A study found no clear difference in brain-volume loss between two TDP-43 conditions
Original source
Comparative effects of TDP-43-A and TDP-43-α on hippocampal subfields and amygdala nuclei. (opens in a new tab)Compass summarised this from the study's abstract.
Study details
- Studied in
- Human
Related topics
A comparison of 28 autopsy-confirmed cases found no statistically significant difference in hippocampal and amygdala volume loss between frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 type-A and primary age-related tauopathy with TDP-43 type-α. Some brain regions were smaller in the primary age-related tauopathy group, but those differences did not remain significant after correction for multiple comparisons.
Why this matters
The finding may help researchers compare brain changes associated with these two conditions. The study did not test a treatment, and it does not establish a change in care for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or motor neurone disease.
Limitations and context
This was a small comparative study involving 16 primary age-related tauopathy cases and 12 frontotemporal lobar degeneration cases. It used MRI scans obtained before death and diagnoses confirmed at autopsy. The reported regional differences were not significant after false-discovery-rate correction, and the study did not examine people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or motor neurone disease.