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Updated: May 5, 2026

In Vitro Aggregation Assays Using Hyperphosphorylated Tau Protein
Published on: January 2, 2015
Impact of Plasma p-tau181 on Cognition, Motor Phenotypes, and Disease Course in ALS
Elisabeth Kasper1,2, Annaliis Lehto1,2,3, Nina Nordmann1
1Department of Neurology, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany.
Abstract:
Phosphorylated tau181 (p-tau181), an Alzheimer's disease biomarker, was recently evaluated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We investigated plasma p-tau181 in 202 ALS/ALS-FTD patients and 94 healthy controls, assessing cognitive performance, motor function, and longitudinal dynamics. Plasma p-tau181 and NfL were significantly elevated in ALS, with p-tau181 increasing over 1 year while NfL remained stable. Neither marker correlated with cognitive performance, and only NfL was associated with disease severity and progression. Plasma p-tau181 was higher in patients with predominant lower motor neuron involvement. The results indicate that p-tau181 reflects peripheral processes in ALS, providing a complementary, mechanistically distinct biomarker from NfL.
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