Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers Predict Decline in Subjective Cognitive Function over 3 Years in Healthy Elderly

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Abstract
To investigate whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers can predict cognitive decline in healthy, elderly individuals as they have been shown to do in cognitively impaired patient samples. In this study, 57 controls were tested for CSF biomarkers at baseline and then cognitively followed over 3 years. Low levels of baseline beta-amyloid 1-42 (Abeta42) were associated with development of subjective memory impairment affecting quality of life (memQoL), with a worse Mini Mental Status Examination score and with inability to live in regular housing at follow-up (p < 0.05). The combination of baseline Abeta42 and phosphorylated tau (P-tau) was found to predict development of pathological memQoL with a sensitivity of 71.4% and a specificity of 75.7 (<0.01). Low Abeta42 and combined Abeta42 and P-tau predicted subjective cognitive decline in healthy individuals. In summary, this study shows that already in the clinically normal population Alzheimer-disease-related biological signs might be detectable.