Cerebrospinal fluid biomarker panel for synaptic dysfunction in a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases.

Synaptic dysfunction and degeneration is likely the key pathophysiology for the progression of cognitive decline in various dementia disorders. Synaptic status can be monitored by measurement of synaptic proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In the current study, the aim was to investigate and compare both known and new synaptic proteins as potential biomarkers of synaptic dysfunction, especially in the context of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Seventeen synaptic proteins were quantified in CSF using two different targeted mass spectrometry assays in the prospective Swedish BioFINDER-2 study. The study included 958 individuals, characterized as having mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 205), AD dementia (n = 149), and a spectrum of other neurodegenerative diseases (n = 171), as well as cognitively unimpaired (CU, n = 443). Synaptic protein levels were compared between diagnostic groups and their associations with cognitive decline and key neuroimaging measures (Aβ-PET, tau-PET, and cortical thickness) were assessed. Among the 17 synaptic proteins examined, 14 were specifically elevated in the AD continuum. SNAP-25, 14-3-3 zeta/delta, beta-synuclein, and neurogranin exhibited the highest discriminatory accuracy to differentiate AD dementia from controls (AUCs = 0.81-0.93). SNAP-25 and 14-3-3 zeta/delta also had the strongest associations with tau-PET, Aβ-PET, and cortical thickness at baseline, and were associated with longitudinal changes in these imaging biomarkers (β(SE)=-0.056(0.0006) to 0.058(0.005), p < 0.0001). SNAP-25 was the strongest predictor of progression to AD dementia in non-demented individuals (Hazard ratio = 2.11). In contrast, neuronal pentraxins were decreased in all neurodegenerative diseases (except for Parkinson's disease), and NPTX2 showed the strongest associations with subsequent cognitive decline (longitudinal MMSE; β(SE) = 0.57(0.1), p ≤ 0.0001 and mPACC; β(SE) = 0.095(0.024), p ≤ 0.001) across the AD continuum. Interestingly, utilizing a ratio of the proteins that displayed higher levels in AD, such as SNAP-25 or 14-3-3 zeta/delta, over NPTX2 improved the biomarkers' association with cognitive decline and brain atrophy. We found that especially 14-3-3 zeta/delta and SNAP-25 are promising synaptic biomarkers of pathophysiological changes in AD. Neuronal pentraxins were identified as general indicators of neurodegeneration and associated with cognitive decline across various neurodegenerative dementias. The ratios of SNAP-25/NPTX2 and 14-3-3 zeta/delta/NPTX2 were found to best predict cognitive decline and brain atrophy.