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Lower Cerebrospinal Fluid Concentration of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Predicts Progression from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer’s Disease

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Abstract

There is little information on the dynamics of BDNF in the CSF in the continuum between healthy aging, MCI and AD. We included 128 older adults (77 with amnestic MCI, 26 with AD and 25 healthy controls). CSF BDNF level was measured by ELISA assay, and AD biomarkers (Aβ42, T-Tau and P-Tau181) were measured using a Luminex xMAP assay. CSF BDNF levels were significantly reduced in AD subjects compared to MCI and healthy controls (p = 0.009). Logistic regression models showed that lower CSF BDNF levels (p = 0.008), lower CSF Aβ42 (p = 0.005) and lower MMSE scores (p = 0.007) are significantly associated with progression from MCI to AD. The present study adds strong evidence of the involvement of BDNF in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative changes in AD. Interventions aiming to restore central neurotrophic support may represent future therapeutic targets to prevent or delay the progression from MCI to AD.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by Grants from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq; Grant No. 472138/2013-8; No. 466623/2014-3), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, 02/12633-7), Associação Beneficente Alzira Denise Hertzog da Silva (ABADHS). The sponsors and funders did not have any influence on the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review or approval of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Breno Satler Diniz.

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The authors do not have any conflict of interest concerning the information disclosed in this manuscript.

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Orestes Vicente Forlenza, Breno Satler Diniz and Antonio Lucio Teixeira have contributed equally to this study.

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Forlenza, O.V., Diniz, B.S., Teixeira, A.L. et al. Lower Cerebrospinal Fluid Concentration of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Predicts Progression from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer’s Disease. Neuromol Med 17, 326–332 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12017-015-8361-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12017-015-8361-y

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