Category: Parkinson's Disease: Cognitive functions
Objective: To evaluate the relationship between plasma Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and cognitive progression in Parkinson’s disease
Background: Plasma phosphorylated tau (ptau) isoforms have been recently associated with worse cognitive progression in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and in dementia with Lewy bodies (Moscoso et al. 2022, Gonzalez et al. 2022). The role of Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers in predicting AD co-pathology and cognitive progression in PD is still debated.
Method: Plasma ptau181 and ptau231 concentrations were measured in healthy controls and consecutive PD patients who underwent an extensive motor and non-motor assessment at baseline and after follow-up. PD patients were divided according to the plasma p-tau levels in the healthy population into high and normal p-tau levels (H-ptau181 and H-p-tau231, respectively).
Results: One hundred-five PD patients and 95 controls were included. H-ptau181 (n = 30) and H-ptau231 (n = 26) exhibited higher age and disease duration and more severe Hoehn and Yahr stage compared to PD patients with normal p-tau values. At follow-up, higher ptau181 levels were correlated with faster longitudinal MoCA changes from baseline adjusting for the effect of age, sex, and disease duration.
Conclusion: Plasma phosphorylated tau species are associated with older age and disease severity and might identify a subgroup of patients with higher risk of cognitive progression in PD.
References: Moscoso A, Karikari TK, Grothe MJ, Ashton NJ, Lantero-Rodriguez J, Snellman A, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Schöll M. CSF biomarkers and plasma p-tau181 as predictors of longitudinal tau accumulation: Implications for clinical trial design. Alzheimers Dement. 2022 Feb 28.
Gonzalez MC, Ashton NJ, Gomes BF, Tovar-Rios DA, Blanc F, Karikari TK, Mollenhauer B, Pilotto A, Lemstra A, Paquet C, Abdelnour C, Kramberger MG, Bonanni L, Vandenberghe R, Hye A, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Aarsland D; European–Dementia With Lewy Bodies (E-DLB) Consortium. Association of Plasma p-tau181 and p-tau231 Concentrations With Cognitive Decline in Patients With Probable Dementia With Lewy Bodies. JAMA Neurol. 2022 Jan 1;79(1):32-37. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.4222.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
A. Pilotto, NJ. Ashton, A. Lupini, B. Battaglio, S. Gipponi, E. Cottini, I. Grossi, A. Salvi, G. de Petro, M. Pizzi, K. Blennov, M. Gonzalez, D. Aarsland, H. Zetterberg, A. Padovani. Plasma Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and cognitive progression in Parkinson’s disease [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2022; 37 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/plasma-alzheimers-disease-biomarkers-and-cognitive-progression-in-parkinsons-disease/. Accessed May 24, 2025.« Back to 2022 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/plasma-alzheimers-disease-biomarkers-and-cognitive-progression-in-parkinsons-disease/