Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38937912›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of neurology2024

Cerebrospinal fluid and blood neurofilament light chain levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal degeneration: A meta-analysis.

Federico Verde, Sara Licaj, Davide Soranna, Nicola Ticozzi, Vincenzo Silani, Antonella Zambon

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of neurology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Tofersen for SOD1 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. The spectrum of behavioral disorders in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: current view.Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2025
    Review
  8. Blood-Based Biomarkers in Frontotemporal Dementia: A Narrative Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024
    Review
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

6 authors.

Federico VerdeDepartment of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
Sara LicajDepartment of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
Davide SorannaBiostatistics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
Nicola TicozziDepartment of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5963-7426
Vincenzo SilaniDepartment of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
Antonella ZambonDepartment of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.

Funding

BIBLIOSANMinistero della Salute
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeNeurofilament light chain (NFL) has been shown to be increased in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and, to a lesser extent, in frontotemporal dementia (FTD). A meta-analysis of NFL in ALS and FTD was performed.

methodsAvailable studies comparing cerebrospinal fluid and blood NFL levels in ALS versus neurologically healthy controls (NHCs), other neurological diseases (ONDs) and ALS mimics, as well as in FTD and related entities (behavioural variant of FTD and frontotemporal lobar degeneration syndromes) versus NHCs, ONDs and other dementias were evaluated.

resultsIn ALS, both cerebrospinal fluid and blood levels of NFL were higher compared to other categories. In FTD, behavioural variant of FTD and frontotemporal lobar degeneration syndromes, NFL levels were consistently higher compared to NHCs; however, several comparisons with ONDs and other dementias did not demonstrate significant differences. DISCUSSION: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is characterized by higher NFL levels compared to most other conditions. In contrast, NFL is not as good at discriminating FTD from other dementias.

Indexed as

Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisFrontotemporal Lobar DegenerationNeurofilament ProteinsBiomarkersFrontotemporal DementiaHumansBiomarkersneurofilament protein LNeurofilament Proteinsamyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)biomarkerscerebrospinal fluidfrontotemporal dementia (FTD)neurofilament light chain (NFL)

Identifiers

PMID38937912
PMCPMC11295179

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Registered trials

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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.