The aggregation of fibrils of hyperphosphorylated and C-terminally truncated microtubule-associated tau protein characterizes 80% of all dementia disorders, the most common neurodegenerative disorders. These so-called tauopathies are hitherto not curable and their diagnosis, especially at early disease stages, has traditionally proven difficult. The recent development of tau positron emission tomography (PET) ligands has enabled the first-ever in vivo visualization, mapping, and quantification of tau pathology. Research employing these ligands has already contributed substantially to our knowledge about the temporal and spatial characteristics of tau accumulation in the living brain.

This presentation will describe the current state of PET-derived biomarkers for tau and their roles in the detection, diagnosis and prognosis of tau-associated neurodegenerative disorders, especially Alzheimer’s disease, as well as their associations with neuropathological findings. Finally, it aims at providing a perspective on how these biomarkers might be employed prospectively in research and clinical settings.

Asst Prof Helen Juan Zhou 
Principal Investigator 
NBD