Determining the Role of Tau and Amyloid in Chronic Symptoms and Deficits in Military Personnel Following TBIs Through PET Imaging
Abstract
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are common in military personnel and are linked to high rates of chronic behavioral and neurological symptoms and deficits. However, the mechanisms underlying these symptoms and deficits remain elusive.Current research suggests a link between TBIs and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-like dementia (ADRD). It may be that in some individuals, a TBI initiates a neurodegenerative process, that shares pathological features with AD and ADRD, including the presence of tau tangles and amyloid-beta (A) plaques in the brain. Positron emission tomography (PET) studies report that tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFT)are present in athletes with multiple concussions, and that even a single TBI increases the risk for A plaques. Yet, these tau and A PET findings are not present in all TBI patients, and their role in chronic symptoms following a TBI remains largely unknown. In this study, we will use PET with ligands specific to amyloid and tau to determine if a TBI results in tau NFTs and A) plaques, 10-years following a TBI, ina young military cohort. We will then examine these PET changes have clinical implications 10-years post TBI. Finally, we will evaluate changes in blood-based biomarkers implicated in AD to determine if these peripheral markers are related to neuronal changes. Results of these investigations will determine if there is an increased risk for AD-like pathology following a TBI in military personnel, and if PET findings have clinical implications to military personnel/veterans.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1212028
Entities
People
- Jessica Gill
- Rael Lange
Organizations
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine