Heat map of tau (IMAGE) Washington University School of Medicine Caption A "heat map" of the brain of a person with mild Alzheimer's dementia shows where tau protein has accumulated, with areas of higher density in red and orange, and lower density in green and blue. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a form of tau in spinal fluid that tracks with tau tangles in the brain and indicates what stage of the disease a person is in. Credit Tammie Benzinger/Knight ADRC Usage Restrictions This image is to be used in accordance with the mission, policies and guidelines of Washington University in St. Louis. Visit https://wustl.edu/about/compliance-policies/media-policies/multimedia-use/ for more information. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.