Association of GSK3B With Alzheimer Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia

Abstract

Alzheimer disease (AD) accounts for approximately 45% of all adult-onset neurodegenerative dementias, whereas frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is responsible for about 10%.^1,2 Despite the obvious clinical and pathologic distinctions between these conditions, all cases of AD and almost half of FTD cases manifest protein deposits consisting of insoluble, hyperphosphorylated tau that form filamentous inclusions.³ However, mutations in the tau gene are found in only about 15% of familial FTD cases, and tau mutations have not been identified in AD or sporadic FTD.^2-6 Therefore, understanding the factors that lead to tau pathologic findings in these diseases in the context of nonmutant tau is of major importance.