Background: Phosphorylated tau (p-tau) accumulation, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), can also be found in the retina. However, it is uncertain whether it is linked to AD or another tauopathy.
Methods: Retinas from 164 individuals, with and without AD, were analyzed for p-tau accumulation and its relationship with age, dementia, and vision impairment.
Results: Retinal p-tau pathology showed a consistent pattern with four stages and a molecular composition distinct from that of cerebral tauopathies. The stage of retinal p-tau pathology correlated with age (r = 0.176, P = 0.024) and was associated with AD (odds ratio [OR] 3.193; P = 0.001), and inflammation (OR = 2.605; P = 0.001). Vision impairment was associated with underlying eye diseases (β = 0.292; P = 0.001) and the stage of retinal p-tau pathology (β = 0.192; P = 0.030) in a linear regression model.
Conclusions: The results show the presence of a primary retinal tauopathy that is distinct from cerebral tauopathies.
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; retina; tauopathy; vision impairment.
© 2023 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.