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Review
. 2024 Jan 11;14(1):93.
doi: 10.3390/biom14010093.

Blood Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease and Cognition: A Literature Review

Greta Garcia-Escobar  1 , Rosa Maria Manero  1   2 , Aida Fernández-Lebrero  1   2   3 , Angel Ois  1   2   3 , Irene Navalpotro-Gómez  1   2   3 , Victor Puente-Periz  1   2 , José Contador-Muñana  1   2 , Isabel Estragués-Gazquez  1   2 , Albert Puig-Pijoan  1   2   4 , Joan Jiménez-Balado  1
Affiliations
Review

Blood Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease and Cognition: A Literature Review

Greta Garcia-Escobar et al. Biomolecules. .

Abstract

Recent advances in blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) show great promise for clinical applications, offering a less invasive alternative to current cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measures. However, the relationships between these biomarkers and specific cognitive functions, as well as their utility in predicting longitudinal cognitive decline, are not yet fully understood. This descriptive review surveys the literature from 2018 to 2023, focusing on the associations of amyloid-β (Aβ), Total Tau (t-Tau), Phosphorylated Tau (p-Tau), Neurofilament Light (NfL), and Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) with cognitive measures. The reviewed studies are heterogeneous, varying in design and population (cognitively unimpaired, cognitively impaired, or mixed populations), and show results that are sometimes conflicting. Generally, cognition positively correlates with Aβ levels, especially when evaluated through the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio. In contrast, t-Tau, p-Tau, Nfl, and GFAP levels typically show a negative correlation with cognitive performance. While p-Tau measures generally exhibit stronger associations with cognitive functions compared to other biomarkers, no single blood marker has emerged as being predominantly linked to a specific cognitive domain. These findings contribute to our understanding of the complex relationship between blood biomarkers and cognitive performance and underscore their potential utility in clinical assessments of cognition.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; blood biomarkers; cognition; cognitive functions; cognitive impairment.

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Conflict of interest statement

A.P.-P. has served on advisory boards for Schwabe Farma Iberica. All the other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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