Increased cerebrospinal fluid tau levels in logopenic variant of Alzheimer's disease

J Alzheimers Dis. 2014;39(3):611-6. doi: 10.3233/JAD-131382.

Abstract

Background: Patients with logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA) display neuropathological differences from typical amnestic Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker levels between patients with lvPPA due to AD (lvPPA-AD), non-logopenic forms of AD (nlAD), and amnestic mild cognitive impairment due to AD (aMCI-AD).

Methods: CSF biomarker concentrations were assessed in 124 patients divided into three groups matched for age, level of education, center, and disease duration: lvPPA-AD (n = 30), nlAD (n = 67). and aMCI-AD (n = 27).

Results: p-Tau181 levels were higher in the lvPPA-AD group than in the aMCI-AD group (p < 0.05). Total tau levels were higher in the lvPPA-AD group versus those in the nlAD (p < 0.05) and aMCI-AD (p < 0.001) groups.

Conclusions: These results suggest a more pronounced involvement of a taupathy in lvPPA-AD compared to aMCI-AD and a more important neuronal death in lvPPA-AD than in nlAD or aMCI-AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; cerebrospinal fluid markers; logopenic; mild cognitive impairment; primary progressive aphasia.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alzheimer Disease / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Aphasia, Primary Progressive / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Cognitive Dysfunction / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Status Schedule
  • Middle Aged
  • Normal Distribution
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • tau Proteins / cerebrospinal fluid*

Substances

  • tau Proteins