Tau Positivity Did Not Correlate with PHQ9 Depression Scores in a Memory Clinic

TL;DR

This study found no correlation between depression scores and tau positivity in memory clinic patients.

Contribution

The study provides new evidence that depression levels are not linked to tau abnormality in memory clinic patients.

Findings

Tau positivity did not correlate with PHQ9 depression scores in patients.

Multivariate analysis confirmed no significant association between depression and tau abnormality.

Only 20 patients had analyzable data for PHQ9 and tau tests.

Abstract

It is unknown if depression levels are correlated to positivity on tau blood or PET scan results in memory clinic patients.

We performed a retrospective analysis of memory clinic patients in the south shore of Boston from 2010 to 2025. We correlated depression screen data (PHQ9) to tau PET or Blood test positivity scores. Univariate analyses used Pearson correlation. A multivariate regression model analyzed PHQ9 to covariates of tau positivity, age, sex, education and race.

We hypothesized a positive correlation between depression levels scored by the PHQ9 and abnormal tau test results.

1043 patients attended the memory clinic between 2010-2025; 20 had PHQ9 and tau blood test results with analyzable data. Patients were 58.9% female, 85.1 % White. Mean age was 70±14.2 years, Tau score did not correlate significantly to PHQ9 Multivariate model confirmed the lack of association of depression scores to tau abnormality (100000= 0.08, p = 0.44).

Depression scores using PHQ9 during screening were not affected by tau positivity as measured as a binary outcome during tau disclosure in a memory clinic.