As published in the Canadian Medical Association’s Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience (2010;35(1)), work at Phenomenome Discoveries has demonstrated that the company’s proprietary test that detects a decrease in serum plasmalogens correlates with functional decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients as measured by the ADAS-Cog test (Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale – Cognitive).

Plasmalogens are key structureal phospholipids in brain membranes, and previous work (J. Lipid Res., doi:10.1194/jlr.P700023-JLR200) by Phenomenome has shown that they decrease in the serum of patients with AD up to seven years prior to the appearance of clinical symptoms of the disorder. The current study evaluated the relationship between levels of circulating plasmalogens and ADAS-Cog scores in order to determine whether serum plasmalogen levels reflect changes in this standard cognitive function test.

To do so, the rate of ADAS-Cog decline over 12 months was measured in 40 AD patients, and circulating plasmalogen levels were measured over the same timeframe and compared to controls. Findings indicated little to no cognitive decline among AD patients with normal plasmalogen levels, but significant cognitive decline in participants with mild, moderate, or severe plasmalogen depletion.

J Psychiatry Neurosci 2010;35(1):59-62.