrics. Notably, reduced LV scores in A+T+ suggest tau may disrupt the relationship between gray and white matter in AD.
