The Underestimated Relevance of Alzheimer's Disease Copathology in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Abstract

Concomitant Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology can be observed in approximately 10-15% of cases with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS-AD patients have a higher prevalence of amnestic cognitive disturbances, which may often precede motor symptoms. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD core biomarkers usually show no or slightly significant changes in ALS, whereas blood phosphorylated tau protein might be increased independently from AD copathology. Neurofilament proteins are consistently elevated in CSF and blood of ALS, but have been poorly investigated in ALS-AD. All these issues should be taken into account when using fluid biomarkers as inclusion criteria or secondary endpoints in clinical trials.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; amyloid-β; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; biomarker; copathology; neurofilament light chain.