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Table 4 Neuropathological characteristics of brain donors with CTE

From: Structural MRI profiles and tau correlates of atrophy in autopsy-confirmed CTE

 

Brain donors with CTE (N = 55)

Brain donors with CTE+ (N = 35)

Brain donors with CTE only (N = 20)

P-valuea

Brain weight

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

--

 Grams

1255.16

161.49

1215.60

154.66

1324.40

152.92

0.02

Semi-quantitative ratings of p-tau severity, 0–3 scale

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

Mean

SD

--

 Dorsolateral frontal cortex

2.33

0.80

2.44

0.79

2.15

0.81

0.20

 Rolandic cortex

1.58

1.12

1.67

1.14

1.45

1.10

0.50

 Inferior frontal cortex

2.06

0.93

2.27

0.91

1.70

0.87

0.03

 Inferior parietal cortex

1.98

1.02

2.09

1.04

1.79

0.98

0.31

 Superior temporal cortex

2.31

0.91

2.44

0.86

2.10

0.97

0.19

 CA1

1.96

1.05

2.11

1.05

1.70

1.03

0.16

 CA2

1.91

1.05

1.80

1.16

2.11

0.81

0.26

 CA4

1.89

1.08

1.86

1.06

1.95

1.15

0.76

 Entorhinal

2.37

0.88

2.35

0.95

2.40

0.75

0.85

 Amygdala

2.33

0.86

2.29

0.93

2.40

0.75

0.64

 Thalamus

1.85

1.01

1.82

1.03

1.89

0.99

0.81

 Substantia nigra

1.80

0.95

1.74

0.85

1.90

1.12

0.56

 Locus coeruleus

2.25

0.76

2.18

0.81

2.35

0.67

0.44

 Dentate nucleus

0.92

0.90

0.85

0.89

1.06

0.94

0.45

CTE stage

n

%

n

%

n

%

0.86

 Stage I

2

3.8

1

2.9

1

5.0

 Stage II

5

9.6

4

11.4

1

5.0

 Stage III

19

34.5

12

34.3

7

35.0

 Stage IV

29

52.7

18

51.4

11

55.0

Alzheimer’s disease

n

%

n

%

n

%

--

 Yes

15

27.3

15

42.9

0

0

Lewy body disease

n

%

n

%

n

%

--

 Brain stem predominant

6

10.9

6

17.1

0

0

 Limbic (transitional)/neocortical (diffuse)

11

20.0

11

31.4

0

0

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD)

n

%

n

%

n

%

--

 FTLD-tau

4

7.3

4

12.1

0

0

 FTLD-TDP-43

5

9.1

5

14.3

0

0

Motor neuron disease

n

%

n

%

n

%

--

 Yes

3

5.4

3

8.6

0

0

Prion disease

n

%

n

%

n

%

--

 Yes

2

3.6

2

5.7

0

0

CERAD neuritic plaque score

n

%

n

%

n

%

0.03

 No neuritic plaques

18

32.7

7

20.0

11

55.0

 Sparse neuritic plaques

26

47.3

18

51.4

8

40.0

 Moderate neuritic plaques

7

12.7

6

17.1

1

5.0

 Frequent neuritic plaques

4

7.3

4

11.4

0

0

Thal phase

n

%

n

%

n

%

0.02

 Phase 0 (A0)

5

9.1

4

11.4

1

5.0

 Phase 1/2 (A1)

8

14.5

2

5.7

6

30.0

 Phase 3 (A2)

11

20.0

5

14.3

6

30.0

 Phase 4/5 (A3)

31

56,4

24

68.6

7

35.0

Braak stage

n

%

n

%

n

%

0.02

 Stage 0

1

1.8

1

2.9

0

0

 Stage I/II

8

14.5

3

8.6

5

25.0

 Stage III/IV

27

49.1

14

40.0

13

65.0

 Stage V/VI

19

34.5

17

48.6

2

10.0

White matter rarefaction

n

%

n

%

n

%

0.31

 Moderate-severe

35

63.6

24

68.6

11

55.0

Arteriolosclerosis

n

%

n

%

n

%

0.91

 Moderate-severe

38

69.1

24

68.6

14

70.0

  1. Note. Brain donors with CTE+ included those with CTE and other neurodegenerative disease diagnoses whereas the CTE only group had CTE and no other neurodegenerative disease diagnoses. aIndependent samples t-test compared brain donors with CTE+ and CTE only on all variables for which mean and standard deviations are reported. Chi-square was used to test for group differences for all other variables. Due to missing data, sample sizes include n = 54 for dorsolateral frontal cortex, inferior parietal cortex, superior temporal cortex, CA2, and entorhinal; n = 53 for rolandic cortex, inferior frontal cortex, locus coeruleus, and thalamus; and n = 52 for dentate nucleus
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Alzheimer's Research & Therapy

ISSN: 1758-9193