The purpose of this study is to compare/harmonize cross-sectional and longitudinal tau tangle measurements obtained with the tau PET radiopharmaceuticals Flortaucipir and MK-6240 to elucidate the advantages and caveats of their use in clinical trials/practice and provide parameters to integrate their estimates.
This is a longitudinal, multi-site, non-randomized study in which the participants will undergo Flortaucipir and MK-6240 PET scans at baseline and approximately at 18-month follow-up. At each time point, participants will also have an amyloid-β PET scan, magnetic resonance imaging, detailed cognitive tests, and a blood draw for biomarker quantification. The main objectives of this study are standardizing tau PET tracers' outcomes and comparing their performance.
To accomplish our objectives, the investigators propose the following specific aims:
In Aim 1, investigators will standardize tau PET processing methods, convert the tracers to a common scale, compare associations with amyloid-β, atrophy, and cognition, and compare/harmonize Braak staging assessments between tau tracers using cross-sectional data.
In Aim 2, investigators will ascertain the optimal processing method for longitudinal analysis and compare longitudinal changes in tau accumulation obtained with the tau PET radiopharmaceuticals and their associations with changes in amyloid-β, atrophy, and cognition.
In Exploratory Aim 3, investigators will compare cross-sectional and longitudinal Flortaucipir and MK-6240 estimates with plasma phosphorylated tau concentrations.
This study will produce a benchmark dataset to develop methods for tau PET quantification and harmonization.