Can Serum NFL Discriminate Parkinson Disease from Parkinsonisms?

Serum levels of neurofilament light chain were higher in people with multisystem atrophy or progressive supranuclear palsy than in people with PD and healthy controls.

The authors sought to use serum neurofilament light chain (NFL) measurements to differentiate between patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and those with parkinsonism. The investigators collected serum from patients with signs of parkinsonism but an uncertain diagnosis. Diagnoses were established after 3 years of follow-up, although many patients were followed for a longer duration. NFL quantification was performed by single molecule array. The sample included 55 people diagnosed with PD and 29 with atypical parkinsonism, the latter including 22 with multiple system atrophy and 7 with progressive supranuclear palsy. There were 53 controls without neurological disease.

Serum NFL levels differed significantly between the atypical parkinsonism …

Reviewing Author

Michael S. Okun, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America

Speaker’s BureauMedscape/WebMD CME, Movement Disorders Society CME, American Academy of Neurology CME

RoyaltiesBooks4Patients; Demos; Cambridge; Taylor and Francis; Robert Rose; Public Affairs

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; Parkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America; University of Florida Foundation

Editorial BoardsTremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements; JAMA Neurology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesParkinson’s Foundation (Medical Advisor)