Methods and diagnostic kits are disclosed which, are useful for determining whether a subject has a likelihood or propensity to develop a neurodegenerative disease, or for diagnosing a neurodegenerative disease in a subject The method includes (a) quantitating the amount of alpha-synuclein and total protein in a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample obtained from the subject and calculating a ratio of alpha-synuclein to total protein content; (b) comparing the ratio of alpha-synuclein to total protein content in the CSF sample obtained from the subject with the alpha-synuclein to total protein content ratio in CSF samples obtained from healthy subjects that at the time of sampling did not show clinical signs of neurodegenerative disease and that did not develop neurodegenerative disease; and (c) determining, from the comparison in step (b), whether the subject has a likelihood to develop neurodegenerative disease or making a diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease in a subject. A difference in the ratio of alpha-synuclein to total protein content in the CSF sample of the subject when compared with the ratio of alpha-synuclein to total protein content in the CSF samples obtained from healthy subjects indicates that the subject has a likelihood to develop a neurodegenerative disease or has developed a neurodegenerative disease.
METHODS AND KITS FOR DIAGNOSING NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE