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48/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 48 out of 100. Disease mechanisms

Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models

Plain-language summary

Introduction Plasma phospho-tau 217 (pTau217) is a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology, reflecting amyloid (Aβ) and tau burden, but its role in Parkinson disease (PD) and 4-repeat(4R)-tauopathies remains incompletely understood. We measured plasma pTau217 across the cognitive spectrum of Lewy body diseases (PD, Dementia with Lewy bodies [DLB]) and in 4R-tauopathies, comparing these groups to cognitively unimpaired (CU) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) individuals. Methods Participants included 18 cognitively normal PD (PD-NC), 32 PD with MCI, and 7 PD with dementia (PDD), alongside 4 DLB patients, grouped as PDD/DLB. The 4R-tauopathy group included 28 Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and 4 corticobasal syndrome (CBS) patients, compared to 51 CU and 26 MCI individuals. Ptau217 was measured using the fully automated Lumipulse platform, with values adjusted for creatinine levels. Further, the presence of AD-pathology was defined using a validated cut-off based on Aβ-PET. Results PTau217 levels were significantly lower in PD-NC and CU individuals compared to those with greater cognitive impairment (PD-MCI, PDD/DLB, and PSP/CBS), and MCI individuals. AD co-pathology was identified in 28% of PDD/DLB and PSP/CBS patients, 16% of PD-MCI, and none of PD-NC. MCI showed the highest pTau217 positivity (35%), while 8% of CU individuals were positive despite normal cognition. In PD, pTau217 negatively correlated with cognitive performance, as assessed by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA: rs = −0.38, p = 0.004) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE: rs = −0.37, p = 0.006). Discussion Plasma pTau217 levels serve as a scalable, non-invasive marker of AD-pathology across Lewy body diseases, PSP/CBS, and MCI/CU populations. AD co-pathology independently contributes to cognitive deficits in PD, but not in PSP/CBS.

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APA 7th

Musso, G., Fiorenzato, E., Misenti, V., Cauzzo, S., Biundo, R., Fogliano, C. A., et al. (2025). Detecting amyloid and tau pathology in Parkinson’s disease, 4R-tauopathies and control subjects with plasma pTau217. Frontiers in Neurology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2025.1638852

Vancouver

Musso G, Fiorenzato E, Misenti V, Cauzzo S, Biundo R, Fogliano CA, et al. Detecting amyloid and tau pathology in Parkinson’s disease, 4R-tauopathies and control subjects with plasma pTau217. Frontiers in Neurology. 2025. doi:10.3389/fneur.2025.1638852. PMID: 40895094.

BibTeX

@article{musso2025-40895094,
  author  = {Musso, Giulia and Fiorenzato, Eleonora and Misenti, Valentina and Cauzzo, Simone and Biundo, Roberta and Fogliano, Carmelo Alessandro and Bonato, Giulia and Meissner, Wassilios G. and others},
  title   = {{Detecting amyloid and tau pathology in Parkinson’s disease, 4R-tauopathies and control subjects with plasma pTau217}},
  journal = {Frontiers in Neurology},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.3389/fneur.2025.1638852},
  pmid    = {40895094},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2025.1638852}
}

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How to read this study

Design: our record does not state a study design, so check the methods section of the original before weighing the result.
Size: the record lists 18 participants. Ask whether that is enough for the question, and who they were.
Effect: the record gives no effect size, so the summary above cannot say how large any difference was.

What the evidence grade means here

This page is graded low. alzhub.org assigns the grade automatically from keywords in the abstract, not from reading the paper. Low means the abstract matched neither pattern. It is the default label, and it does not mean the work is poor; many sound lab and imaging papers land here. It can add at most 5 of the 100 points in the study score, and it is a label about design, not a verdict on whether the findings are true.

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Key findings

The 4R-tauopathy group included 28 Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and 4 corticobasal syndrome (CBS) patients, compared to 51 CU and 26 MCI individuals.
Results PTau217 levels were significantly lower in PD-NC and CU individuals compared to those with greater cognitive impairment (PD-MCI, PDD/DLB, and PSP/CBS), and MCI individuals.

Why it matters

Measuring plasma pTau217 in people with Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and 4-repeat tauopathies, levels were lower in cognitively normal Parkinson's and control individuals than in those with greater cognitive impairment. The study examines a blood biomarker for detecting amyloid and tau pathology, not a treatment.

Study details

Participants18
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 48/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Frontiers in Neurology)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	Frontiers in Neurology: journal h-index 162 (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	4 / 5	2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	1 / 4	18 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)
Randomized / blinded	0 / 2	No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	2 / 7	Cited 7 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	1 / 5	2.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025
Impact for its field and year	3 / 6	Cited 4.4× 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	1 / 4	Cited 7 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	4 / 4	Last-listed author Angelo Antonini: h-index 105 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	3 / 3	Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: institution h-index 2,511 (OpenAlex)
Multicenter collaboration	2 / 3	OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 2 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40895094)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	48 / 100	—

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