People experiencing early memory problems and whose partners also notice their memory issues have increased levels of tau tangles in the brain, which is a marker linked to Alzheimer’s disease. This information comes from a study published in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Subjective cognitive decline occurs when an individual reports issues with memory and thinking.
A study conducted by Rebecca E. Amariglio, PhD, from Harvard Medical School, found that identifying the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease is crucial, especially with the availability of new disease-modifying drugs. The study revealed a link between early suspicions of memory problems reported by both the participants and the people close to them and higher levels of tau tangles in the brain.
The research included 675 adults with an average age of 72 who did not show cognitive impairment on formal testing. All participants underwent brain scans to detect amyloid plaques.
60% of the participants showed high levels of amyloid, which put them at risk of developing cognitive impairment from Alzheimer’s disease, even though they were cognitively normal at the time of the scan. The participants were unaware of their amyloid levels. Each participant was paired with a study partner, such as a spouse, child, or friend, who could provide information about the participant’s memory and thinking abilities, as well as their daily functioning. In 65% of cases, the partners lived with the participants. Both the participants and their partners completed a questionnaire to evaluate the participant’s subjective cognitive decline, which included questions about their everyday functioning.Compared to one year ago, do you feel that your memory has declined significantly?” and “Compared to one year ago, do you have more difficulty managing money?” The scores of the participants and their partners were recorded, with higher scores indicating greater memory complaints.
The researchers also examined brain scans to determine the levels of tau tangles. Elevated tau levels are a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and are higher in individuals with elevated amyloid.
The study found that participants with higher levels of tau tangles in the brain had higher scores of complaints on the memory questionnaire. Their partners also gave them higher scores. This suggests a strong association between tau tangles and memory complaints.The association was more pronounced in participants with increased levels of amyloid plaques. “Our research involved a large number of individuals with elevated amyloid, and as a result, we were also able to observe a link between memory complaints and higher tau tangles,” Amariglio stated. “Our results indicate that inquiring about subjective cognitive decline in older individuals with elevated Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers could be useful for early detection. This is especially important as it is expected that treatments administered at the earliest detectable stage of the disease will be most effective in slowing its progression.” Some limitations of this study include The research found that the majority of the participants were white and highly educated. Amariglio suggested that future studies should track people for longer periods of time and include a more diverse group of participants from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as varying levels of educational attainment.
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