Biomarkers

Researchers in the Memory Disorders Lab are discovering new biomarkers and informing how to use biomarkers to improve patient care. These findings include a study that links plasma Aβ levels to an area on chromosome10. We also reported the hereditary factors related to plasma A and the risk of developing dementia, as there is a drop in the plasma A42 while A40 remains high.

With Rosa Rademakers, Ph.D., we have shown that the progranulin levels are an excellent way to detect progranulin mutations. We also have published a set of proteins that can distinguish Lewy body dementia from Alzheimer's disease and controls.

Due to the efforts of Dr. Day, we are studying patients with rapidly progressive dementia. The National Institutes of Health and philanthropy support Dr. Day's work in this area.

Dr. Day's studies in this field have:

• Improved recognition of patients with rapidly progressive dementia.
• Informed the overall approach to evaluating patients with rapidly progressive dementia.
• Identified key clinical features and results of tests that distinguish patients with potentially treatable causes of rapidly progressive dementia.

Related publications

• Piura YD, Corriveau-Lecavalier N, Abu Dabrh AM, Geschwind MD, Brigham TJ, Day GS. Identification and diagnosis of ultra-rapid progressive dementia: Evidence from a prospective cohort study and systematic literature review. Journal of Neurology. 2025; doi:10.1007/s00415-024-12845-9.
• Kuchenbecker LA, Tipton PW, Martens Y, Brier MR, Satyadev N, Dunham SR, Lazar EB, Dacquel MV, Henson RL, Bu G, Geschwind MD, Morris JC, Schindler SE, Herries E, Graff-Radford NR, Day GS. Diagnostic utility of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in patients with rapidly progressive dementia. Annals of Neurology. 2024; doi:10.1002/ana.26822.
• Satyadev N, Tipton PW, Martens Y, Dunham SR, Geschwind MD, Morris JC, Brier MR, Graff-Radford NR, Day GS. Improving early recognition of treatment-responsive causes of rapidly progressive dementia: The STAM3P Score. Annals of Neurology. 2024; doi:10.1002/ana.26812.
• Day GS. Rapidly progressive dementia. Continuum. 2022; doi:10.1212/CON.0000000000001089.
• Lazar EB, Porter AL, Prusinski CC, Dunham SR, Lopez-Chiriboga AS, Hammami MB, Dubey D, Day GS. Improving early recognition of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease mimics. Neurology Clinical Practice. 2022; doi:10.1212/CPJ.0000000000200097.
• O'Bryant S, Ferman T, Zhang F, Hall J, Pedraza O, Wszolek Z, Como T, Julovich D, Mattevada S, Johnson L, Edwards M, Hall J, Graff-Radford N. A proteomic signature for dementia with Lewy bodies. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring. 2019; doi:10.1016/j.dadm.2019.01.006.
• Finch N, Baker M, Crook R, Swanson, K, Kuntz K, Surtees R, Gisceglio G, Rovelet-Lecrux A, Boeve B, Petersen R, Dickson D, Younkin S, Deramecourt V, Crook J, Graff-Radford N, Rademakers R. Plasma progranulin levels predict progranulin mutation status in frontotemporal dementia patients and asymptomatic family members. Brain. 2009; doi:10.1093/brain/awn352.
• Ertekin-Taner N, Younkin L, Yager D, Parfitt F, Baker M, Asthana S, Hutton M, Younkin S, Graff-Radford N. Plasma amyloid beta protein is elevated in late-onset Alzheimer disease families. Neurology. 2008; doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000278386.00035.21.
• Graff-Radford N, Crook J, Lucas J, Boeve B, Knopman D, Ivnik R, Smith G, Younkin L, Petersen R, Younkin S. Association of low plasma Abeta42/Abeta40 ratios with increased imminent risk for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease. JAMA Neurology. 2007; doi:10.1001/archneur.64.3.354.
• Ertekin-Taner N, Graff-Radford N, Younkin L, Eckman, C, Baker M, Adamson J, Ronald J, Blangero J, Hutton M, Younkin S. Linkage of plasma Abeta42 to a quantitative locus on chromosome 10 in late-onset Alzheimer's disease pedigrees. Science. 2000; doi:10.1126/science.290.5500.2303.