Cognitive impairment in Glucocerebrosidase (GBA)-associated PD: Not primarily associated with cerebrospinal fluid Abeta and Tau profiles

A proportion of idiopathic Parkinson's disease patients (PDidiopathic ) with dementia show altered CSF profiles of amyloid β (Aβ) and Tau. PD patients with Glucocerebrosidase (GBA) mutations (PDGBA ) present with even more cognitive decline than seen in PDidiopathic .The objective of this study was to evaluate whether CSF profiles of Aβ and tau are associated with the prominent cognitive impairment in PDGBA .CSF levels of Aβ1-42 , t-Tau, p-Tau, and total alpha-synuclein were assessed in 479 participants (50 PDGBA , 308 PDidiopathic , 121 healthy controls).Older age was associated with cognitive impairment in PDGBA and PDidiopathic . Despite prominent cognitive impairment, PDGBA showed similar CSF levels of Aβ1-42 , t-Tau, and p-Tau as seen in healthy controls. In contrast, lower levels of Aβ1-42 and higher levels of t-Tau and p-Tau were associated with worse cognitive performance in PDidiopathic .The prominent cognitive impairment in PDGBA seems not primarily associated with Aβ and Tau profiles in CSF. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.