Clinical, Neuroanatomic, and Pathologic Signatures of FTLD-tau in Dementia Phenotypes

The tau form of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-tau) is a class of neurodegenerative diseases found at autopsy that underlies a wide range of clinical dementia syndromes, commonly affecting individuals under age 65. The proposed work aims to clarify the relationship between FTLD-tau, pathologic markers of cell death, in vivo MRI atrophy patterns, and distinct clinical features of FTLD-related dementia syndromes. Findings will inform our understanding of the putative substrates of neurodegeneration in FTLD-tau, and are highly relevant to the future development of disease-specific biomarkers and therapeutic approaches.