Cerebrospinal fluid TAU protein and amyloid β42 in mild cognitive impairment: prediction of progression to Alzheimer’s disease and correlation with the neuropsychological examination

Abstract

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) TAU protein and Amyloid β42 were able to distinguish between 28 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients and both 38 normal aged and 17 anxious and depressed elderly patients, with good sensitivity/specificity when the two measures were combined. These biological markers are independent predictors of the presence of Alzheimer disease (AD), in addition to memory performance. Low Amyloid β42 level was predictor of a fast progression of MCI patients to full blown dementia. The TAU protein level tended to correlate with memory performance, presumably in relation with the extent of the bilateral medio-temporal damage in early AD.

We are indebted to Marie-Paule Van Antwerpen and Adriana Fuentes Polanco for helping us with the biomarker assessment. We would like to thank Dr. Eric Constant for the psychiatric evaluation of anxio-depressed patients. We thank Dr. Annalena Venneri for her amendments to the English and for her help in improving the style. In addition, we are grateful to Innogenetics for useful advices on technical issues.

Notes

We are indebted to Marie-Paule Van Antwerpen and Adriana Fuentes Polanco for helping us with the biomarker assessment. We would like to thank Dr. Eric Constant for the psychiatric evaluation of anxio-depressed patients. We thank Dr. Annalena Venneri for her amendments to the English and for her help in improving the style. In addition, we are grateful to Innogenetics for useful advices on technical issues.

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