Synaptic loss in primary tauopathies revealed by [11C]UCB-J positron emission tomography
Publication: Movement Disorders
Negin Holland, P. Simon Jones, George Savulich, Julie K. Wiggins, Young T. Hong, Tim D. Fryer, Roido Manavaki, Selena Milicevic Sephton, Istvan Boros, Maura Malpetti, Frank H. Hezemans, Franklin I. Aigbirhio, Jonathan P. Coles, John O’Brien, James B. Rowe
11 July 2020
Summary
In this study researchers looked at the loss of synapses in two tau-related neurodegenerative diseases (progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome) and the effect of this loss on cognition. The research was done using a novel PET radioligand, [11C]UCB-J.
They found a profound loss of synapses in all areas of the brain, beyond the effect of volume loss. This synaptic loss negatively correlated with disease severity and positively witih cognition.
These findings are key in identifying early steps in the pathology of neurodegeneration, and offer therapeutic targets for future clinical trials.
