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CSF lactate levels, τ proteins, cognitive decline: a dynamic relationship in Alzheimer's disease
Liguori C, Stefani A, Sancesario G, Sancesario GM, Marciani MG, Pierantozzi M.. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, 2014-08-13
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Objectives To investigate, in patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD), the possible interplay linking alteration of neuronal energy metabolism, as measured via cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lactate concentration, to severity of AD neurodegenerative processes and impairment of cognitive abilities. Methods In this study we measured and correlated CSF lactate concentrations, AD biomarker levels (τ-proteins and β-amyloid) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score in a population of drug-naïve patients with AD ranging from mild (MMSE≥21/30) to moderate-severe (MMSE Results Patients with AD (n=145) showed a significant increase of CSF lactate concentration compared to controls (n=80) and patients with VaD (n=44), which was higher in mild (n=67) than in patients with moderate-severe AD (n=78). Moreover, we found, in either the whole AD population or both subgroups, a CSF profile in which higher
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APA 7th
Liguori, C., Stefani, A., Sancesario, G., Sancesario, G. M., Marciani, M. G., & Pierantozzi, M. (2015). CSF lactate levels, τ proteins, cognitive decline: a dynamic relationship in Alzheimer's disease. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2014-308577
Vancouver
Liguori C, Stefani A, Sancesario G, Sancesario GM, Marciani MG, Pierantozzi M. CSF lactate levels, τ proteins, cognitive decline: a dynamic relationship in Alzheimer's disease. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. 2015. doi:10.1136/jnnp-2014-308577. PMID: 25121572.
BibTeX
@article{liguori2015-25121572,
author = {Liguori, C. and Stefani, A. and Sancesario, G. and Sancesario, G. M. and Marciani, M. G. and Pierantozzi, M.},
title = {{CSF lactate levels, τ proteins, cognitive decline: a dynamic relationship in Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1136/jnnp-2014-308577},
pmid = {25121572},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2014-308577}
}
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Key findings
- Methods In this study we measured and correlated CSF lactate concentrations, AD biomarker levels (τ-proteins and β-amyloid) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score in a population of drug-naïve patients with AD ranging from mild (MMSE≥21/30) to moderate-severe (MMSE<21/30) cognitive decline.
- Moreover, we found, in either the whole AD population or both subgroups, a CSF profile in which higher CSF levels of t-τ and p-τ proteins corresponded to lower concentrations of lactate.
- Conclusions We verified the occurrence of high CSF lactate levels in patients with AD, which may be ascribed to mitochondria impairment.
- Hypothesising that τ proteins may exert a detrimental effect on the entire cellular energy metabolism, the negative correlation found between lactate and τ-protein levels may allow speculation that τ toxicity, already demonstrated to have affected mitochondria, could also impair glycolytic metabolism with a less evident increase of lactate levels in more severe AD.
Why it matters
In 145 drug-naive patients with Alzheimer's disease, this study correlated cerebrospinal fluid lactate levels with tau proteins, beta-amyloid and Mini-Mental State Examination scores. It describes a biological relationship in the disease but does not test a treatment, cure or prevention.
Study details
- Participants145
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 48/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry: journal h-index 336 (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 | 2 / 4 | 145 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 165 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 12.7 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 55 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Mariangela Pierantozzi: h-index 50 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Rome Tor Vergata: institution h-index 778 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25121572) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 48 / 100 | — |
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