Method for Diagnosing Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for diagnosing, in vitro, a neurodegenerative disease in an individual, in which:—the level of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) in a sample of cerebrospinal fluid from the individual is determined,—it is deduced therefrom whether the individual is suffering from a neurodegenerative disease.

1 . A method of diagnosing, in vitro, a neurodegenerative disease in an individual, wherein:
 the level of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) in a sample of cerebrospinal fluid isolated from the individual is determined,   it is deduced therefrom whether the individual is suffering from a neurodegenerative disease.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the neurodegenerative disease is selected from the group consisting of Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Parkinson's disease. 
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the neurodegenerative disease is Alzheimer's disease. 
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the individual is not suffering from dementia. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the individual is suffering from mild cognitive impairment (MCI). 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the level, in the sample of cerebrospinal fluid, of at least one biological marker of neurodegenerative disease is normal. 
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the biological marker is chosen from the group consisting of the marker β-amyloid (Aβ), total tau (T-tau) and phosphorylated tau (ptau). 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein it is deduced that the individual is suffering from a neurodegenerative disease on the basis of the level of phosphorylated PKR in the sample, of the level of total PKR in the sample, or of the ratio of the level of phosphorylated PKR in the sample to the level of total PKR in the sample. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein it is deduced that the individual is suffering from a neurodegenerative disease on the basis of the comparison between:
 the level of phosphorylated PKR in the sample, the level of total PKR in the sample, or the ratio of the level of phosphorylated PKR in the sample to the level of total PKR in the sample, and   at least one predefined value.   
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , also comprising the determination of the level of at least one other biological marker of neurodegenerative disease chosen from the group consisting of the marker β-amyloid (Aβ), total tau (T-tau) and phosphorylated tau (ptau).