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The following is a summary of “Inverse relation between serum neurofilament light chain and cognitive function in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy,” published in the June 2025 issue of Journal of Neurology by Geran et al. 

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) primarily affects the Schwann cell myelin sheath in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), causing sensorimotor deficits along with subtle cognitive impairments and axonal damage indicated by elevated serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels. Elevated sNfL levels have also been studied as biomarkers in other demyelinating conditions such as multiple sclerosis, further supporting their relevance in neuroinflammatory disorders. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine whether elevated sNfL levels were linked to reduced cognitive performance in CIDP. 

They assessed 35 patients with CIDP using digital cognitive tests across multiple domains and collected sociodemographic, clinical, and sNfL data. Patients were divided into low- and high-sNfL groups based on the median sNfL value. Clinical variables were compared between groups. General linear models adjusted for clinical and sociodemographic factors were used to determine the predictive effect of sNfL on overall and domain-specific cognitive performance. 

The results showed that higher sNfL levels were linked to poorer general cognitive performance (β = −0.31, P = 0.016) and slower processing speed (β = −0.40, P = 0.008). Patients with elevated sNfL had a longer disease duration (P = 0.016), which was also associated with worse cognitive outcomes (β = −0.26, P = 0.045). 

Investigators concluded that elevated sNfL levels were linked to diminished cognitive performance and prolonged disease duration, supporting its role as a meaningful biomarker for central involvement in CIDP. 

Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-025-13179-w