Experts urge a new framework to diagnose Alzheimer's disease

Experts urge a new framework to diagnose Alzheimer's disease

PanARMENIAN.Net - In an effort to speed research toward a cure for the most common form of dementia, experts urged a new framework Tuesday, April 10 to diagnose Alzheimer's disease using biological clues, rather than symptoms of memory loss, AFP reports.

Alzheimer's affects some 44 million people around the world, but remains poorly understood, with no effective treatments despite billions of dollars spent on research.

Clinical trials have stumbled, with recent research showing that up to 30 percent of participants trying experimental drugs did not have the Alzheimer's disease-related brain change targeted by the medicine.

The new approach would test for Alzheimer's based on a few known biomarkers, and recognize that the disease runs on a spectrum that takes root long before symptoms appear, sometimes even for decades.

"With the aging of the global population, and the ever-escalating cost of care for people with dementia, new methods are desperately needed to improve the process of therapy development and increase the likelihood of success," said Alzheimer's Association chief science officer Maria Carrillo.

The proposed research framework is published in the April 10 edition of Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

The approach has been developed in recent years by 20 academic, advocacy, government and industry experts in dementia research, convened by the Alzheimer's Association and the US National Institute on Aging (NIA).

In 2011, experts designated three stages of Alzheimer's: preclinical (before symptoms affecting memory, thinking or behavior can be detected), mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

In 2017, international leaders convened again to review the latest advances in the field and update guidelines.

In the interim, "a profound shift in thinking occurred to define Alzheimer's disease biologically, by pathologic brain changes or their biomarkers, and treat cognitive impairment as a symptom/sign of the disease, rather than its definition," said the report.

Biomarkers are already widely used in medicine to diagnose people with high blood pressure, diabetes and bone density problems -- and to reduce the likelihood of heart attack, stroke and bone fractures.

 Top stories
Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive.
In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million).
The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot".
The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.
Partner news
---