Plasma Biomarkers and Clinical Outcomes in Early-Onset Dementia

Are plasma phosphorylated tau217 (p-tau217), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neurofilament light chain (NfL) biomarkers and their longitudinal changes associated with clinical outcomes in early-onset Alzheimer disease (EOAD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD)?In this cohort study of 322 patients with EOAD and FTD, all biomarkers were associated with decline in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating–Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) scores in the EOAD group; in the FTD group, only GFAP and NfL were associated with MMSE score decline. In the EOAD group, annualized p-tau217 level increases were associated with CDR-SB score worsening, whereas GFAP and NfL level increases were associated with MMSE decline; no such associations were observed in the FTD group.The findings suggest that plasma biomarkers’ distinct trajectories and clinical associations in EOAD and FTD support their potential utility for risk stratification.

Corresponding Authors: Eun-Joo Kim, MD, PhD, Department of Neurology, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, 179, Gudeok-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 49241, Korea (eunjookim@pusan.ac.kr); So Young Moon, MD, PhD, Department of Neurology, Ajou University School of Medicine, 164 Worldcup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon 16499, Korea (symoon.bv@gmail.com).

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