Tau deposition is associated with functional isolation of the hippocampus in aging

Theresa M. Harrison (), Anne Maass, Jenna N. Adams, Richard Du, Suzanne L. Baker and William J. Jagust
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Theresa M. Harrison: Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley
Anne Maass: Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley
Jenna N. Adams: Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley
Richard Du: Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley
Suzanne L. Baker: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
William J. Jagust: Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, UC Berkeley

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract The tau protein aggregates in aging and Alzheimer disease and may lead to memory loss through disruption of medial temporal lobe (MTL)-dependent memory systems. Here, we investigated tau-mediated mechanisms of hippocampal dysfunction that underlie the expression of episodic memory decline using fMRI measures of hippocampal local coherence (regional homogeneity; ReHo), distant functional connectivity and tau-PET. We show that age and tau pathology are related to higher hippocampal ReHo. Functional disconnection between the hippocampus and other components of the MTL memory system, particularly an anterior-temporal network specialized for object memory, is also associated with higher hippocampal ReHo and greater tau burden in anterior-temporal regions. These associations are not observed in the posteromedial network, specialized for context/spatial information. Higher hippocampal ReHo predicts worse memory performance. These findings suggest that tau pathology plays a role in disconnecting the hippocampus from specific MTL memory systems leading to increased local coherence and memory decline.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12921-z

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