CIEN participates in a key study on tau-PET recently published in JAMA
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The Neuroimaging Unit at the Centre for Research on Neurological Diseases (CIEN) has contributed to an ambitious international study, published in June 2025 in the journal JAMA, on the clinical use of positron emission tomography with flortaucipir F-18 (tau-PET) in Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers Dr Michel J. Grothe, head of the unit, and Dr Jesús Silva-Rodríguez, coordinator of the unit, are among the co-authors of the article, which analyses the frequency of positivity in tau-PET and its predictive value for cognitive decline at different stages of the disease.
An unprecedented global study
The study collected data from 6,514 participants from 21 international cohorts in 13 countries, including both cognitively healthy individuals and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's dementia or other neurodegenerative disorders.
Main findings
- 9.8% of cognitively healthy individuals showed positivity in tau-PET.
- Positivity increased with age (from 3% at age 60 to 19% at age 90).
- In patients with MCI or dementia, positivity reached 43% and 79%, respectively, at age 75.
The risk of progression to clinical decline was much higher in individuals who were positive for both tau and amyloid (Aβ):
- 57% progression to MCI or dementia within 5 years among healthy individuals with both markers positive.
- 70% progression to dementia in patients with MCI and both markers positive.
These results reinforce the value of tau-PET as a predictive biomarker in Alzheimer's disease, applicable in clinical and research contexts.
Role of CIEN and key technical contribution
In addition to his scientific participation in the analysis and interpretation of the data, Dr Jesús Silva-Rodríguez was responsible for the design and implementation of the IT infrastructure that allowed researchers from multiple countries to remotely and securely access tau-PET images for standardised visual evaluation.
This technological development was essential for the harmonisation of data in a multicentre study of this scale, and reflects CIEN's commitment to open science, international collaboration and technical excellence in neuroimaging.
Article reference
Moscoso A, Heeman F, Raghavan S, et al.
Frequency and Clinical Outcomes Associated With Tau Positron Emission Tomography Positivity.
JAMA. Published online June 16, 2025.
doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.7817
PMID: 40522652