LOINC — Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes
Overview
LOINC is a standard for identifying medical laboratory tests, clinical observations, outcomes measures, imaging studies, and clinical documents. Developed by the Regenstrief Institute (Indiana University), LOINC provides a common language for exchanging clinical results between systems, so a serum amyloid-beta measurement can be unambiguously identified and compared with one from any other institution worldwide.
Key Neuroscience Uses
LOINC codes cover CSF and blood biomarkers used in neurodegeneration research, including amyloid-β 42/40, phospho-tau 181, and NfL (neurofilament light chain). MRI and PET imaging reports are coded with LOINC, and standardised clinical instruments including the MMSE, MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), and UPDRS (Parkinson’s rating scale) have LOINC codes. Standard blood work in clinical cohorts is also LOINC-coded.
Selected Neuroscience LOINC Codes
| LOINC Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 71585-7 | Amyloid beta 42/40 ratio [Moles/volume] in CSF |
| 33203-0 | Tau protein [Mass/volume] in CSF |
| 72153-3 | Phospho-tau 181 [Mass/volume] in CSF |
| 99771-2 | Neurofilament light chain [Mass/volume] in Serum |
| 11523-5 | EEG study |
| 36643-5 | Brain MRI |
| 72106-1 | MMSE total score |
Connections
Resources
- https://loinc.org
- https://loinc.org/search/ (LOINC search interface)
- https://athena.ohdsi.org (OMOP CDM LOINC vocabulary browser)