Microparticles are related to cognitive and functional status from normal aging to dementia.

Recently, we have shown that microparticles (MPs) levels derived from leukocytes (LMPs), endothelium (EMPs), neurons (NMPs) and those expressing tissue factor (TFMPs) were higher in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients when compared to cognitively healthy subjects. Therefore, in this study we proposed to investigate the correlation between MPs levels, cognitive performance and functional status in a sample of elderly individuals. We evaluated MPs derived from platelets (PMPs), LMPs, EMPs, NMPs and TFMPs in 43 participants, of whom 12 with probable dementia due to AD, 16 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 15 with no objective cognitive or functional impairment. PMPs, LMPs and TFMPs, were associated with cognitive impairment in this population. LMPs and NMP, were associated to lower functional performance in the elderly sample. These results suggest that MPs may be involved in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders.