Objective: The current study aimed to identify risk plasma biomarkers in early-stage PD for future motor complications through a longitudinal Chinese PD cohort, which ultimately paving the way for more individualized treatment strategies.
Background: It is unknown whether plasma biomarkers in early-stage Parkinson’ s disease (PD) can predict motor complications including motor fluctuation and dyskinesia through a prospective longitudinal Chinese PD cohort.
Method: The study enrolled 173 early-stage PD patients with a maximum follow-up of seven years. Plasma levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), phosphorylated tau181(p-tau181), amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42), and amyloid beta 40 (Aβ40) levels in PD patients were measured at baseline, one-year and two-year follow-up period using an ultrasensitive single-molecule array on the automated Simoa™ HD-X platform. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to assess the risk factors associated with motor fluctuation and dyskinesia.
Results: The incidence of motor fluctuation and dyskinesia was 41.61% and 17.91% at seven-year follow-up with the mean disease duration of 8.08 ± 0.78 years. Patients with motor fluctuation and dyskinesia exhibited higher baseline plasma levels of NfL, GFAP, and Aβ40 than those without motor fluctuation and dyskinesia. Multivariate Cox regression analyses found that higher baseline NfL level, rather than changes in plasma levels of NfL, GFAP, p-tau181, Aβ42, and Aβ40 over time, was a predictor of motor fluctuation and dyskinesia. Besides, higher baseline levodopa (L-dopa) daily dose, anxiety score, and depression score were predictors of motor fluctuation and dyskinesia.
Conclusion: Plasma NfL at baseline may serve as a clinical utility biomarker for predicting motor complications in early-stage PD, providing a foundation for the development of prevention and managing strategies for motor complications.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
NN. Che. Plasma neurofilament light chain in early Parkinson’ s disease predicts motor complications: A Prospective Cohort Study [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2025; 40 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/plasma-neurofilament-light-chain-in-early-parkinson-s-disease-predicts-motor-complications-a-prospective-cohort-study/. Accessed October 5, 2025.« Back to 2025 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/plasma-neurofilament-light-chain-in-early-parkinson-s-disease-predicts-motor-complications-a-prospective-cohort-study/