Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29631614›Full record

ArticleAlzheimer's research & therapy2018

Neurofilament light as a blood biomarker for neurodegeneration in Down syndrome.

Andre Strydom, Amanda Heslegrave, Carla M Startin, Kin Y Mok, John Hardy, Jurgen Groet, Dean Nizetic, Henrik Zetterberg, LonDownS Consortium

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Alzheimer's research & therapy, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
45citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
6.8field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

45 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 63 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025
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  13. Blood biomarkers in Down syndrome: Facilitating Alzheimer's disease detection and monitoring.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.

Andre StrydomDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK. andre.strydom@kcl.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-2502-6704
Amanda HeslegraveDepartment of Molecular Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
Carla M StartinDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
Kin Y MokThe LonDownS Consortium, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
John HardyThe LonDownS Consortium, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
Jurgen GroetThe LonDownS Consortium, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
Dean NizeticThe LonDownS Consortium, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
Henrik ZetterbergDepartment of Molecular Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
LonDownS Consortium
King's College London · GBQueen Mary University of London · GBUK Dementia Research Institute · GBUniversity College London · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council G0500288Medical Research Council MR/S005145/1Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 098330/Z/12/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDown syndrome (DS) may be considered a genetic form of Alzheimer's disease (AD) due to universal development of AD neuropathology, but diagnosis and treatment trials are hampered by a lack of reliable blood biomarkers. A potential biomarker is neurofilament light (NF-L), due to its association with axonal damage in neurodegenerative conditions.

methodsWe measured blood NF-L concentrations in 100 adults with DS using Simoa NF-light® assays, and we examined relationships with age as well as cross-sectional and longitudinal dementia diagnosis.

resultsNF-L concentrations increased with age (Spearman's rho = 0.789, p < 0.001), with a steep increase after age 40, and they were predictive of dementia status (p = 0.022 adjusting for age, sex, and APOE4), but they showed no relationship with long-standing epilepsy or premorbid ability. Baseline NF-L concentrations were associated with longitudinal dementia status.

conclusionsNF-L is a biomarker for neurodegeneration in DS with potential for use in future clinical trials to prevent or delay dementia.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAge FactorsDementiaDown SyndromeFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNerve DegenerationNeurofilament ProteinsStatistics, NonparametricYoung Adultneurofilament protein LNeurofilament ProteinsAlzheimer’s diseaseBiomarkerDementiaDown syndromeNeurofilament light

Identifiers

PMID29631614
PMCPMC5891918
OpenAlexW2792863859

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.