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Association of Memory Impairment With Concomitant Tau Pathology in Patients With Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy
Schoemaker D, Charidimou A, Zanon Zotin MC, Raposo N, Johnson KA, Sanchez JS, Greenberg SM, Viswanathan A.. Neurology, 2021-02-24
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Objective Relying on tau-PET imaging, this cross-sectional study explored whether memory impairment is linked to the presence of concomitant tau pathology in individuals with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Methods Forty-six patients with probable CAA underwent a neuropsychological examination and an MRI for quantification of structural markers of cerebral small vessel disease. A subset of these participants also completed a [ 11 C]-Pittsburgh compound B (n = 39) and [ 18 F]-flortaucipir (n = 40) PET for in vivo estimation of amyloid and tau burden, respectively. Participants were classified as amnestic or nonamnestic on the basis of neuropsychological performance. Statistical analyses were performed to examine differences in cognition, structural markers of cerebral small vessel disease, and amyloid- and tau-PET retention between participants with amnestic and those with nonamnestic CAA. Results Patients with probable CAA with an amnestic presentation displayed a globally more severe profile of cognitive impairment, smaller hippocampal volume ( p p = 0.003) compared to their nonamnestic counterparts. Amnestic and nonamnestic patients with CAA did not differ on any other MRI markers or on amyloid-PET binding. In a generalized linear model including all evaluated neuroimaging markers, tau-PET retention (β = -0.85, p = 0.001) and hippocampal volume (β = 0.64 p = 0.01) were the only significant predictors of memory performance. The cognitive profile of patients with CAA with an elevated tau-PET retention was distinctly characterized by a significantly lower performance on the memory domain ( p = 0.004). Conclusions These results suggest that the presence of objective memory impairment in patients with probable CAA could serve as a marker for underlying tau pathology. Classification of evidence This study provides Class II evidence that tau-PET retention is related to the presence of objective memory impairment in patients with CAA.
Key findings
- Results Patients with probable CAA with an amnestic presentation displayed a globally more severe profile of cognitive impairment, smaller hippocampal volume ( p p = 0.003) compared to their nonamnestic counterparts.
- In a generalized linear model including all evaluated neuroimaging markers, tau-PET retention (β = -0.85, p = 0.001) and hippocampal volume (β = 0.64 p = 0.01) were the only significant predictors of memory performance.
- The cognitive profile of patients with CAA with an elevated tau-PET retention was distinctly characterized by a significantly lower performance on the memory domain ( p = 0.004).
- Conclusions These results suggest that the presence of objective memory impairment in patients with probable CAA could serve as a marker for underlying tau pathology.
Why it matters
In 46 patients with probable cerebral amyloid angiopathy, those with memory problems had more tau on PET and smaller hippocampal volume than those without memory problems, while amyloid PET did not differ. This is a cross-sectional study about how tau relates to memory in this condition, not a treatment trial.
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Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Participants39
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 55/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 39 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 30 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.3 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 18 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Anand Viswanathan: h-index 88 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 33627498) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 55 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000011745
- PubMed: 33627498
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Schoemaker, D., Charidimou, A., Zanon Zotin, M. C., Raposo, N., Johnson, K. A., Sanchez, J. S., et al. (2021). Association of Memory Impairment With Concomitant Tau Pathology in Patients With Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000011745
Vancouver
Schoemaker D, Charidimou A, Zanon Zotin MC, Raposo N, Johnson KA, Sanchez JS, et al. Association of Memory Impairment With Concomitant Tau Pathology in Patients With Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy. Neurology. 2021. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000011745. PMID: 33627498.
BibTeX
@article{schoemaker2021-33627498,
author = {Schoemaker, D. and Charidimou, A. and Zanon Zotin, M. C. and Raposo, N. and Johnson, K. A. and Sanchez, J. S. and Greenberg, S. M. and Viswanathan, A.},
title = {{Association of Memory Impairment With Concomitant Tau Pathology in Patients With Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0000000000011745},
pmid = {33627498},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000011745}
}
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