Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42587260›Full record

ReviewGeroScience2026

Cerebrospinal fluid/plasma albumin quotient in dementia: a systematic review of biomarker potential and clinical associations.

Christian Sandøe Musaeus, Steen Gregers Hasselbalch, Gunhild Waldemar, Finn Sellebjerg, Esben Budtz-Jørgensen, Anja Hviid Simonsen

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in GeroScience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Christian Sandøe MusaeusDanish Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark. Christian.sandoee.musaeus@regionh.dk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6442-2910
Steen Gregers HasselbalchDanish Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Gunhild WaldemarDanish Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Finn SellebjergDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Esben Budtz-JørgensenSection of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Anja Hviid SimonsenDanish Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCB) maintains central nervous system homeostasis. Its dysfunction, reflected by an increased cerebrospinal fluid/plasma albumin ratio (Q-Alb), has been reported in several neurodegenerative diseases. However, the diagnostic utility of Q-Alb in dementia remains uncertain. This review aimed to systematically evaluate Q-Alb as a biomarker in dementia by examining inter-group differences, diagnostic performance, and associations with other biomarkers. To address this questions, PubMed was searched for observational and longitudinal studies reporting Q-Alb in patients with dementia and healthy controls (HC). Data on Q-Alb levels, diagnostic accuracy, and biomarker associations were extracted. Meta-analyses were performed for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD). The search identified forty-three studies, spanning AD, VaD, Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Q-Alb was significantly higher in VaD compared with HC (pooled standardized mean difference 0.69, 95% CI: 0.53-0.86) and moderately increased in AD compared with HC (0.25, 95% CI: 0.14-0.36). Only two studies directly investigated the diagnostic accuracy. Q-Alb correlated positively with IgG index, neurofilament light chain, and vascular and inflammatory markers. Taken together, these findings suggest that Q-Alb is not a reliable standalone diagnostic biomarker, particularly for AD, but is consistently elevated in VaD and disorders with subcortical or vascular pathology. Findings support its role as a supportive marker of blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier dysfunction. Further large, multimodal studies integrating vascular imaging are warranted to clarify its diagnostic and prognostic utility.

Indexed as

AlbuminAlzheimer’s diseaseBiomarkerBlood-brain barrierBlood-cerebrospinal fluid barrierVascular dementia

Identifiers

PMID42587260

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.