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Neurofilament Light Chain and Differentiation of Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia From Psychiatric Disorders
Dimitry S. Davydow, Morgan Brasfield, Christopher B. Morrow, Adam M. Staffaroni, Gregory M. Pontone, Breton Michael Asken. JAMA Psychiatry, 2025-09-10
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
A total of 3828 titles and abstracts and 434 full-text articles were reviewed, yielding 12 articles meeting eligibility criteria. The studies included 694 unique patients with bvFTD and 1594 unique patients with a range of psychiatric disorders. Four studies measured NfL levels in CSF, 6 in blood, and 2 in both. Levels of NfL in CSF and blood were significantly higher among patients with bvFTD than patients with psychiatric disorders. In receiving operator characteristic curve analyses, the area under the curve (AUC) for NfL in CSF for bvFTD vs psychiatric disorders ranged from 0.86 to 0.95 (sensitivities: 63%-96%, specificities: 81%-100%). The AUCs for NfL in blood ranged from 0.79 to 0.98 (sensitivities: 65%-100%, specificities: 69%-96%). Conclusions and Relevance: The findings in this systematic review indicate that NfL may help supplement clinical diagnostic evaluations in differentiating bvFTD from psychiatric disorder diagnoses. Considering the limitations of the existing literature, future studies should prospectively recruit patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms, quantify symptom severity, obtain NfL levels in real-time using clinically available assays, consider the potential impact of patient age on diagnostic accuracy, establish clinically relevant cutoffs, and correlate NfL with autopsy-confirmed brain pathology.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Davydow, D. S., Brasfield, M., Morrow, C. B., Staffaroni, A. M., Pontone, G. M., & Asken, B. M. (2025). Neurofilament Light Chain and Differentiation of Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia From Psychiatric Disorders. JAMA Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.2429
Vancouver
Davydow DS, Brasfield M, Morrow CB, Staffaroni AM, Pontone GM, Asken BM. Neurofilament Light Chain and Differentiation of Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia From Psychiatric Disorders. JAMA Psychiatry. 2025. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.2429. PMID: 40928798.
BibTeX
@article{davydow2025-40928798,
author = {Davydow, Dimitry S. and Brasfield, Morgan and Morrow, Christopher B. and Staffaroni, Adam M. and Pontone, Gregory M. and Asken, Breton Michael},
title = {{Neurofilament Light Chain and Differentiation of Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia From Psychiatric Disorders}},
journal = {JAMA Psychiatry},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.2429},
pmid = {40928798},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2025.2429}
}
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.
Key findings
- A total of 3828 titles and abstracts and 434 full-text articles were reviewed, yielding 12 articles meeting eligibility criteria.
- The studies included 694 unique patients with bvFTD and 1594 unique patients with a range of psychiatric disorders.
- Four studies measured NfL levels in CSF, 6 in blood, and 2 in both.
- Levels of NfL in CSF and blood were significantly higher among patients with bvFTD than patients with psychiatric disorders.
- In receiving operator characteristic curve analyses, the area under the curve (AUC) for NfL in CSF for bvFTD vs psychiatric disorders ranged from 0.86 to 0.95 (sensitivities: 63%-96%, specificities: 81%-100%).
Why it matters
This systematic review found that levels of neurofilament light chain in CSF and blood were higher in patients with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia than in patients with psychiatric disorders. It suggests NfL may help supplement clinical diagnostic evaluations in telling these conditions apart, but it is about diagnosis, not treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designsystematic review
- Participants694
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 63/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (JAMA Psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | JAMA Psychiatry: journal h-index 256 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” 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 | 2 / 4 | 694 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 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 6 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.8× 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 6 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Breton Michael Asken: h-index 29 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40928798) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 63 / 100 | — |
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