Plasma NfL and GFAP for predicting VCI and related brain changes in community and clinical cohorts

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

We investigated the usefulness of plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) for capturing vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) in the context of amyloidosis.

METHODS

Using two independent cohorts (n = 1810), we assessed the relationship of plasma NfL and GFAP with (1) vascular brain indices; (2) diagnostic states using the following definitions: vascular versus not (white matter hyperintensity/total intracranial volume ≥ 1.3%), and cognitively impaired (CI) versus cognitively unimpaired (CU) using Clinical Dementia Rating ([CDR] scale ≥ 0.5); and (3) their upstream predictors using structural equation models (SEMs).

RESULTS

Plasma NfL and GFAP were associated with vascular brain damage and differed across states (VCI > vascular CU > non-vascular CI > non-vascular CU). In a population-based sample, these biomarkers distinguished vascular CU and VCI from non-vascular CU groups with greater separation in amyloid negative participants. Pathway analyses showed NfL was primarily influenced by systemic/brain vascular health, whereas amyloid contributed to GFAP variability.

DISCUSSION

Plasma biomarkers, particularly NfL, capture vascular brain changes and show promise for VCI identification.

Highlights

• Plasma NfL and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were associated with vascular brain indices.
• Plasma biomarkers differed across diagnostic states (VCI > vascular CU > non-vascular CI > non-vascular CU).
• Plasma markers discriminated vascular from non-vascular states with greater separation in Aβ− participants.
• NfL was linked to vascular health, while amyloid influenced GFAP variability in the population-based sample.
• Future longitudinal frameworks should consider systemic inflammation markers along with these plasma markers to better understand VCID-related brain changes and cognitive decline.