Identifying A Proteomics Signature Of Cognitive Impairment And Dementia In Blood And Cerebrospinal Fluid Through A Mediation Analysis Framework
Scientists are working to understand the underlying biological changes that connect aging to cognitive problems and dementia. Recent research focused on identifying specific proteins in body fluids that could serve as early warning signs or biomarkers. Using a method called mediation analysis, which helps uncover how certain factors influence an outcome, researchers examined thousands of proteins in both cerebrospinal fluid (the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord) and blood plasma.
The goal was to find proteins that act as intermediaries, explaining why age increases the risk of conditions like mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Mild cognitive impairment is a stage where people experience more memory or thinking problems than normal for their age, but it’s not severe enough to be considered dementia. Dementia is a more significant decline in cognitive abilities that interferes with daily life.
Out of over 3,000 proteins analyzed, one protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), consistently stood out. GFAP is found in specialized brain cells called astrocytes, which support nerve cells. Elevated levels of GFAP can signal inflammation or injury in the brain. The study found that GFAP reliably mediates, or explains, the link between increasing age and the risk of cognitive decline across different patient groups and in both cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples. This suggests that measuring GFAP in a blood test could potentially become a valuable and accessible tool for identifying individuals at risk of age-related cognitive impairment.
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