Imaging tau and amyloid-? proteinopathies in Alzheimer disease and other conditions

Abstract

Most neurodegenerative disorders are associated with aggregated protein deposits. In the case of Alzheimer disease (AD), extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates and intracellular tau neurofibrillary tangles are the two neuropathological hallmarks of the disease. Aβ-PET imaging has already been approved for clinical use and is being used in clinical trials of anti-Aβ therapies both for patient recruitment and as an outcome measure. These studies have shown that Aβ accumulation is a protracted process that can extend for more than 2 decades before the onset of clinical AD. This Review describes how in vivo brain imaging of Aβ pathology has revolutionized the evaluation of patients with clinica..