Factors associated with age at tau pathology onset and time from tau onset to dementia.

INTRODUCTION

Elevated tau is temporally proximal to dementia onset but less is known about factors influencing T+ onset age and time to dementia following T+ in Alzheimer's disease. We used sampled iterative localized approximation (SILA) estimated T+ onset age (ETOA) to investigate factors associated with T+ age and time from T+ to dementia onset in ADNI.

METHODS

Using SILA-estimated A+ and T+ onset ages derived from F-Flortaucipir, F-Florbetapir, and F-Florbetaben PET and Cox proportional hazards and accelerated failure time models, we analyzed , sex, amyloid burden, age, educational attainment, and literacy associations with ETOA and time from T+ to dementia.

RESULTS

Higher amyloid, -ε4, lower education, and lower literacy associated with younger ETOA. Older ETOA and higher amyloid associated with shorter time from T+ to dementia.

DISCUSSION

This work highlights the prognostic value of ETOA and the need to better characterize factors contributing to ETOA and dementia onset in AD.