Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41578064›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging2026

Tau PET imaging as a mediator between glymphatic dysfunction and cognitive decline: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study.

Juyeon Ko, Gayeong Son, Ha Eun Seo, Jaelim Cho, Jae-Yoon Kim, Sang-Yoon Lee, Daegyeom Kim, ShinEui Park, Kee Hyung Park, Samuel N Lockhart and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Juyeon KoDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Gayeong SonDepartment of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Ha Eun SeoNeuroscience Research Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
Jaelim ChoDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jae-Yoon KimDepartment of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sang-Yoon LeeDepartment of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
Daegyeom KimNeuroscience Research Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
ShinEui ParkNeuroscience Research Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
Kee Hyung ParkDepartment of Neurology, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, 21, Namdong-daero, 774 beon-gil, Namdong-gu, Incheon, 21565, Republic of Korea.
Samuel N LockhartPerceptive, Inc, Burlington, MA, USA.
Dong-Hyun KimDepartment of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. donghyunkim@yonsei.ac.kr.
Young NohNeuroscience Research Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea. nymed77@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-9633-3314

Funding

Gachon University Gil Medical Center FRD2025-01Gil Medical Center, Gachon University FRD2022-16Ministry of Education RS-2021-NR060117Ministry of Health and Family Welfare RS-2024-00334574
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeImpaired glymphatic function is considered an important characteristic of cognitive decline, but the role of tau pathology as a mediator remains unclear. This study investigated whether tau burden mediates the association between diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) and cognitive impairment or brain atrophy. Also, we explored whether DTI-ALPS index predicts longitudinal cognitive deterioration over time.

methodsWe included 144 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD), and other dementia, or normal cognition. All participants underwent 3.0-Tesla MRI,

resultsDTI-ALPS index was significantly lower in cognitively impaired individuals compared to cognitively normal (CN) participants. Lower DTI-ALPS index was associated with higher tau burden and worse cognitive function. Tau burden was also inversely associated with cognition. Mediation analysis indicated that tau burden accounted for approximately 21-27% of the association between DTI-ALPS and cognition. Longitudinal analysis showed baseline lower DTI-ALPS index also predicted faster longitudinal cognitive decline.

conclusionOur findings suggest that the DTI-ALPS index is an indirect marker of glymphatic dysfunction associated with tau accumulation and cognitive decline. Tau pathology may partially link compromised glymphatic clearance to cognitive impairment.

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionGlymphatic SystemPositron-Emission Tomographytau ProteinsAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaletau ProteinsBrain atrophyCognitive functionGlymphatic dysfunctionPETTau deposition

Identifiers

PMID41578064
PMCPMC13013317

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.