Association of plasma biomarkers with cognition, cognitive decline, and daily function across and within neurodegenerative diseases: Results from the Ontario Neurodegenerative Disease Research Initiative.

Introduction: We investigated whether novel plasma biomarkers are associated with cognition, cognitive decline, and functional independence in activities of daily living across and within neurodegenerative diseases.
Methods: Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NfL), phosphorylated tau (p-tau)181 and amyloid beta (Aβ) _42/40 were measured using ultra-sensitive Simoa immunoassays in 44 healthy controls and 480 participants diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease/mild cognitive impairment (AD/MCI), Parkinson's disease (PD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) spectrum disorders, or cerebrovascular disease (CVD).
Results: GFAP, NfL, and/or p-tau181 were elevated among all diseases compared to controls, and were broadly associated with worse baseline cognitive performance, greater cognitive decline, and/or lower functional independence. While GFAP, NfL, and p-tau181 were highly predictive across diseases, p-tau181 was more specific to the AD/MCI cohort. Sparse associations were found in the FTD and CVD cohorts and for Aβ _42/40 .
Discussion: GFAP, NfL, and p-tau181 are valuable predictors of cognition and function across common neurodegenerative diseases, and may be useful in specialized clinics and clinical trials.
(© 2023 The Authors. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.)