The Added Value of Cerebrospinal Fluid Neurofilament Light Chain to Existing Diagnostic Methods and Biomarkers in a Mixed Memory Clinic Cohort of Consecutive Patients

The added value of neurofilament light chain (NfL) to the existing diagnostic methods is unknown, although a plethora of studies have shown increased levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood in many neurodegenerative and neurological disorders. The added value of CSF NfL was determined in a mixed memory clinic cohort of consecutive patients for 136 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n = 69), mild cognitive impairment (n = 24), non-AD (n = 34), and also healthy controls (n = 9). This study found no increase in the diagnostic accuracy of the etiological diagnoses but knowing the CSF NfL value led to increased diagnostic certainty for the specialist in neurology.

Automated summary

The added value of CSF NfL does not improve the accuracy of etiological diagnoses, but enhances diagnostic certainty for neurology specialists.