Patent ID: 6670137
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: A61P,G01N

Abstract:
A method for aiding in the determination of whether an individual is suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) versus dementia with Lewy bodies DLB, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Parkinson's disease (PD), multi-system atrophy (MSA), or progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), the method comprising:(a) determining the level of phospho-tau in a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample obtained from said individual; (b) comparing the determined level of phospho-tau in the CSF sample obtained from said individual with a range of phospho-tau levels previously defined as characteristic for CSF samples obtained from AD, DLB, FTD, PD, MSA, or PSP patients; (c) concluding from the comparison in step (b) whether said individual is suffering from Alzheimer's disease or from dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease, multi-system atrophy, progressive or supranuclear palsy; whereby a phospho-tau level in the range previously defined as characteristic for CSF samples obtained from AD patients is an indication that the individual is suffering from AD; whereby a phospho-tau level in a range previously defined as characteristic for CSF samples obtained from DLB patients is an indication that the individual is suffering from DLB; whereby a phospho-tau level in a range previously defined as characteristic for CSF samples obtained from FTD patients is an indication that the individual is suffering from FTD; whereby a phospho-tau level in a range previously defined as characteristic for CSF samples obtained from PD patients is an indication that the individual is suffering from PD; whereby a phospho-tau level in a range previously defined as characteristic for CSF samples obtained from MSA patients is an indication that the individual is suffering from MSA; and whereby a phospho-tau level in a range previously defined as characteristic for CSF samples obtained from PSP patients is an indication that the individual is suffering from PSP.