Utility of plasma neurofilament light and total tau for clinical trials in Alzheimer's disease

• Introduction: Several blood-based biomarkers are associated with neuronal injury, but their utility in interventional clinical trials is unclear. This study retrospectively evaluated the utility of plasma neurofilament light (NfL) and total tau (t-tau) in an 18-month trial in mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods: Correlation and conditional independence analyses and Gaussian graphical models were used to investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal relations between NfL, t-tau, and clinical scales. Results: NfL had a stronger association than t-tau with clinical scales; t-tau did not hold additional information to that given by NfL (P > 0.05 at all time points). NfL held independent information about shorter-term (3- to 6-month) progression beyond patient age and clinical scores. However, no meaningful gain in power was found when adjusting a longitudinal analysis of cognitive scores for baseline NfL. Discussion: Plasma NfL is superior to t-tau in mild AD. The ability of NfL to detect changes before clinical manifestations makes it a promising biomarker of drug response in trials of disease-modifying drugs.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Neurologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Neurology (hsv//eng)

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

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

Keyword

Alzheimer's disease

biomarkers

blood biomarkers

clinical trials

dementia

fluid biomarkers

neurofilament light

NfL

plasma biomarkers

t-tau

total tau

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)