Synaptic loss pattern is constrained by brain connectome and modulated by phosphorylated tau in Alzheimer’s disease

Bibliographic Details
Title: Synaptic loss pattern is constrained by brain connectome and modulated by phosphorylated tau in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Ying Luan, Weiyi Wang, Qi Huang, Yan Wang, Jana Nussbaumer, Jie Wang, Anna Steward, Sebastian N. Roemer-Cassiano, Yihui Guan, Michael Ewers, Michael Schöll, Ruiqing Ni, Binyin Li, Nicolai Franzmeier, Fang Xie
Source: Nature Communications, Vol 16, Iss 1, Pp 1-17 (2025)
Publisher Information: Nature Portfolio, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Collection: LCC:Science
Subject Terms: Science
Description: Abstract Synaptic loss strongly correlates with cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), yet the mechanism linking its origin and pattern remain unclear. Given that connected brain regions share molecular and synaptic features, and pathological tau, a key driver of synaptic degeneration, propagates through brain networks, we hypothesize that network architecture may influence synaptic loss in AD. By combining synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 A (SV2A) PET in 91 AD patients and 54 controls with normative connectome data, we show strongly connected regions exhibit similar levels of synaptic loss, and synaptic loss in one region is associated with connectivity-weighted synaptic loss in connected regions. Regions strongly connected to the epicenter show greater and faster synaptic loss. Plasma p-tau181 levels correlate with network-constrained synaptic loss, and post-mortem data confirm reduced SV2A expression in tau-rich areas. These findings support that synaptic vulnerability in AD is partially constrained by network topology and is modulated by phosphorylated tau.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2041-1723
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/2041-1723
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-61497-4
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/e79b04de0b9548a1b465cdecb382a82c
Accession Number: edsdoj.79b04de0b9548a1b465cdecb382a82c
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
Description
ISSN:20411723
DOI:10.1038/s41467-025-61497-4