Symmetric Centipolar Normalized Score (SCeNS): A standardization framework for fluid marker cross‐comparability in Alzheimer's disease
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Multiple platforms measure Alzheimer's disease fluid biomarkers, such as amyloid beta (Aβ) and p-tau, leading to heterogeneous data. Existing harmonization methods are difficult to interpret as they still provide specific cut-offs and biomarker values are not commaptible between different biomarkers. METHODS: We propose a standardization approach, Symmetric Centipolar Normalized Score (SCeNS), which uses Gaussian mixture model-derived cutoffs to rescale biomarker z-scores onto a -100 to 100 scale, with a constant cut-off to derive biomarker status, that can be applied to fluid as well as imaging biomakers. The sign (plus or minus) reflects sample's biomarker status. We present the calculation steps and demonstrate how SCeNS enables direct comparison across cohorts, platforms, and tissue types. We also demonstrate a use case of the approach using real-world data from individuals treated with lecanemab. RESULTS: SCeNS were calucated using cerebrospinal and plasma AD biomarkers measured in mutliple platforms, demostrating that the SCeNS methods provide a consistent and easy to understand biomarker level. We applied the SCeNS method to the lecanmab-treated cohort, where we demostrated the SCeNS previde easy to interpert biomkaer changes as p-tau217 showed highest unit of change, while p-tau181 had highest conversion (7.57%) to biomarker negative. DISCUSSION: SCeNS provides a simple, interpretable biomarker metric across platforms.
DOI: 10.1002/dad2.70516
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,540
Awards: G104586243, Epidemiologic Study of Neural Reserve and Neurobiology of Aging, Genetic Architecture of Alzheimer’s disease Proteinopathies, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, G1442702105, Genetic Epidemiology of Early-Onset Alzheimers disease in Caribbean Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites, Genetic Drivers of Resilience to Alzheimer's Disease, Epidemiologic Study of TDP-43 Pathology in Aging and Dementia, G3146424788, 1Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Alzheimer's Disease Patient Registry (ADPR/ACT), USING QUANTITATIVE TRAITS TO IDENTIFY NOVEL GENES FOR ALZHEIMERS DISEASE AND OTHER COMPLEX TRAITS, G3483586962, G3799166765, G3908963977, Nevada Exploratory Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (NVEADRC), Replication and Extension of ADSP Discoveries in African-Americans, Risk Factors, Pathology, and Clinical Expressions of AD, UAB Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Rush Alzheimer's Disease Core Center, Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, IDENTIFYING RARE VARIANTS THAT INCREASE RISK FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, G6576975730, New Mexico Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Healthy Aging and Senile Dementia, Dissecting the Genomic Etiology of non-Mendelian Early-Onset Alzheimer Disease and Related Phenotypes, Vanderbilt Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, The Familial Alzheimer Sequencing (FASe) Project, GENETIC MODIFIERS OF CEREBROSPINAL FLUID TREM2 IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, G9000039018, G9000122335, G9000135359, G9000161920, G9000257646, G9000281821, National Institute on Aging Alzheimer's Disease Family-Based Study (NIA-AD FBS), Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Genetic Modifiers of TREM2 in Alzheimer's Disease, Yale Alzheimer Disease Research Center, UCSD Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center P30, Identification and Characterization of Cell-Specific Transposable Elements Implicated on Alzheimer Disease and Healthy Aging, Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) Research Program, Joint Estimate Diffusion Imaging (JEDI) for improved Tissue Characterization and Neural Connectivity in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project Phenotype Harmonization Consortium, Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (KU ADRC), Alzheimer Disease Research Center, THE NIA GENETICS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE DATA STORAGE SITE, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Oregon Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Cleveland Alzheimers Disease Research Center, New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity, Stanford Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Multimodal Characterization of the Role of Circular RNAs in Alzheimer's Disease, Redefining Chiari Type I Malformation and its Impact on Brain Development, Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Mayo Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Racial Differences in Late-Life Cognitive decline and risk of Alzheimer's Disease, University of Washington Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Duke/UNC Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers, National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center, University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, NORTHWESTERN Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Penn Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC), Antecedent Biomarkers for Alzheimer Disease: The Adult Children Study, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (MADRC), South Texas Alzheimer's Disease Center, Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, The Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the University of California, Irvine, Rush Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Ultrascale Machine Learning to Empower Discovery in Alzheimers Disease Biobanks
OpenAlex ID: W7223558646