When Does Alzheimer's Disease Really Start? The Role of Biomarkers.
Int J Mol Sci
; 20(22)2019 Nov 06.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31698826
ABSTRACT
While Alzheimer's disease (AD) classical diagnostic criteria rely on clinical data from a stablished symptomatic disease, newer criteria aim to identify the disease in its earlier stages. For that, they incorporated the use of AD's specific biomarkers to reach a diagnosis, including the identification of Aß and tau depositions, glucose hypometabolism, and cerebral atrophy. These biomarkers created a new concept of the disease, in which AD's main pathological processes have already taken place decades before we can clinically diagnose the first symptoms. Therefore, AD is now considered a dynamic disease with a gradual progression, and dementia is its final stage. With that in mind, new models were proposed, considering the orderly increment of biomarkers and the disease as a continuum, or the variable time needed for the disease's progression. In 2011, the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) created separate diagnostic recommendations for each stage of the disease continuum-preclinical, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia. However, new scientific advances have led them to create a unifying research framework in 2018 that, although not intended for clinical use as of yet, is a step toward shifting the focus from the clinical symptoms to the biological alterations and toward changing the future diagnostic and treatment possibilities. This review aims to discuss the role of biomarkers in the onset of AD.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Biomarcadores
/
Enfermedad de Alzheimer
Tipo de estudio:
Etiology_studies
/
Guideline
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Mol Sci
Año:
2019
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
España