Serum Neurofilament light chain predicts autonomic symptoms in early Parkinson's disease

Autonomic dysfunction is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, reliable biomarkers for predicting autonomic symptoms in PD remain unidentified. Neurofilament light chain (NfL), a biomarker of neuronal impairment, is closely correlated with disease progression in PD.

This study examines the relationship between serum NfL levels and autonomic impairment in patients with early-stage PD.

A total of 312 patients with PD were included in the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) database. Autonomic symptoms were assessed using the Scale for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease for Autonomic Symptoms (SCOPA-AUT). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate associations between serum NfL and autonomic symptoms.

Higher baseline serum NfL levels were significantly associated with increased SCOPA-AUT scores and greater autonomic symptoms over time. Patients with the highest tertile of baseline serum NfL levels had an increased risk of developing OH over the five-year follow-up period (p = 0.004). However, the rate of NfL change was not significantly associated with autonomic symptoms progression.

Elevated baseline serum NfL levels may be a valuable biomarker for predicting autonomic symptoms in early-stage Parkinson's disease, which might be a new target in disease monitoring and early intervention.