Cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) is associated with Tau deposition in older individuals

Motivation: Tau deposition is an important pathological process in aging and AD/MCI. Goal(s): Analyze oxygen metabolism and association with Tau burden. Approach: We mapped CMRO2 with ASL based CBF and mGRE based OEF in an AD cohort. We compared the spatial distribution and association with Tau burden measured with 18F-MK-6240 PET. Results: We found that a higher Tau deposition is associated with lower CMRO2 at both subject and regional levels, especially in cortical temporal and parietal lobes. Oxygen metabolism measured with MRI is a potential biomarker in aging and AD and opens opportunities for future research of tau accumulation and metabolism dysfunction. Impact: Negative association observed between tau deposition and oxygen metabolism at both subject and regional levels extend understanding of the neurotoxity of tau accumulation, potentially helps to the development of tau targeted disease modifiers.