Relationship between plasma phosphorylated Tau217 and clinical variables across phenotypes of progressive supranuclear palsy

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disorder classified as the most common atypical parkinsonism. It is characterized morphologically by tau protein accumulation in neurons and glia cells, and clinically by early postural instability, oculomotor dysfunction, pseudobulbar palsy and cognitive impairment. In recent years, plasma phosphorylated tau at threonine 217 (pTau217) has emerged as a promising biomarker in neurodegenerative disorders characterized by tau pathology, raising interest in its potential relevance in other tauopathies such as PSP. This research study intends to explore the relationship between plasma pTau217 levels and clinical variables (cognitive function, motor symptoms and functional features) in patients with PSP. The cohort used for this study was formed by PSP patients presenting different clinical phenotypes, classified according to the International Parkinson’s and Movement Disorder Society’s (MDS) criteria. Three phenotypes were eventually identified in the cohort: PSP-RS (Richardson’s syndrome), PSP-P (Parkinsonism), and PSP-Cog (characterized by cognitive predominant features). All patients underwent a second-level neuropsychological evaluation, a motor assessment and a blood sampling focused on measuring the presence of pTau217 levels. By analyzing the possible interactions between plasma pTau217 levels and the clinical variables included, across different PSP phenotypes, this study aims to clarify the potential effect of pTau217 as a biomarker for cognitive, motor and functional features in PSP.