Abstract
Typically, Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis is not made at its earliest period, for instance, at mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early AD (E-AD). Our study aims to demonstrate a correlation between the screening tools, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and the biological biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid beta 1-42 (Aβ42), phosphorylated tau (p-tau) proteins and total tau (t-tau)/Aβ42 ratio in Puerto Ricans > 55 years old with MCI and E-AD. We evaluated 30 participants, including demographics, memory scales, and CSF biomarkers. Twenty-eight CSF biomarkers (Aβ42, p-tau protein, and t-tau/Aβ42 ratio) were analyzed using the Meso Scale Discovery Platform (MSD). Associations between memory scales (MoCA, MMSE, CDR) and CSF markers were performed using Spearman rho correlation. Our study revealed a statistical association favoring a direct relationship between MMSE and MoCA with t-tau/Aβ42 ratio in CSF (P = 0.022, P = 0.035, respectively). We found a trend toward significance with an inverse relationship with MMSE and Aβ42 (P = 0.069) and a direct relationship with MMSE and p-tau (P = 0.098). MMSE and MoCA screening tests were identified with a statistically significant association with the CSF biomarkers, specifically t-tau/Aβ42 ratio, in elderly Puerto Ricans with MCI and E-AD. Puerto Ricans > 55 years old with MCI and E-AD could be screened confidently with MMSE and MoCA for a higher likelihood of earlier detection and, thus, initiation of disease-modifying treatment and prompt non-pharmacological interventions.