Locus Coeruleus hypopigmentation in frontotemporal lobar degeneration and its relation to cerebrovascular injury biomarkers

Background Increasing evidence suggests that degeneration of Locus Coeruleus (LC) neurons is a common feature various neurodegenerative diseases. Including patients neuropathologically diagnosed with frontotemporal lobar (FTLD). Based on the histopathological patterns FTLD has been categorized into three distinct subtypes; tau immunoreactivity inclusion (FTLD-tau), TDP-43 (transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 kDa) (FTLD-TDP), and other than (FTLD-Others). However, significance LC as marker subtypes not fully explored. The purpose this study was to investigate if graded hypopigmentation can be used biomarker separate FTLD. Method sample included 63 participants from National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s (NACC) data sets who had ante mortem neuropathological CSF data. pigmentation 0 = none, 1 mild, 2 moderate, 3 severe. relationship between gross anatomy (hypopigmentation) A-beta Tau levels Also, type investigated. Moreover, markers cerebrovascular diseases, including infarcts or lacunes, microinfarcts, arteriolosclerosis, atherosclerosis, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, were investigated for their correlation hypopigmentation. Result highly correlated FTLD-tau, then lower degree FTLD-TDP less FTLD-Other. Both Substantia Nigra damage tau. We did find statistically significant correlations disease markers. Conclusion Ante could differentiate underlying FTLD-tauopathies clinically similar proteinopathies.