PET links impaired sleep in Alzheimer ’s disease patients to tau protein

PET scans have revealed specific brain pathology that may drive sleep disturbances in Alzheimer’s disease patients, according to a study published February 8 in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences. In a large group, abnormal nighttime behaviors were linked with greater baseline tau on F-18 flortaucipir PET scans, with the finding offering a potential new target for delaying cognitive decline, noted lead author Ryan Kim, of Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, and colleagues. “Our results help identify high-risk individuals who could benefit from sleep-related interventions aimed to delay cognitive decline and [Alzheimer's disease],” the group wrote. Alzheimer's disease is commonly associated with impaired sleep, although the underlying mechanisms for this remain unclear, the authors explained. Two recent studies have linked sleep disturbance with regional tau on brain PET scans, but only in small groups of patients, they added. To explore the association further, the researchers first analyzed PET imaging in 254 Alzheimer’s disease patients who had participated in a previous trial. Of these, 119 (43%) had normal cognition, 132 (24%) had mild cognitive impairment, and three (2%) had Alzheimer’s disease. Patients also had follow-up scans, with a mean follow-up duration between the two of 2.8 years. Next, the researchers assessed impaired sleep in the patients in two ways: by documentation of sleep disturbances in their medical history and by abnormal nightti...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Subspecialties Neuroradiology Source Type: news