Imke Galazky, Germany
Otto-von-Guericker University NeurologyAuthor Of 1 Presentation
NEUROFILAMENT LIGHT CHAIN LEVELS ARE REFLECTING THE LOSS OF PRESYNAPTIC DOPAMINE TRANSPORTERS IN MOVEMENT DISORDERS
Abstract
Aims
Neurofilament light Chain (NfL) is a biomarker for neuroaxonal damage. We assessed, whether NfL levels are correlated to the functional integrity of presynaptic dopamine neurons. We correlated NfL levels and other biomarkers in the CSF with the results of dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging, which visualizes the loss of presynaptic DAT.
Methods
We retrospectively identified 47 patients (17 Alzheimer Dementia, 10 idiopathic Parkinson Disease, 7 Lewy Body Dementia, 13 Progressive supranuclear palsy or Corticobasal syndrome) who received DAT imaging and lumbar puncture. DAT imaging was performed according to current guidelines and Z-scores indicating the decrease in uptake compared to a normal collective were calculated for the Nucl. caudatus and Putamen of each side. CSF biomarkers Progranulin (PGRN), Total Tau (T-Tau), Alpha-Synuclein (aSyn), phosphorylated Neurofilament heavy Chain (pNfH) and NfL were correlated with the Z-scores.
Results
DAT imaging results in AD patients did not correlate with any biomarker. Subsuming all movement disorders with nigrostriatal neurodegeneration resulted in a strong correlation between DAT imaging results and NfL (Ncl caudatus right p<0.01, left p<0.05, Putamen right p<0.05, left p<0.05) and between pNfH and Putamen (right p<0.05; left p<0.042). Progranulin, aSyn and T-Tau did not correlate with DAT imaging. Subdividing in disease cohorts did not reveal significant correlations.
Conclusions
We show for the first time a strong correlation of NfL and pNfH with a pathological change in presynaptic DAT density in movement disorders. This indicates that axonal dopaminergic neurodegeneration is aligned with the neurodegenerative process in movement disorders but not in Alzheimer’s disease.