Adults with a father who had Alzheimer’s showed greater tau buildup, a key marker of the disease.
Women in the study had more widespread tau in their brains than men.
Findings could help guide personalized prevention strategies before memory loss begins.
We’ve all heard how having a parent with Alzheimer’s could bump up our own risk of developing the disease — but what if it matters which parent?
A recent study by the American Academy of Neurology reveals something surprising: it might actually be your dad’s history, not your mom’s, that correlates more strongly with a specific Alzheimer’s marker in the brain. While previous research often pointed to maternal inheritance, this study flips the narrative, focusing on how tau protein — not just memory decline — might have its own “family story.”
“We were surprised to see that people with a father with Alzheimer’s were more vulnerable to the spread of tau in the brain, as we had hypothesized that we would see more brain changes in people with affected mothers,” study author Sylvia Villeneuve, Ph.D. said in a news release.
The study
Researchers tracked 243 cognitively healthy adults, all around 68 years old, who had at least one parent (or two siblings) with Alzheimer’s. Importantly, none of the participants had any thinking or memory issues when the study began.
They underwent brain scans and memory testing, then were followed for almost seven years. Over that time, 71 people developed mild cognitive impairment — often seen as an early step toward Alzheimer’s.
The team measured two key protein markers in the brain: beta-amyloid and tau. Tau buildup is especially linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
The results
The researchers discovered a paternal pattern throughout the study.
Participants whose fathers had Alzheimer’s showed a greater spread of the tau protein in their brains. This was a surprising finding— especially since the team expected maternal influence to be stronger.
Additionally, gender mattered too. Women in the study had a heavier tau buildup than men — and were more likely to show widespread tau protein spread.
It’s important to note that these findings are associations, not proof of direct cause. Additionally, the study participants were mostly white, so the findings may not apply equally across all races and ethnicities.
However, the researchers explained that these insights might help health care professionals design personalized interventions that protect those at higher risk before symptoms even surface.
“Better understanding these vulnerabilities could help us design personalized interventions to help protect against Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Villeneuve said.