Association Between Plasma Phosphorylated Tau-217 and Cognition in Parkinson's Disease.
Association Between Plasma Phosphorylated Tau-217 and Cognition in Parkinson's Disease.
Where did the research take place?
The study site has not been established. Author addresses may differ from where the research occurred.
Montréal, CA · Author affiliation
Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Location evidence
Québec, CA · Author affiliation
Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Location evidence
Leuven, BE · Author affiliation
Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.Location evidence
US · Author affiliation · country only
The Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute (OBI), University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre (UTSW), Dallas, Texas, USA.Location evidence
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Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) co-pathology contributes to dementia in PD, but its role in earlier cognitive impairment remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To determine if p-tau217, a biomarker of early AD, is associated with cognitive impairment in PD. METHODS: Plasma p-tau217 levels in 167 PD patients without dementia and 63 controls were related to performance on standard neuropsychological testing, and to cognitive impairment as defined by a MoCA score <26 and by self-report. Plasma GFAP, NfL and APOE ε4 carrier status were also examined. RESULTS: No significant differences in p-tau217, GFAP and NfL level were observed between groups (pFDR > 0.08). Higher p-tau217 was associated with worse visuospatial function and greater self-reported cognitive impairment, but these associations did not survive correction (pFDR > 0.08). There was no association with cognitive impairment (pFDR > 0.08). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that co-morbid AD pathology is not a major contributor to early cognitive changes in this sample of PD patients without dementia. © 2026 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.