AlzBiomarker

Depression vs Alzheimer's Disease: Aβ40 (CSF)

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Meta-analysis showed that Aβ40 levels in cerebrospinal fluid of individuals with depression did not differ from those of people with Alzheimer’s disease (effect size = 0.911, p = 0.085). However, a paucity of data limited the meta-analysis, with only two eligible studies. For comparison, the level of Aβ40 in the cerebrospinal fluid was about 10 percent higher in controls than in Alzheimer’s disease subjects, a difference of uncertain biological significance.

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How to interpret a forest plot: Each individual effect size (ES) is a ratio of the mean biomarker level in one condition over the mean level in another condition. An ES equal to 1 means that the two conditions had identical mean values. An ES > 1 indicates higher levels in the first condition, whereas an ES < 1 indicates lower levels in the first condition. The overall ES, indicated by a black diamond, is a weighted average of the individual effect sizes. The weight of each data point was determined by the inverse of the variance and is reflected in the size of each square. The width of the overall ES diamond is determined by the 95 percent confidence interval. Data out of range of the scale, including ES and confidence intervals, are indicated by an arrowhead at the edge of the plot, when applicable. 

Version 3.0, July 2021.