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Advances in diagnostic testing for Alzheimer disease
Suzanne E Schindler1, Jonathan McConathy, Beau M Ances
1Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA. schindlers@neuro.wustl.edu
Missouri Medicine
|November 28, 2013
Summary
Diagnosing Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia is evolving beyond clinical history. New tests like Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) biomarkers and advanced imaging can aid in accurate AD diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia diagnosis traditionally relies on clinical assessment.
- Understanding AD pathophysiology has driven the development of novel diagnostic tools.
- These advanced methods offer robust evidence for or against AD dementia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline which patients could benefit from advanced diagnostic testing for Alzheimer disease dementia.
- To review the utility of specific diagnostic modalities in AD dementia evaluation.
Main Methods:
- Discussion of diagnostic criteria and clinical evaluation for AD dementia.
- Review of emerging diagnostic technologies including Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) biomarkers.
- Evaluation of neuroimaging techniques: amyloid PET, quantitative structural MRI, and FDG-PET.
Main Results:
- Appropriate utilization of diagnostic tests can yield strong positive or negative evidence for AD dementia.
- Specific patient profiles may benefit from targeted biomarker and imaging investigations.
- CSF biomarkers, amyloid imaging, structural MRI, and FDG-PET are key adjunctive diagnostic tools.
Conclusions:
- Advanced diagnostic methods significantly enhance the accuracy of Alzheimer disease dementia diagnosis.
- Selecting appropriate patients for these tests is crucial for effective clinical management.
- These tools represent a significant advancement in the diagnostic landscape of AD dementia.
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