Sensibilidad de biomarcadores en el líquido cefalorraquídeo en enfermedades neurodegenerativas

Recent advances in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease has prompted the clinical development of biomarkers that would expand research in early diagnosis, rate of disease progression and monitoring the effect of therapies. Cerebrospinal fluid measures (CSF) of beta-amyloid 42, total tau and phospo-tau proteins have shown a high diagnostic accuracy in differenciating Alzheimer’s dementia from healthy controls, even at very early stages of the disease. Diagnostic accuracy of the biomarkers between Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia types is not as good, although the specificity of phospo-tau levels remains high. Clinical usefulness is limited by the invasiveness of the procedure, and by strict adhesion to a well-defined protocol and sample handling. The type of technical method for determination is not widely established, and variability between centres is high. Nevertheless, there is an important role of CSF biomarkers in selected cases, and in the research of timing the events of Alzheimer’s disease. (Alzheimer. Real Invest Demenc. 2011;49:26-32)