Tau imaging in late traumatic brain injury: a [18F]MK-6240 PET study

Epidemiological studies have identified prior traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are common to AD and chronic traumatic encephalopathy following repetitive mild TBI. However, it is unclear if a single TBI is sufficient to cause accumulation of NFTs. We performed a [18F]MK-6240 positron emission tomography (PET) imaging study to assess NFTs in patients who sustained a single TBI at least 2 years prior to study inclusion. Fourteen TBI patients (49±20 years; 5M/9F; 8 moderate-severe, 1 mild-probable, 5 symptomatic-possible TBI) and 40 demographically similar controls (57±19 years; 19M/21F) underwent simultaneous [18F]MK-6240 PET and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as neuropsychological assessment including the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). A region-based voxel-wise partial volume correction was applied, using parcels obtained by FreeSurfer v6.0 and standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR) were calculated relative to the cerebellar gray matter. Group differences were assessed on both a voxel- and a volume-of-interest-based level and correlations of [18F]MK-6240 SUVR with time since injury as well as with clinical outcomes were calculated within the TBI group. Visual assessment of TBI images did not show global nor focal increases in tracer uptake in any subject. On a group level, [18F]MK-6240 SUVR was not significantly different in patients versus controls nor between subgroups of moderate-severe TBI versus less severe TBI. One touch stockings problem solving and spatial working memory (executive function), reaction time (attention) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (global cognition) were associated with [18F]MK-6240 SUVR. We found no group-based increase of [18F]MK 6240 brain uptake in patients scanned at least two years after a single TBI compared to healthy volunteers which suggests no NFTs are building up in the first years after a single TBI. Nonetheless, correlations with cognitive outcomes were found that warrant further investigation.