Home › Research › Long-term cohort studies
CSF α-synuclein improves diagnostic and prognostic performance of CSF tau and Aβ in Alzheimer's disease
Toledo JB, Korff A, Shaw LM, Trojanowski JQ, Zhang J.. Acta neuropathologica, 2013-06-29
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Lewy body diseases (LBD), e.g., Parkinson's disease (PD) dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), are common causes of geriatric cognitive impairments. In addition, AD and LBD are often found in the same patients at autopsy; therefore, biomarkers that can detect the presence of both pathologies in living subjects are needed. In this investigation, we report the assessment of α-synuclein (α-syn) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and its association with CSF total tau (t-tau), phosphorylated tau181 (p-tau181), and amyloid beta1-42 (Aβ1-42) in subjects of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI; n = 389), with longitudinal clinical assessments.
Key findings
- In addition, AD and LBD are often found in the same patients at autopsy; therefore, biomarkers that can detect the presence of both pathologies in living subjects are needed.
- In this investigation, we report the assessment of α-synuclein (α-syn) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and its association with CSF total tau (t-tau), phosphorylated tau181 (p-tau181), and amyloid beta1-42 (Aβ1-42) in subjects of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI; n = 389), with longitudinal clinical assessments.
- A strong correlation was noted between α-syn and t-tau in controls, as well as in patients with AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
- However, the correlation is not specific to subjects in the ADNI cohort, as it was also seen in PD patients and controls enrolled in the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI; n = 102).
Why it matters
This investigation assessed cerebrospinal fluid α-synuclein and its association with other CSF markers in ADNI participants. It concerns diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, not treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants389
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 61/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Acta neuropathologica) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Acta Neuropathologica: journal h-index 287 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2013 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 389 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 104 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.9 citations a year over 15 year(s) since 2013 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 7 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 10 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Jing Zhang: h-index 72 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | University of Washington: institution h-index 3,540 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23812319) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 61 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Toledo, J. B., Korff, A., Shaw, L. M., Trojanowski, J. Q., & Zhang, J. (2013). CSF α-synuclein improves diagnostic and prognostic performance of CSF tau and Aβ in Alzheimer's disease. Acta neuropathologica. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-013-1148-z
Vancouver
Toledo JB, Korff A, Shaw LM, Trojanowski JQ, Zhang J. CSF α-synuclein improves diagnostic and prognostic performance of CSF tau and Aβ in Alzheimer's disease. Acta neuropathologica. 2013. doi:10.1007/s00401-013-1148-z. PMID: 23812319.
BibTeX
@article{toledo2013-23812319,
author = {Toledo, J. B. and Korff, A. and Shaw, L. M. and Trojanowski, J. Q. and Zhang, J.},
title = {{CSF α-synuclein improves diagnostic and prognostic performance of CSF tau and Aβ in Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {Acta neuropathologica},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1007/s00401-013-1148-z},
pmid = {23812319},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-013-1148-z}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 31.
Later studies that cite this one
7 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Long-term cohort studies
Also tagged “biomarkers”
821 studies in the library carry the topic tag “biomarkers”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 821 tagged studies.