Cognitive impairment in Glucocerebrosidase (GBA)-associated PD: Not primarily associated with cerebrospinal fluid Abeta and Tau profiles.

Background: A proportion of idiopathic Parkinson's disease patients (PD ) with dementia show altered CSF profiles of amyloid β (Aβ) and Tau. PD patients with Glucocerebrosidase (GBA) mutations (PD ) present with even more cognitive decline than seen in PD .

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether CSF profiles of Aβ and tau are associated with the prominent cognitive impairment in PD .

Methods: CSF levels of Aβ , t-Tau, p-Tau, and total alpha-synuclein were assessed in 479 participants (50 PD , 308 PD , 121 healthy controls).

Results: Older age was associated with cognitive impairment in PD and PD . Despite prominent cognitive impairment, PD showed similar CSF levels of Aβ , t-Tau, and p-Tau as seen in healthy controls. In contrast, lower levels of Aβ and higher levels of t-Tau and p-Tau were associated with worse cognitive performance in PD .

Conclusions: The prominent cognitive impairment in PD seems not primarily associated with Aβ and Tau profiles in CSF. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.