Amyloid-β42/Neurogranin Ratio as a Potential Index for Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease

Background: Synaptopathy is critical in pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of neurogranin (NG) and amyloid-β42 (Aβ42) are considered markers of synaptic dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. Objective: To evaluate the CSF synaptopathy-related biomarkers, especially the novel Aβ42/NG ratio, in PD, establishing possible associations with cognitive level and other clinical parameters. Methods: Levels of NG, Aβ42, amyloid-β40, total and phosphorylated tau, and Aβ42/NG ratio were measured in 30 PD patients and 30 controls and correlated with cognitive and motor parameters. The accuracy in distinguishing the cognitive status was determined. Results: NG and Aβ42 were significantly reduced in PD, with higher NG levels in patients with worse cognition. The Aβ42/NG ratio showed a direct correlation with Mini-Mental State Examination, independently from age and sex, and differentiated cognitively impaired patients with 92% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity, accuracy higher than NG alone. No correlations resulted with motor disturbances or therapy. Conclusions: The novel Aβ42/NG ratio couples either presynaptic or postsynaptic markers of synaptic dysfunction, representing a potential global index of synaptopathy, useful to track cognitive functions in PD.