Differential Associations of Microglial Inflammation on LATE-NC and Tangle-Related Hippocampal Atrophy
BACKGROUND: Accumulations of AD and LATE-NC both contribute to changes in hippocampal volume, possibly via distinct and/or overlapping mechanisms. Microglia-driven inflammation is a shared pathway associated with both AD and LATE-NC. However, the extent to which microglia inflammation is associated with hippocampal volume is less understood. OBJECTIVE: Examine the relationship between AD and…
Microglial inflammation is linked to hippocampal volume loss in older adults, particularly in cases of LATE-NC (late-onset tauopathy with neurofibrillary changes). A study of 441 deceased individuals found that higher microglia density was associated with smaller hippocampal volumes, although this association weakened when accounting for common age-related pathologies.
The connection between LATE-NC and hippocampal volume was stronger in brains with higher microglia burden. No interactions were observed between beta-amyloid or tangle-associated pathology and microglia on hippocampal volume. However, microglial density did modify the link between LATE-NC and hippocampal volume, independent of amyloid-beta pathology.
These results underscore the role of inflammatory processes in understanding neurodegeneration markers in aging and mixed neuropathology.
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