Liquoric beta amyloid and tau proteins association with white matter integrity on Alzheimer's Disease

• Grant number: 17/01286-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): May 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Marcio Luiz Figueredo Balthazar
• Grantee: Christian Luiz Baptista Gerbelli
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Alzheimer's disease dementia (AD dementia) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes cognitive and neuropsychiatric alterations through diverse physiopathologic mechanisms, restricting the functional independence of the subject. Evidences suggest that the physiopathology of the disease is predominantly related to two proteins: the amyloid ² (A²) and tau proteins. The A² protein is associated with monomers aggregation and posterior deposition, creating the senile and diffuse plaques. While tau protein is linked to a hyperphosphorylated state, which creates insoluble aggregates inside the cell bodies, these aggregates are responsible for axonal destabilization and degeneration, promoting the cell death. It's possible the existence of a anomalous proteins propagation pattern, and it's also possible that anomalous proteins propagation mechanisms occur through interconnected neuronal network, by white matter tracts, similar to a prion-like way of propagation. In addition, imaging studies evidence white matter impairment on AD dementia. So these informations highlight the white matter importance on the physiopathology of the disease, because, probably, the axons are, simultaneously, propagation route and where physiopathology takes place. This study aims to study the possible correlation between liquoric biomarkers levels of AD dementia (A², total tau and phospho-tau proteins) and the white matter integrity of all brain (assessed by DTI technique) in patients with AD dementia and amnestic MCI. (AU)