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Tau PET correlates with different Alzheimer's disease-related features compared to CSF and plasma p-tau biomarkers
Ossenkoppele R, Reimand J, Smith R, Leuzy A, Strandberg O, Palmqvist S, Stomrud E, Zetterberg H et al.. EMBO molecular medicine, 2021-07-13
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
PET, CSF and plasma biomarkers of tau pathology may be differentially associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related demographic, cognitive, genetic and neuroimaging markers. We examined 771 participants with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment or dementia from BioFINDER-2 (n = 400) and ADNI (n = 371). All had tau-PET ([ 18 F]RO948 in BioFINDER-2, [ 18 F]flortaucipir in ADNI) and CSF p-tau181 biomarkers available. Plasma p-tau181 and plasma/CSF p-tau217 were available in BioFINDER-2 only. Concordance between PET, CSF and plasma tau biomarkers ranged between 66 and 95%. Across the whole group, ridge regression models showed that increased CSF and plasma p-tau181 and p-tau217 levels were independently of tau PET associated with higher age, and APOEɛ4-carriership and Aβ-positivity, while increased tau-PET signal in the temporal cortex was associated with worse cognitive performance and reduced cortical thickness. We conclude that biofluid and neuroimaging markers of tau pathology convey partly independent information, with CSF and plasma p-tau181 and p-tau217 levels being more tightly linked with early markers of AD (especially Aβ-pathology), while tau-PET shows the strongest associations with cognitive and neurodegenerative markers of disease progression.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Ossenkoppele, R., Reimand, J., Smith, R., Leuzy, A., Strandberg, O., Palmqvist, S., et al. (2021). Tau PET correlates with different Alzheimer's disease-related features compared to CSF and plasma p-tau biomarkers. EMBO molecular medicine. https://doi.org/10.15252/emmm.202114398
Vancouver
Ossenkoppele R, Reimand J, Smith R, Leuzy A, Strandberg O, Palmqvist S, et al. Tau PET correlates with different Alzheimer's disease-related features compared to CSF and plasma p-tau biomarkers. EMBO molecular medicine. 2021. doi:10.15252/emmm.202114398. PMID: 34254442.
BibTeX
@article{ossenkoppele2021-34254442,
author = {Ossenkoppele, R. and Reimand, J. and Smith, R. and Leuzy, A. and Strandberg, O. and Palmqvist, S. and Stomrud, E. and Zetterberg, H. and others},
title = {{Tau PET correlates with different Alzheimer's disease-related features compared to CSF and plasma p-tau biomarkers}},
journal = {EMBO molecular medicine},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.15252/emmm.202114398},
pmid = {34254442},
url = {https://doi.org/10.15252/emmm.202114398}
}
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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- PET, CSF and plasma biomarkers of tau pathology may be differentially associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related demographic, cognitive, genetic and neuroimaging markers.
- Across the whole group, ridge regression models showed that increased CSF and plasma p-tau181 and p-tau217 levels were independently of tau PET associated with higher age, and APOEɛ4-carriership and Aβ-positivity, while increased tau-PET signal in the temporal cortex was associated with worse cognitive performance and reduced cortical thickness.
- We conclude that biofluid and neuroimaging markers of tau pathology convey partly independent information, with CSF and plasma p-tau181 and p-tau217 levels being more tightly linked with early markers of AD (especially Aβ-pathology), while tau-PET shows the strongest associations with cognitive and neurodegenerative markers of disease progression.
Why it matters
This study found that tau-PET, CSF, and plasma biomarkers of tau pathology convey partly independent information about Alzheimer's disease. The findings are about comparing biomarkers and do not report on treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants400
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 59/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (EMBO molecular medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | EMBO Molecular Medicine: journal h-index 186 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| 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 | 2 / 4 | 400 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 131 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 18.7 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 13.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 14 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 79 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Oskar Hansson: h-index 148 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 14 institution(s) in 5 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 34254442) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 59 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202114398
- PubMed: 34254442
- Original source →
- Free full text: EMBO Molecular Medicine →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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