Relative gamma power is higher in AD patients with a positive cerebral tau PET.

Gamma power linearly correlates with tau burden on tau PET in AD patients.

Tau-positive patients show increased gamma power in frontal and parietal areas.

We assessed the relationship of gamma oscillations with tau deposition in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other cognitive diseases, as both are altered during the disease course and relate to neurodegeneration. We retrospectively analyzed data from 7 AD, tau positive patients and 9 tau negative patients, who underwent cerebral amyloid PET and tau PET, and EEG within 12 months. Relative gamma power was higher in tau positive (AD) patients than in tau negative patients (p < .05). In tau positive AD patients, tau burden was associated with a linear increase in gamma power (p < .05), while no association was present in the tau negative group nor with amyloid-β burden in either group. Thus, increase in the gamma power might represent a novel biomarker for tau driven neurodegeneration.

positron emission tomography

standard uptake value ratio

electroencephalography

Alzheimer’s disease

Tau

PET

Gamma oscillations

EEG

© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.