Work

Plasma neurofilament light is associated with hippocampal volume and memory performance but not functional connectivity in older adults with and without mild cognitive decline

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Plasma neurofilament light (pNfL) has shown promise as a biomarker for tracking and predicting neurodegeneration, such as cortical atrophy and hypometabolism, in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). However, it is still not clear whether neurofilament light (NfL) also reflects alterations in the functional connectivity (FC) of the default mode network (DMN), a functional network showing alterations in earlier stages of AD. Our sample consisted of 62 cognitively unimpaired (CU) and 47 cognitively impaired (CI) older adults likely due to AD. FC was measured in the posterior midline DMN, and between the posterior midline DMN and frontal DMN, temporoparietal DMN, and hippocampus. We also examined whether the previously observed relationship between pNfL and hippocampal volume, as well as memory function, are replicated in our dataset. We found that pNfL was not associated with DMN FC in either the CI or the CU group. However, higher pNfL was associated with lower right hippocampal volume and lower memory score in the CI group. Our results support the potential utility of pNfL as a biomarker tracking hippocampal atrophy and memory function but not for predicting DMN FC in older adults with cognitive decline of Alzheimer’s type.

Source: Aging Brain

DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2026.100157