Tau Imaging in Head Injury

In reviewing this literature, there are several apparent takeaways. There are variations in the binding patterns between different tau radiotracers. Nevertheless, there is consistently uptake in certain regions across studies; aberrant binding is expected given the variation in small studies and potential off-site radiotracer binding. However, the literature suggests that larger studies may be more consistent in finding uptake in regions where tau aggregates are normally observed in CTE populations. Overall, the evidence suggests that tau-PET imaging will continue to play a significant role in TBI and CTE. These studies have shown considerable promise in the imaging of tau and prospective larger studies may substantiate the use of a particular radiotracer in the assessment of long-term TBI ramifications and the diagnosis of CTE. In particular, there is a notable need for future studies that incorporate in vivo imaging and postmortem pathologic study.