Abstract
Background: In previous studies, a dichotomous stratification of subjects
into “cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) normal” and “CSF pathologic” was used to investigate the
role of biomarkers in the prediction of progression to dementia in pre-dementia/mild
cognitive impairment subjects. With the previously published Erlangen Score Algorithm, we
suggested a division of CSF patterns into five groups, covering all possible CSF result
combinations based on the presence of pathologic tau and/or amyloid-β CSF values.
Objective: This study aimed to validate the Erlangen Score diagnostic
algorithm based on the results of biomarkers analyses obtained in different patients
cohorts, with different pre-analytical protocols, and with different laboratory analytical
platforms.
Methods: We evaluated the algorithm in two cohorts of pre-dementia subjects:
the US-Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and the German Dementia Competence
Network.
Results: In both cohorts, the Erlangen scores were strongly associated with
progression to Alzheimer’s disease. Neither the scores of the progressors nor the scores
of the non-progressors differed significantly between the two projects, in spite of
significant differences in the cohorts, laboratory methods, and the samples treatment.
Conclusions: Our findings confirm the utility of the Erlangen Score algorithm
as a useful tool in the early neurochemical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
