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α-Synuclein and tau concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of patients presenting with parkinsonism: a cohort study
Mollenhauer B, Locascio JJ, Schulz-Schaeffer W, Sixel-Döring F, Trenkwalder C, Schlossmacher MG.. The Lancet. Neurology, 2011-03-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Plain-language summary
Background Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy are brain disorders characterised by intracellular α-synuclein deposits. We aimed to assess whether reduction of α-synuclein concentrations in CSF was a marker for α-synuclein deposition in the brain, and therefore diagnostic of synucleinopathies. Methods We assessed potential extracellular-fluid markers of α-synuclein deposition in the brain (total α-synuclein and total tau in CSF, and total α-synuclein in serum) in three cohorts: a cross-sectional training cohort of people with Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer's disease, or other neurological disorders; a group of patients with autopsy-confirmed dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer's disease, or other neurological disorders (CSF specimens were drawn ante mortem during clinical investigations); and a validation cohort of patients who between January, 2003, and December, 2006, were referred to a specialised movement disorder hospital for routine inpatient admission under the working diagnosis of parkinsonism. CSF and serum samples were assessed by ELISA, and clinical diagnoses were made according to internationally established criteria. Mean differences in biomarkers between diagnostic groups were assessed with conventional parametric and non-parametric statistics. Findings In our training set, people with Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, and dementia with Lewy bodies had lower CSF α-synuclein concentrations than patients with Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders. CSF α-synuclein and tau values separated participants with synucleinopathies well from those with other disorders (p Interpretation Mean CSF α-synuclein concentrations as measured by ELISA are significantly lower in Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy than in other neurological diseases. Although specificity was low, the high positive predictive value of CSF α-synuclein concentrations in patients presenting with synucleinopathy-type parkinsonism might be useful in stratification of patients in future clinical trials. Funding American Parkinson Disease Association, Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, National Institutes of Health, Parkinson Research Consortium Ottawa, and the Government of Canada.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Moderate
This is a cross-sectional study. This study found that lower cerebrospinal fluid alpha-synuclein concentrations, as measured by ELISA, separated people with synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy from those with other disorders. It does not test any treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease, though it included people with Alzheimer's disease as a comparison group.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Mollenhauer, B., Locascio, J. J., Schulz-Schaeffer, W., Sixel-Döring, F., Trenkwalder, C., & Schlossmacher, M. G. (2011). α-Synuclein and tau concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of patients presenting with parkinsonism: a cohort study. The Lancet. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(11)70014-x
Vancouver
Mollenhauer B, Locascio JJ, Schulz-Schaeffer W, Sixel-Döring F, Trenkwalder C, Schlossmacher MG. α-Synuclein and tau concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of patients presenting with parkinsonism: a cohort study. The Lancet. Neurology. 2011. doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(11)70014-x. PMID: 21317042.
BibTeX
@article{mollenhauer2011-21317042,
author = {Mollenhauer, B. and Locascio, J. J. and Schulz-Schaeffer, W. and Sixel-Döring, F. and Trenkwalder, C. and Schlossmacher, M. G.},
title = {{α-Synuclein and tau concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of patients presenting with parkinsonism: a cohort study}},
journal = {The Lancet. Neurology},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.1016/s1474-4422(11)70014-x},
pmid = {21317042},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(11)70014-x}
}
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
- CSF α-synuclein and tau values separated participants with synucleinopathies well from those with other disorders (p<0·0001; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC]=0·908).
Why it matters
This study found that lower cerebrospinal fluid alpha-synuclein concentrations, as measured by ELISA, separated people with synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy from those with other disorders. It does not test any treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease, though it included people with Alzheimer's disease as a comparison group.
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Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 61/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (The Lancet. Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | The Lancet Neurology: journal h-index 457 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in 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 | 2011 — 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) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 623 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 36.6 citations a year over 17 year(s) since 2011 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 34.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 14 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 65 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Michael G. Schlossmacher: h-index 55 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 21317042) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 61 / 100 | — |
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