Brain tau deposition linked to systemic causes of death in normal elderly

Publication date: February 2017
Source:Neurobiology of Aging, Volume 50
Author(s): Keith A. Josephs, Nirubol Tosakulwong, Stephen D. Weigand, Melissa E. Murray, Jennifer L. Whitwell, Joseph E. Parisi, Dennis W. Dickson, Ronald C. Petersen
The relationship between causes of death and 4 major neurodegenerative brain proteins (beta-amyloid, tau, alpha-synuclein, and the TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) were assessed in 94 cognitively normal elderly participants that died without a neurodegenerative disease. There was an association between tau and causes of death (p = 0.01). Tau in the brain was associated with a reduced likelihood of dying from systemic cancers (p = 0.046), and with an increased likelihood of dying from pulmonary (p = 0.03) and gastrointestinal (p = 0.049) diseases. There were no associations between beta-amyloid, alpha-synuclein, or TDP-43 and causes of death. Tau deposition in the brain may have a relationship with systemic causes of death, including cancer, in the cognitively normal elderly.



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