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Cognitive performance and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of neurodegeneration: a study of patients with bipolar disorder and healthy controls
Rolstad S, Jakobsson J, Sellgren C, Ekman CJ, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Pålsson E, Landén M.. PloS one, 2015-05-08
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The purpose of the present study was to investigate if cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of neurodegeneration are associated with cognition in bipolar disorder and healthy controls, respectively. CSF concentrations of total and phosphorylated tau, amyloid beta (Aβ)1-42, ratios of Aβ42/40 and Aβ42/38, soluble amyloid precursor protein α and β, and neurofilament light chain protein were analyzed in relation to neuropsychological performance in 82 euthymic bipolar disorder patients and 71 healthy controls. Linear regression models were applied to account for performance in five cognitive domains using the CSF biomarkers. In patients, the CSF biomarkers explained a significant proportion of the variance (15-36%, p=.002 - <.0005) in all cognitive domains independently of age, medication, disease status, and bipolar subtype I or II. However, the CSF biomarkers specifically mirroring Alzheimer-type brain changes, i.e., P-tau and Aβ1-42, did not contribute significantly. In healthy controls, CSF biomarkers did not explain the variance in cognitive performance. Selected CSF biomarkers of neurodegenerative processes accounted for cognitive performance in persons with bipolar disorder, but not for healthy controls. Specifically, the ratios of Aβ42/40 and Aβ42/38 were consistently associated with altered cognitive performance.
Key findings
- The purpose of the present study was to investigate if cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of neurodegeneration are associated with cognition in bipolar disorder and healthy controls, respectively.
- In patients, the CSF biomarkers explained a significant proportion of the variance (15-36%, p=.002 - <.0005) in all cognitive domains independently of age, medication, disease status, and bipolar subtype I or II.
- However, the CSF biomarkers specifically mirroring Alzheimer-type brain changes, i.e., P-tau and Aβ1-42, did not contribute significantly.
- Specifically, the ratios of Aβ42/40 and Aβ42/38 were consistently associated with altered cognitive performance.
Why it matters
In 82 people with bipolar disorder and 71 healthy controls, spinal fluid biomarkers of neurodegeneration explained a significant portion of cognitive performance in the bipolar group, but the markers specific to Alzheimer-type changes, p-tau and amyloid beta 1-42, did not contribute significantly. In healthy controls, these biomarkers did not explain cognitive performance, so the findings do not support a role for Alzheimer-type markers in this context.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (PloS one) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | PLoS ONE: journal h-index 594 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 53 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.1 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 17 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Mikael Landén: h-index 98 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25954806) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127100
- PubMed: 25954806
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — PubMed Central lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 10 Oct 2026).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Rolstad, S., Jakobsson, J., Sellgren, C., Ekman, C. J., Blennow, K., Zetterberg, H., et al. (2015). Cognitive performance and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of neurodegeneration: a study of patients with bipolar disorder and healthy controls. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0127100
Vancouver
Rolstad S, Jakobsson J, Sellgren C, Ekman CJ, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, et al. Cognitive performance and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of neurodegeneration: a study of patients with bipolar disorder and healthy controls. PloS one. 2015. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0127100. PMID: 25954806.
BibTeX
@article{rolstad2015-25954806,
author = {Rolstad, S. and Jakobsson, J. and Sellgren, C. and Ekman, C. J. and Blennow, K. and Zetterberg, H. and Pålsson, E. and Landén, M.},
title = {{Cognitive performance and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of neurodegeneration: a study of patients with bipolar disorder and healthy controls}},
journal = {PloS one},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0127100},
pmid = {25954806},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0127100}
}
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