Serum NFL levels predict progression of motor impairment and reduction in putamen dopamine transporter binding ratios in de novo Parkinson ’s Disease: an 8-year longitudinal study

Neurofilament light chain (NFL), which is a sensitive measure of axonal damage, has been proposed as a promising biomarker in neurodegenerative diseases. In Parkinson ’s disease (PD), NFL can distinguish PD from other parkinsonian disorders, and NFL concentration is associated with disease severity, risk of progression and survival. To determine whether serum NFL at baseline in de novo PD predicts motor decline, differentially impacts clinical features of postu ral instability and gait disorder (PIGD) compared to tremor, predicts loss of dopamine terminals, and predicts cognitive decline, here we evaluated 376 de novo PD patients from the PPMI database and analyzed the effect of baseline serum NFL levels on progression over eight years of motor impairment measured with the UPDRS, cognitive function measured with the MoCA, and putamen dopamine transporter (DAT) binding ratio measured with DaTscan.
Source: Parkinsonism and Related Disorders - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research