Comparison of ERlangen Score with pTau/Aβ1-42 Ratio for Predicting Cognitive Decline and Conversion to Alzheimer’s Disease
<b>Background/Objectives</b>: The ERlangen Score (ERS) and the pTau/Aβ1-42 ratio are dementia risk scores that use only surrogate markers of amyloid and tau pathology, whose performance has taken on added importance with the advent of anti-amyloid antibody therapies. Direct comparisons b...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/4/334 |
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| Summary: | <b>Background/Objectives</b>: The ERlangen Score (ERS) and the pTau/Aβ1-42 ratio are dementia risk scores that use only surrogate markers of amyloid and tau pathology, whose performance has taken on added importance with the advent of anti-amyloid antibody therapies. Direct comparisons between the scores are limited, which is why the performance of the ERlangen Score (ERS) and the pTau/Aβ1-42 ratio in predicting cognitive decline and dementia risk were compared. <b>Methods</b>: Measurements of Aβ1-42, Aβ1-40, and pTau181 were conducted in cerebrospinal fluid samples using immunoassays. Linear mixed models and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC, receiver operating characteristic = ROC) of 259 non-demented subjects were calculated. <b>Results</b>: The pTau/Aβ1-42 ratio correctly identified 55 out of 60 individuals with a positive Aβ1-42/Aβ1-40 ratio and pTau181 as having Alzheimer’s disease (AD), while the ERS correctly identified all of these individuals. The model using the ERS to predict cognitive trajectories (Akaike Information Criterion AIC = 2365) exhibited a marginally superior fit than the model using the pTau/Aβ1-42 ratio (AIC = 2371). There was no statistically significant difference in the AUC of the ERS (0.717) for dementia risk compared to the pTau/Aβ1-42 ratio (0.739), <i>p</i> = 0.179. However, when the Aβ1-42/Aβ1-40 ratio was not included in the ERS (AUC = 0.685), the pTau/Aβ1-42 score was found to be statistically significantly better, <i>p</i> = 0.007. <b>Conclusions</b>: The ERS showed an advantage in grouping, identifying all patients with a positive Aβ1-42/Aβ1-40 ratio and elevated pTau181 as having AD. The ERS and pTau/Aβ1-42 ratio were comparable in predicting dementia or cognitive decline. However, when the Aβ1-42/Aβ1-40 ratio is not available, the pTau/Aβ1-42 ratio should be preferred. |
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| ISSN: | 2076-3425 |