Potential Role for Educational Attainment in Patient Stratification, Therapeutic Response in AD

Background: Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tau tangles. Tau accumulation can be visualized with PET. While educational attainment (EA) has been proposed as a factor influencing AD progression, its relationship with tau accumulation and response to targeted therapy remains unclear. Objective: To evaluate the association of EA with tau PET findings in patients with AD and to determine whether treatment with solanezumab alters tau accumulation, particularly in Aβ-positive (Aβ+) patients with higher EA. Design:  Cohort study. Methods: Patient data were obtained from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (North America), the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s Disease (multicenter), and the Greater Bay Area Healthy Aging Brain Study (South China). A total of 887 patients with Aβ-PET and subsequent tau-PET imaging were included. Aβ PET was performed with either 18 F-florbetapir or 18 F-florbetaben. Tau PET more...