Longitudinal monitoring of tau aggregation in progressive supranuclear palsy with [ 18 F]PI‐2620 PET
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: INTRODUCTION Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a 4‐repeat tauopathy, can be visualized using [ 18 F]PI‐2620 tau positron emission tomography (PET). However, the value of sequential [ 18 F]PI‐2620 imaging for tracking tau accumulation during the disease course has not yet been investigated. METHODS Twenty‐three PSP patients underwent two [ 18 F]PI‐2620 PET scans (interval: 21.4 ± 4.3 months) and were compared to cross‐sectional data from 25 healthy controls. Regional volume of distribution ratio values were analyzed for longitudinal tau changes, clinical correlations, and network‐based propagation. Post mortem analyses examined neuronal density and AT8 tau pathology. RESULTS Subcortical tau PET signals increased, strongest in the globus pallidus internus ( P < 0.0001). Patients with low baseline tau showed the largest increases. Despite clinical worsening (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Rating Scale +48%), tau PET change did not correlate with symptom progression. Tau accumulation followed functional connectivity ( R = 0.34, P < 0.0001). Post mortem data linked elevated tau PET to higher AT8 burden despite neuronal loss. DISCUSSION [ 18 F]PI‐2620 PET enables monitoring of tau progression in PSP, indicating network‐based tau propagation with saturation in advanced stages.
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
DOI: 10.1002/alz.71195
Authors: Johannes Gnörich, Julia Kusche‐Palenga, Carla Palleis, Antonia Neubauer, Lukas Frontzkowski, Alexander Jäck, Agnes Kling, Theresa Bauer, Hannah Eyob, Katharina Probst, Sebastian N. Roemer‐Cassiano, Alexander M. Bernhardt, Sabrina Katzdobler, Lena Marth, Mirlind Zaganjori, Franziska Hopfner, Andreas Zwergal, Jan Häckert, Michael Rullmann, Osama Sabri, Henryk Barthel, Sophia Stöcklein, Rudolf A. Werner, Mikael Simons, Johannes Levin, Jochen Herms, Nicolai Franzmeier, Günter U. Höglinger, Matthias Brendel, for the German Imaging Initiative for Tauopathies (GII4T)
Institutions: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, LMU Klinikum, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, Institut für Neuropathologie, Institut für Schlaganfall- und Demenzforschung, Deutsches Schwindel- und Gleichgewichtszentrum, University of Augsburg, Bezirkskrankenhaus Augsburg, University Hospital Leipzig, Städtisches Klinikum Dessau, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine, University of Gothenburg
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,200
OpenAlex ID: W7131375632