Tau protein is a potential biological marker for normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Abstract

A biological marker for normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is beneficial for evaluation of its severity and of indications for shunt operation. Tau protein was initially considered as a biological marker in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from Alzheimer's patients. Recently, it has been demonstrated that degeneration in the brain causes elevation of tau in CSF. Therefore, the tau level in CSF from NPH patients was evaluated. Tau levels in CSF from NPH patients were significantly higher than that in controls. The tau levels were correlated with the severity of dementia, urinary incontinence, and gait disturbance in NPH. These results suggest that CSF tau may be useful as a biological marker for NPH to determine the level of neuronal degeneration.

• Authors: T Kudo, T Mima, R Hashimoto, K Nakao, T Morihara, H Tanimukai, I Tsujio, Y Koike, S Tagami, H Mori, Y Nakamura, T Tanaka, K Mori, M Takeda
• Journal: Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences (Psychiatry Clin Neurosci) Vol. 54 Issue 2 Pg. 199-202 (Apr 2000) ISSN: 1323-1316 [Print] Australia
• PMID: 10803815 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• tau Proteins

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Alzheimer Disease (cerebrospinal fluid, diagnosis)
• Biomarkers (cerebrospinal fluid)
• Dementia (cerebrospinal fluid, diagnosis)
• Female
• Humans
• Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure (cerebrospinal fluid, diagnosis, etiology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Sensitivity and Specificity
• tau Proteins (cerebrospinal fluid)