Tau positron emission tomography harmonization using the CenTauR approach: General conversion equations, relevant cut‐points, and external validation
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: INTRODUCTION Tau positron emission tomography (PET) tracers differ in kinetics, binding properties, and quantification pipelines, complicating cross‐study comparisons. The CenTauR approach provides a unified framework for harmonizing tau PET quantification across tracers. METHODS We defined a tracer‐agnostic “Standard Method” using Statistical Parametric Mapping 12, standardized regions of interest, and harmonized acquisition parameters. Using data from five tau tracers—[ 18 F]flortaucipir, [ 18 F]MK‐6240, [ 18 F]PI‐2620, [ 18 F]RO948, and [ 18 F]GTP1—we applied the Joint Propagation Model to derive linear equations converting regional standardized uptake value ratios into the tracer‐independent CenTauR scale. Validation included independent cross‐sectional, longitudinal, and test–retest datasets across multiple cohorts. RESULTS The CenTauR scale yielded highly consistent regional values across tracers, with strong cross‐tracer agreement and robust performance in external validation cohorts. We also expressed clinically relevant cut‐points and staging boundaries on the CenTauR scale. DISCUSSION The CenTauR approach enables harmonized, tracer‐independent quantification of tau PET, supporting reproducibility across studies and improving interpretation in clinical research and multicenter trials.
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
DOI: 10.1002/alz.71886
Authors: Alexis Moscoso Rial, Antoine Leuzy, Lars Lau Raket, Victor L. Villemagne, Gregory Klein, Matteo Tonietto, Emily Olafson, Ruben Smith, Christopher G. Schwarz, Suzanne Baker, Ziad S. Saad, Santiago Bullich, Brian Lopresti, Sandra Sanabria Bohorquez, Guilherme Domingues Kolinger, Olivia Lutz, Mercè Boada, Tobey J. Betthauser, Arnaud Charil, Emily C. Collins, Jessica A. Collins, Roger N. Gunn, Makoto Higuchi, Eric Hostetler, R. Matthew Hutchison, Leonardo Iaccarino, Philip S. Insel, Michael C. Irizarry, Clifford R. Jack, William J. Jagust, Keith A. Johnson, Sterling C. Johnson, Cécile Tissot, David Vállez García, Gemma Salvadó, Diane Stephenson, Marta Marquié, Sulantha Mathotaarachchi, Mark A. Mintun, Rik Ossenkoppele, Qi Huang, Xiaoxie Mao, Johannes Gnörich, Ioannis Pappas, Ronald C. Petersen, Konstantinos Chiotis, Gil D. Rabinovici, Pedro Rosa‐Neto, Andrew W. Stephens, Alex Whittington, Maria C. Carrillo, Michael J. Pontecorvo, Samantha Budd Haeberlein, Billy Dunn, Hartmuth C. Kolb, Nadine Tatton, Yashmin Karten, Matthias Brendel, Sid O'Bryant, Fang Xie, Christopher C. Rowe, Oskar Hansson, Vincent Doré, for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), for the Health and Aging Brain Study (HABS‐HD) Study Team
Institutions: Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Eli Lilly (United States), University of Pittsburgh, Austin Health, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Genentech, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Johnson & Johnson (United States), Biomedical Research Networking Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Fundació ACE, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Eisai (United States), Biogen (United States), National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Institute for Quantum Medical Science, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (United States), University of California, San Francisco, Harvard University, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center, Critical Path Institute, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Huashan Hospital, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, LMU Klinikum, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, University of Southern California, Karolinska Institutet, UCSF Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Alzheimer's Association, Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, The University of Melbourne, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australian e-Health Research Centre
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,200
Awards: G3392249223, G8190685532, G9000122335
OpenAlex ID: W7225011130