Association Between Plasma Amyloid-β and Neuropsychological Performance in Patients With Cognitive Decline

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomarker Discovery
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD) pose significant public health challenges.
• Accurate and early diagnosis of AD is crucial for effective management.
• Plasma biomarkers offer a less invasive alternative to traditional diagnostic methods like PET scans.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between plasma amyloid-beta (Aβ) levels and cognitive function in individuals with cognitive decline.
• To assess the utility of a nano-biosensing platform for measuring plasma Aβ.
• To determine if plasma Aβ levels can predict Alzheimer's disease (AD) status and neuropsychological performance.

Main Methods:

• Prospective recruitment of 44 patients with cognitive decline.
• Plasma Aβ (Aβ40, Aβ42, Aβ42/40) analysis using a sensitive nano-biosensing platform.
• Amyloid Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning and comprehensive neuropsychological testing.

Main Results:

• Plasma Aβ42/40 levels significantly differed between normal controls (NC) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) groups.
• Aβ42/40 ratio was a strong predictor of amyloid PET positivity (AUC=0.952).
• Higher plasma Aβ42/40 levels were negatively correlated with verbal and visual memory performance.

Conclusions:

• Plasma Aβ measurement via nano-biosensing is a promising tool for AD diagnosis.
• This method can aid in assessing memory deficits in patients with cognitive decline.
• The findings support the use of plasma Aβ as a potential biomarker for AD and cognitive function.