Brain atrophy and white matter hyperintensities are independently associated with plasma neurofilament light chain in an Asian cohort of cognitively impaired patients with concomitant cerebral small vessel disease

• IntroductionPlasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a potential biomarker for neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD), ischemic stroke, and non-dementia cohorts with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). However, studies of AD in populations with high prevalence of concomitant CSVD to evaluate associations of brain atrophy, CSVD, and amyloid beta (A beta) burden on plasma NfL are lacking. MethodsAssociations were tested between plasma NfL and brain A beta, medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) as well as neuroimaging features of CSVD, including white matter hyperintensities (WMH), lacunes, and cerebral microbleeds. ResultsWe found that participants with either MTA (defined as MTA score >= 2; neurodegeneration [N]+WMH-) or WMH (cut-off for log-transformed WMH volume at 50th percentile; N-WMH+) manifested increased plasma NfL levels. Participants with both pathologies (N+WMH+) showed the highest NfL compared to N+WMH-, N-WMH+, and N-WMH- individuals. DiscussionPlasma NfL has potential utility in stratifying individual and combined contributions of AD pathology and CSVD to cognitive impairment.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Neurovetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Neurosciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Alzheimer's disease

amyloid beta

biomarkers

brain atrophy

cerebrovascular disease

neurofilament light chain

non-Alzheimer's

pathophysiology

plasma

alzheimers-disease

cerebrospinal-fluid

cerebrovascular pathology

protein

dementia

biomarkers

decline

burden

tau

Neurosciences & Neurology

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)