High tau levels in cerebrospinal fluid predict nursing home placement and rapid progression in Alzheimer’s disease

Table 1 Description of the study population

Variable	Data
n	234
Follow-up period, years, median (range)	4.9 (2–11)
Age, years, median (range)	70 (46–86)
MMSE score, mean ± SD	24 ± 5
Female sex	145 (62)
Coresidency status
Cohabiting (female/male)	99 (68)/79 (89)
Living alone (female/male)	46 (32)/10 (11)
Education (years)
≤7	114 (49)
8–12	71 (30)
≥13	49 (21)
CSF biomarkers^a according to baseline AD stage, mean ± SD
t-tau, ng/L	MCI 723 ± 354, dementia 780 ± 558
p-tau, ng/L	MCI 102 ± 43, dementia 102 ± 48
Aβ42, ng/L	MCI 351 ± 114, dementia 374 ± 124
All three biomarkers normal^a	5 (2)
Low Aβ42, normal t-tau and p-tau	21 (9)
Low Aβ42, high t-tau or p-tau	48 (21)
Normal Aβ42, high t-tau and/or p-tau	29 (12)
All three biomarkers pathological	131 (56)
Baseline AD stage, n (%); MMSE score, mean (SD)
MCI	134 (57); 26 ± 3
Mild dementia	85 (36); 22 ± 4
Moderate dementia	15 (7); 15 ± 6
NHP during follow-up	112 (48)
Males/females	34 (38)/78 (54)
MCI/dementia stage at baseline	54 (40)/58 (58)
Conversion to moderate dementia, n = 219	149 (68)
From MCI at baseline	83/134 (62)
From mild dementia at baseline	66/86 (77)
Rapid cognitive decline^b	57 (24)
MCI	22 (16)
Mild to moderate dementia	35 (35)
Death during follow-up	83 (35)
Death in severe dementia during follow-up	46 (20)
MCI	19 (14)
Mild to moderate dementia	27 (27)

Aβ42 amyloid-β 42 peptide, AD Alzheimer’s disease, CSF cerebrospinal fluid, MCI mild cognitive impairment, MMSE Mini Mental State Examination, NHP nursing home placement, p-tau phosphorylated tau, t-tau total tau
Values are number (percent) unless otherwise stated
^aReference values: Aβ₄₂ >450 ng/L, t-tau <400 ng/L, p-tau <80 ng/L
^b≥4-point decline in MMSE per 12 months

ISSN: 1758-9193