Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42101744›Full record

ArticleGeroScience2026

Plasma pTau181 is associated with subjective cognitive concerns but not objective cognitive decline or structural brain integrity measures in midlife.

Ashleigh Barrett-Young, Erin E Cawston, Brigid Ryan, Wickliffe C Abraham, Antony Ambler, Tim Anderson, Kirsten Cheyne, Elizabeth Goodin, Sean Hogan, Renate M Houts and 13 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in GeroScience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

23 authors.

Ashleigh Barrett-YoungDunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand. ashleigh.barrett-young@otago.ac.nz.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7466-3013
Erin E CawstonCentre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Brigid RyanCentre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Wickliffe C AbrahamDunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
Antony AmblerDunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
Tim AndersonDepartment of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Kirsten CheyneDunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
Elizabeth GoodinDunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
Sean HoganDunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
Renate M HoutsDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, USA.
David IrelandDunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
Annchen R KnodtDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, USA.
Jesse KokauaVa'a o Tautai Centre for Pacific Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Tracy R MelzerNew Zealand Brain Research Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Sandhya RamrakhaDunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
Karen SugdenDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, USA.
Benjamin WilliamsDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, USA.
Phillipa WilsonDunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
Avshalom CaspiDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, USA.
Ahmad R HaririDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, USA.
Terrie E MoffittDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, USA.
Richie PoultonDunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
Reremoana TheodoreDunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.

Funding

Quantifying Individual Differences in Midlife Structural Brain Integrity Associated with Later AD/ADRD RiskR01AG049789 · NIA · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI AHMAD R. HARIRI, TERRIE E MOFFITT · 2015 to 2026
$10.6M
Is mental disorder a preventable cause of age-related disease? The Dunedin Study.R01AG032282 · NIA · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI CASPI, AVSHALOM, MOFFITT, TERRIE E · 2009 to 2025
$9.5M
Validating a 3rd-generation methylation measure of accelerated aging: DunedinPoAm4xR01AG073207 · NIA · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI CASPI, AVSHALOM, MOFFITT, TERRIE E · 2022 to 2025
$2.9M
Comprehensive portrait of long-term cannabis users: Are they ready for old age?R01AG069939 · NIA · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI MOFFITT, TERRIE E · 2021 to 2024
$1.3M
Health Research Council of New Zealand 16/604Health Research Council of New Zealand 23/133Health Research Council of New Zealand 24/690Medical Research Council MR/X021149/1Neurological Foundation of New Zealand 2208-PRGNIA NIH HHS R01 AG032282NIA NIH HHS R01AG032282NIA NIH HHS R01 AG049789NIA NIH HHS R01AG049789NIA NIH HHS R01AG069939NIA NIH HHS R01 AG073207
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Although plasma pTau181 has been shown to accurately discriminate patients with Alzheimer's disease from healthy older adults, there are few studies of plasma biomarkers among middle-aged populations. Given the potential utility of plasma AD biomarkers such as pTau181 in screening for disease risk, examining pTau181 in a middle-aged cohort without AD is important for future implementation. The objectives of this study were to characterise plasma pTau181 in a middle-aged birth cohort aged 45 years and to investigate associations with early indicators of dementia risk. Participants were members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a longitudinal study of 1037 people born in New Zealand in 1972-1973. Plasma pTau181, self-reported cognitive concerns, MRI-based brain structure, and DunedinPACE (an epigenetic biomarker of biological ageing) were measured at age 45; cognition was measured in childhood and age 45. Plasma pTau181 concentrations at age 45 (n = 854, 49% female) were associated with self-reported cognitive concerns (β = 0.09, p = .008); however, no significant associations were observed with objective cognitive decline, worse structural brain integrity, or biological ageing. Higher plasma pTau181 was associated with self-reported cognitive concerns at age 45, but not objective AD-related measures. The association of plasma pTau181 and self-reported cognitive concerns in this cohort suggests that AD pathology may begin to accumulate by age 45 and may be associated with subtle changes in cognition that are not at objectively measurable levels.

Indexed as

Alzheimer diseaseBiomarkersBlood biomarkersDementiaDiagnosisPhosphorylated tauPreclinical Alzheimer’s diseasep-tau181

Identifiers

PMID42101744

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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.