Affiliations: [a] Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland | [b] Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Sanna-Kaisa Herukka, Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, POB 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland. Tel.: +358 17 163213; Fax: +358 17 162048; E-mail: sanna-kaisa.herukka@uku.fi.
Abstract: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers and medial temporal lobe (MTL) atrophy predict the progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated the association between the CSF biomarkers and MTL atrophy and the ability of these measures to predict AD in MCI patients in the same study population. The study included 21 MCI patients of whom eight progressed to AD during the study. CSF biomarkers were measured by using ELISA method and volumes of MTL structures were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Aβ42 levels were lower and tau and phospho-tau levels were higher in progressive subjects. The progressive subjects had lower volumes in all MRI measures. Tau and phospho-tau correlated inversely with hippocampal volumes and left entorhinal cortex volume in the whole study group. In the stable group, tau correlated with hippocampal volumes. Aβ42 had a negative correlation whereas phospho-tau exhibited a positive correlation with left hippocampal volume in the progressive group. These results indicate that both measures may reflect the ongoing neurodegenerative process in the progressive MCI patients. However, the order of the changes in the CSF biomarkers and MTL atrophy remain unclear due to a small number of studied subjects and study design.
Keywords: Amyloid-β, cerebrospinal fluid, hippocampal atrophy, phosphorylated tau, tau
