Regional variability of imaging biomarkers in autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease

Beta-amyloid plaque accumulation, glucose hypometabolism, and neuronal atrophy are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the regional ordering of these biomarkers prior to dementia remains untested. In a cohort with Alzheimer’s disease mutations, we performed an integrated whole-brain analysis of three major imaging techniques: amyloid PET, [18F]fluro-deoxyglucose PET, and structural MRI. We found that most gray-matter structures with amyloid plaques later have hypometabolism followed by atrophy. Critically, however, not all regions lose metabolic function, and not all regions atrophy, even when there is significant amyloid deposition. These regional disparities have important implications for clinical trials of disease-modifying therapies.

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