Correlation between CSF biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and global cognition in a psychogeriatric clinic cohort

Author(s)

Márcia Radanovic ^[1] ; Carlos A. Oshiro ^[2] ; Thiago Q. Freitas ^[3] ; Leda L. Talib ^[4] ; Orestes V. Forlenza ^[5]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina. Hospital das Clínicas - Brasil

^[2] Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina. Hospital das Clínicas - Brasil

^[3] Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina. Hospital das Clínicas - Brasil

^[4] Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina. Hospital das Clínicas - Brasil

^[5] Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina. Hospital das Clínicas - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria; v. 41, n. 6, p. 479-484, 2019-05-30.

Abstract

Objective: The relationship between biomarkers of amyloid-beta aggregation (Aβ1-42) and/or neurodegeneration (Tau protein) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and cognitive decline is still unclear. We aimed to ascertain whether CSF biomarkers correlate with cognitive performance in healthy and cognitively impaired subjects, starting from clinical diagnoses. Methods: We tested for correlation between CSF biomarkers and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores in 208 subjects: 54 healthy controls, 82 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 46 with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and 26 with other dementias (OD). Results: MMSE correlated weakly with all CSF biomarkers in the overall sample (r = 0.242, p < 0.0006). Aβ1-42 and MMSE correlated weakly in MCI (r = 0.247, p = 0.030), and moderately in OD (r = 0.440, p = 0.027). t-Tau showed a weak inverse correlation with MMSE in controls (r = -0.284, p = 0.043) and MCI (r = -0.241, p = 0.036), and a moderate/strong correlation in OD (r = 0.665), p = 0.0003). p-Tau correlated weakly with MMSE in AD (r = -0.343, p = 0.026) and moderately in OD (r = -0.540, p = 0.0005). The Aβ1-42/p-Tau ratio had a moderate/strong correlation with MMSE in OD (r = 0.597, p = 0.001). Conclusion: CSF biomarkers correlated best with cognitive performance in OD. t-Tau correlated weakly with cognition in controls and patients with MCI. In AD, only p-Tau levels correlated with cognitive performance. This pattern, which has been reported previously, seems to indicate that CSF biomarkers might not be reliable as indicators of disease severity. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/52825-8 - Neurobiology of Alzheimer's disease: risk markers, prognosis and therapeutic response
• Grantee: Wagner Farid Gattaz
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/01302-9 - Direct and indirect pathways of glycogen synthase kinase 3B inhibition by lithium in culture of neurons
• Grantee: Vanessa de Jesus Rodrigues de Paula
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 14/14211-6 - Telomere length in the central nervous system of a model of Alzheimer's Disease treated with lithium
• Grantee: Giancarlo de Mattos Cardillo
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master