Participants with LLMDs more likely to be tau PET- and amyloid \u03b2 PET-positive compared with healthy controls<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n
MONDAY, June 30, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Alzheimer disease (AD) and diverse non-AD tau pathologies may contribute to late-life mood disorders (LLMDs), according to a study published online June 9 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia<\/em>.<\/p>\n Shin Kurose, from the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology in Japan, and colleagues examined the involvement of AD and non-AD tau pathologies in a study involving 52 participants with LLMDs and 47 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Participants underwent tau and amyloid beta (A\u03b2) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using 18<\/sup>F-florzolotau and 11<\/sup>C-Pittsburgh compound B. In addition, a clinicopathological correlation analysis was conducted in 208 autopsy cases, including neurodegenerative diseases.<\/p>\n The researchers found that compared with healthy controls, participants with LLMDs were more likely to be tau PET- and A\u03b2 PET-positive. These results were supported by the postmortem results that showed higher likelihood of diverse tauopathies in patients with versus those without late-life mania or depression.<\/p>\n “Because most of the participants with LLMDs in our study had no or mild cognitive decline, these results support the evidence that neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer and non-Alzheimer tau-related pathologies, can initially manifest as psychiatric symptoms,” Kurose said in a statement.<\/p>\n Two authors hold patents on compounds related to this study.<\/p>\n