Biomarkers to monitor the degenerative process in Alzheimer's disease would be of great value. We examined the relation between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) total tau (T-tau), phospho-tau (P-tau) and Abeta42 and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of brain atrophy. CSF was taken at baseline and MRI at baseline and at 16 months follow-up. At baseline, statistically significantly lower Abeta42 were found with lower brain volume (r=0.55; P<0.0001) and larger ventricular volume (r=-0.53; P<0.001). In contrast, statistically significantly higher T-tau (r=0.47; P<0.001) and P-tau (r=0.41; P=0.005) were found with more marked ventricular widening during the follow-up period. These results suggest that Abeta42 in CSF reflects the stage of the disease, with lower CSF levels as the disease progresses, while T-tau and P-tau reflect the intensity of the disease process, with higher CSF-levels with a more rapid progression.