Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective To explore the hypothesis that serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) indicative of neuroaxonal damage may improve precise disease profiling with regard to cognition and neuropsychiatric symptoms, we analyzed potential associations of sNfL levels with cognitive test scores, fatigue, depression, and anxiety. Methods Patients with relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive MS (SPMS) underwent an elaborated assessment including MRI, various cognitive tests, and patient-reported outcomes. We determined sNfL levels by single molecule array (Simoa) assay. Relationships between sNfL, cognition, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and demographical data were analyzed using correlations, group comparisons, and regressions. Results In 45 clinically stable patients with MS (Expanded Disability Status Scale = 2.73 ± 1.12, disease duration = 10.03 ± 7.49 years), 40.0% were cognitively impaired. Mean sNfL levels were 16.02 ± 10.39 pg/mL, with higher levels in the SPMS subgroup (p = 0.038). sNfL levels did reliably link neither with the investigated cognitive and affective parameters nor with fatigue levels. The only relationship found in a small subgroup of patients with SPMS (n = 7) with visuospatial learning (r = −0.950, p = 0.001) and memory (r = −0.813; p = 0.026) disappeared when further controlling for age, educational level, and sex. Conclusions In patients with stable MS at less advanced disease stages, sNfL did not convincingly relate to cognitive performance, fatigue, depression, or anxiety and thus may not serve as a surrogate biomarker for neuropsychological status in such populations.
Authors: Orhan Aktas, Alina Renner, André Huss, Melanie Filser, Sharon Baetge, Nathalie Stute, Marcia Gasis, Klaudia Lepka, Norbert Goebels, Makbule Senel, Jonas Graf, Christian Enzinger, Daniela Pinter, Gerald Antoch, Bernd Turowski, Hans-Peter Hartung, Philipp Albrecht, Markus Otto, Hayrettin Tumani, Iris-Katharina Penner
Language: English
Subfield: Pathology and Forensic Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,450
OpenAlex ID: W3088950213