Application of an amyloid and tau classification system in subcortical vascular cognitive impairment patients

Hyemin Jang, Hee Jin Kim, Seongbeom Park, Yu Hyun Park, Yeongsim Choe, Hanna Cho, Chul Hyoung Lyoo, Uicheul Yoon, Jin San Lee, Yeshin Kim, Seung Joo Kim, Jun Pyo Kim, Young Hee Jung, Young Hoon Ryu, Jae Yong Choi, Seung Hwan Moon, Joon Kyung Seong, Charles DeCarli, Michael W. Weiner, Samuel N. LockhartSoo Hyun Cho, Duk L. Na, Sang Won Seo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: To apply an AT (Aβ/tau) classification system to subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (SVCI) patients following recently developed biomarker-based criteria of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and to investigate its clinical significance. Methods: We recruited 60 SVCI patients who underwent the neuropsychological tests, brain MRI, and 18F-florbetaben and 18F-AV1451 PET at baseline. As a control group, we further recruited 27 patients with AD cognitive impairment (ADCI; eight Aβ PET-positive AD dementia and 19 amnestic mild cognitive impairment). ADCI and SVCI patients were classified as having normal or abnormal Aβ (A−/A+) and tau (T−/T+) based on PET results. Across the three SVCI groups (A−, A+T−, and A+T+SVCI), we compared longitudinal changes in cognition, hippocampal volume (HV), and cortical thickness using linear mixed models. Results: Among SVCI patients, 33 (55%), 20 (33.3%), and seven (11.7%) patients were A−, A+T−, and A+T+, respectively. The frequency of T+ was lower in A+SVCI (7/27, 25.9%) than in A+ADCI (14/20, 70.0%, p = 0.003) which suggested that cerebral small vessel disease affected cognitive impairments independently of A+. A+T−SVCI had steeper cognitive decline than A−SVCI. A+T+SVCI also showed steeper cognitive decline than A+T−SVCI. Also, A+T−SVCI had steeper decrease in HV than A−SVCI, while cortical thinning did not differ between the two groups. A+T+SVCI had greater global cortical thinning compared with A+T−SVCI, while declines in HV did not differ between the two groups. Conclusion: This study showed that the AT system successfully characterized SVCI patients, suggesting that the AT system may be usefully applied in a research framework for clinically diagnosed SVCI.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)292-303
Number of pages12
JournalEuropean Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Volume47
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020 Feb 1

Keywords

  • Amyloid-β
  • Classification
  • Longitudinal changes
  • Subcortical vascular cognitive impairment
  • Tau

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

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