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Dried Blood Spot Collection of Health Biomarkers to Maximize Participation in Population Studies
Published on: January 28, 2014
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Biomarkers.
Dahyun Yi1, Min Soo Byun2,3, Gijung Jung1
1Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South).
Alzheimer'S & Dementia : the Journal of the Alzheimer'S Association
|December 24, 2025
Summary
Plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) strongly correlates with MRI-based markers of diffuse neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). This suggests NfL is a valuable indicator of widespread axonal injury and neurodegeneration in AD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomarker Research
- Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostics
Background:
- Plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a key biomarker for axonal injury and neurodegeneration (N) in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- The precise relationship between plasma NfL and neuroimaging markers of neurodegeneration requires further elucidation.
- This study aims to investigate the associations between plasma NfL and various neuroimaging markers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the correlation between plasma NfL levels and neuroimaging indicators of neurodegeneration.
- To determine if plasma NfL is more closely associated with structural or functional neuroimaging markers.
- To assess the utility of plasma NfL in reflecting diffuse versus focal neurodegeneration in AD.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from 167 older adults within the AD spectrum from the Korean Brain Aging Study for the Early Diagnosis and Prediction of AD (KBASE).
- Measurement of plasma NfL using the single molecule array (SIMOA) platform.
- Utilized structural MRI (cortical thickness, hippocampal volume, SPARE-AD scores) and FDG-PET (hypometabolism) for neuroimaging metrics.
- Employed linear regression models to assess associations and evaluated model performance using Adjusted R-squared, AIC, and BIC.
Main Results:
- Plasma NfL showed significant associations with both structural and functional neuroimaging markers of neurodegeneration.
- Reduced cortical thickness and higher SPARE-AD scores (diffuse atrophy) exhibited the strongest correlations with plasma NfL.
- While hippocampal volume showed a moderate association, FDG-PET markers, particularly PCC hypometabolism, also demonstrated significant links with plasma NfL.
- MRI markers, especially those indicating diffuse neurodegeneration, displayed stronger and more consistent associations with plasma NfL compared to FDG-PET markers.
Conclusions:
- Plasma NfL is more strongly associated with MRI-derived markers of diffuse structural neurodegeneration than with FDG-PET markers of functional decline.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering the interplay between plasma NfL and specific neuroimaging modalities for accurate AD diagnosis and monitoring.
- Plasma NfL serves as a valuable indicator reflecting widespread neurodegenerative processes in Alzheimer's disease.
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