Open AccessCerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light concentration predicts brain atrophy and cognition in Alzheimer's disease
Author(s) -
Dhiman Kunal,
Gupta Veer Bala,
Villemagne Victor L.,
Eratne Dhamidhu,
Graham Petra L.,
Fowler Christopher,
Bourgeat Pierrick,
Li QiaoXin,
Collins Steven,
Bush Ashley I.,
Rowe Christopher C.,
Masters Colin L.,
Ames David,
Hone Eugene,
Blennow Kaj,
Zetterberg Henrik,
Martins Ralph N.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia: diagnosis, assessment and disease monitoring
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.497
H-Index - 37
ISSN - 2352-8729
DOI - 10.1002/dad2.12005
Subject(s) - cerebrospinal fluid , atrophy , neuropathology , neurodegeneration , biomarker , pathology , dementia , alzheimer's disease , medicine , receiver operating characteristic , amyloid (mycology) , psychology , disease , neuroscience , chemistry , biochemistry
This study assessed the utility of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neurofilament light (NfL) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis, its association with amyloid and tau pathology, as well as its potential to predict brain atrophy, cognition, and amyloid accumulation. Methods CSF NfL concentration was measured in 221 participants from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers & Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing (AIBL). Results CSF NfL levels as well as NfL/amyloid β (Aβ42) were significantly elevated in AD compared to healthy controls (HC; P < .001), and in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared to HC ( P = .008 NfL; P < .001 NfL/Aβ42). CSF NfL and NfL/Aβ42 differentiated AD from HC with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.84 and 0.90, respectively. CSF NfL and NfL/Aβ42 predicted cortical amyloid load, brain atrophy, and cognition. Discussion CSF NfL is a biomarker of neurodegeneration, correlating with cognitive impairment and brain neuropathology.