Grey- and white-matter resilience to tau, cognition and sex in Alzheimer's disease

The study examined how the brain resists the harmful tau protein in Alzheimer's disease in 205 patients with positive amyloid. Researchers analyzed tau in the medial temporal lobe, cortical thickness, and white matter diffusion along with cognitive tests. They found that higher grey matter resilience to tau was associated with better memory and language performance. Higher white matter resilience was linked to slower decline in these cognitive functions. These positive effects were observed only in men, not in women. The results suggest that white matter resilience may better capture early cognitive changes in Alzheimer's disease.