State-of-the-art of lumbar puncture and its place in the journey of patients with Alzheimer's disease
- PMID: 34043269
- PMCID: PMC8626532
- DOI: 10.1002/alz.12372
State-of-the-art of lumbar puncture and its place in the journey of patients with Alzheimer's disease
Abstract
Recent advances in developing disease-modifying therapies (DMT) for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and the recognition that AD pathophysiology emerges decades before clinical symptoms, necessitate a paradigm shift of health-care systems toward biomarker-guided early detection, diagnosis, and therapeutic decision-making. Appropriate incorporation of cerebrospinal fluid biomarker analysis in clinical practice is an essential step toward system readiness for accommodating the demand of AD diagnosis and proper use of DMTs-once they become available. However, the use of lumbar puncture (LP) in individuals with suspected neurodegenerative diseases such as AD is inconsistent, and the perception of its utility and safety differs considerably among medical specialties as well as among regions and countries. This review describes the state-of-the-art evidence concerning the safety profile of LP in older adults, discusses the risk factors for LP-associated adverse events, and provides recommendations and an outlook for optimized use and global implementation of LP in individuals with suspected AD.
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; biomarker; cerebrospinal fluid; diagnosis; evidence-based guidelines; lumbar puncture; system readiness.
© 2021 Eisai, Inc. Alzheimer's & Dementia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association.
Conflict of interest statement
H. Hampel is an employee of Eisai Inc. and serves as Senior Associate Editor for the journal
He is co‐inventor in the following patents as a scientific expert and has received no royalties:
In Vitro Multiparameter Determination Method for The Diagnosis and Early Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Disorders. Patent Number: 8916388
In Vitro Procedure for Diagnosis and Early Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Patent Number: 8298784
Neurodegenerative Markers for Psychiatric Conditions. Publication Number: 20120196300
In Vitro Multiparameter Determination Method for The Diagnosis and Early Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Disorders. Publication Number: 20100062463
In Vitro Method for The Diagnosis and Early Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Disorders. Publication Number: 20100035286
In Vitro Procedure for Diagnosis and Early Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Publication Number: 20090263822
In Vitro Method for The Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Patent Number: 7547553
CSF Diagnostic in Vitro Method for Diagnosis of Dementias and Neuroinflammatory Diseases. Publication Number: 20080206797
In Vitro Method for The Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Publication Number: 20080199966
Neurodegenerative Markers for Psychiatric Conditions. Publication Number: 20080131921
P. Aisen reports grants from Janssen, Eisai Inc., National Institute on Aging, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, and the Alzheimer's Association; and consulting fees from Merck, Biogen, Roche, Lundbeck, and Immunobrain Checkpoint. C. Chen has provided consultation to Cerecin, Danone, Eisai Inc., Lundbeck, Moleac, and Senescence. A. Lleó has served as a consultant or on advisory boards for Fujirebio‐Europe, Roche, Biogen, and Nutricia. Dr. Lleó has received funding from the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitario (FIS), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (AC19/00103), and the CIBERNED program (Program 1, Alzheimer Disease) partially funded by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, Unión Europea, Una manera de hacer Europa. In addition, Dr. Lleó has patent WO2019175379 A1 Markers of synaptopathy in neurodegenerative disease. A. Iwata has received lecture and consultant fees from Eisai Inc. M. Yamada has received research grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan (MHLW); and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). He has received scholarship grants from Astellas Pharma Inc.; Eisai Co., Ltd.; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.; Shionogi Co., Ltd.; Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare Co., Ltd.; Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Tsumura & Co.; Teijin Pharma, Ltd.; Nihon Medi‐Physics Co., Ltd.; Fujifilm Co.; Pfizer Japan Inc.; and Ricoh Co., Ltd. He received honoraria for sponsored lectures from Alnylam Japan K.K.; Alexion Pharma GK; Eisai Co., Ltd.; FP Pharmaceutical Co.; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.; Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare Co., Ltd.; Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Tsumura & Co.; Teijin Pharma, Ltd.; Nippon Chemiphar Co., Ltd.; Nihon Medi‐Physics Co., Ltd.; Nihon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Biogen Japan Ltd.; Fujifilm Co.; and Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K. T. Ikeuchi has provided consultation to Eisai Inc., Takeda, Janssen, Chugai, and Ono, and received lecture honoraria from Eisai Inc., Daiichi Sankyo, Novartis, Janssen, Takeda, Roche, and FUJIFILM RI Pharma. J. Jia has provided consultation to Eisai Inc., Novartis, Green Valley, Eli Lilly and Company, AstraZeneca, and CSPC‐NBP. H. Wang has provided consultation to Eisai Inc., Lundbeck, Roche, and Signant Health pharmaceutical and assessment companies. Dr. Wang owns the copyright of the individualized management system of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSIMS). C.E. Teunissen has a collaboration contract with ADx Neurosciences and Quanterix, and performed contract research for or received grants from Axon Neurosciences, Biogen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Brainstorm Therapeutics, Celgene, EIP Pharma, Eisai inc., Janssen Prevention Center, Roche, Toyama, and Vivoryon. K. Blennow has served as a consultant, on advisory boards, or data monitoring committees for Abcam, Axon Neurosciences, Biogen, JOMDD/Shimadzu, Julius Clinical, Eli Lilly and Company, MagQu, Novartis, Roche Diagnostics, and Siemens Healthineers, and is a co‐founder of Brain Biomarker Solutions in Gothenburg AB (BBS), which is part of the GU Ventures Incubator Program. J. Cummings has provided consultation to Acadia, Actinogen, Alkahest, Alzheon, Annovis, Avanir, Axsome, Biogen, Cassava, Cerecin, Cerevel, Cortexyme, Cytox, EIP Pharma, Eisai inc., Foresight, GemVax, Genentech, Green Valley, Grifols, Karuna, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Otsuka, Resverlogix, Roche, Samumed, Samus, Signant Health, Suven, and United Neuroscience pharmaceutical and assessment companies. Dr. Cummings has stock options in ADAMAS, AnnovisBio, MedAvante, and BiOasis. Dr. Cummings owns the copyright of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. A. Vergallo is an employee of Eisai Inc. He has not received any fees or honoraria since November 2019. Before November 2019, he had received lecture honoraria from Roche, MagQu LLC, and Servier. E. Peskind has provided consultation to Acadia, Avanir, Eli Lilly and Company, and Takeda.
Figures



Similar articles
-
Appropriate use criteria for lumbar puncture and cerebrospinal fluid testing in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.Alzheimers Dement. 2018 Nov;14(11):1505-1521. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.07.220. Epub 2018 Oct 10. Alzheimers Dement. 2018. PMID: 30316776 Free PMC article.
-
Feasibility of Lumbar Puncture in the Study of Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease in Subjects with Down Syndrome.J Alzheimers Dis. 2017;55(4):1489-1496. doi: 10.3233/JAD-160827. J Alzheimers Dis. 2017. PMID: 27858714
-
Feasibility of lumbar puncture in the study of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease: a multicenter study in Spain.J Alzheimers Dis. 2014;39(4):719-26. doi: 10.3233/JAD-131334. J Alzheimers Dis. 2014. PMID: 24254700
-
The use of lumbar puncture and safety recommendations in Alzheimer's disease: a plain language summary.Neurodegener Dis Manag. 2022 Oct;12(5):221-229. doi: 10.2217/nmt-2022-0012. Epub 2022 Jul 22. Neurodegener Dis Manag. 2022. PMID: 35866715
-
Clinical Consensus Guidelines on the Application of Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis: Recommendations of the Irish Network for Biomarkers in Neurodegeneration.Ir Med J. 2016 Dec 12;109(10):483. Ir Med J. 2016. PMID: 28644588
Cited by
-
Incidence of traumatic lumbar punctures in adults: the impact of a patient's first procedure.Clin Med (Lond). 2023 Jan;23(1):31-37. doi: 10.7861/clinmed.2022-0169. Epub 2023 Jan 17. Clin Med (Lond). 2023. PMID: 36650062 Free PMC article.
-
Amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA): radiological, biological and clinical characteristics.Brain. 2023 Nov 2;146(11):4414-4424. doi: 10.1093/brain/awad188. Brain. 2023. PMID: 37280110 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Online clinical tools to support the use of new plasma biomarker diagnostic technology in the assessment of Alzheimer's disease: a narrative review.Brain Commun. 2023 Nov 24;5(6):fcad322. doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad322. eCollection 2023. Brain Commun. 2023. PMID: 38090277 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Using machine learning and electronic health record (EHR) data for the early prediction of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias.J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2025 Aug;12(7):100169. doi: 10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100169. Epub 2025 Apr 16. J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2025. PMID: 40246680 Free PMC article.
-
Protocol for the Tallaght University Hospital Institute for Memory and Cognition-Biobank for Research in Ageing and Neurodegeneration.BMJ Open. 2023 Dec 9;13(12):e077772. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077772. BMJ Open. 2023. PMID: 38070888 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100 [online]. Available at: https://www.populationpyramid.net/world/2060/. Accessed November 10, 2020.
-
- Prince M, Wimo A, Guerchet M, Ali G, Wu Y, Prina M. The global impact of dementia. World Alzheimer Report 2015:1‐87.
-
- Alzheimer's Association. 2018 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. Alzheimers Dement 2018;14:367‐429.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical