Early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: new definitions and challenges

Abstract

The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is expected to more than double by 2050. Studies on the pathophysiology of AD have been changing our understanding of this disorder and setting a new scenario for drug development and other therapies. Concepts like the ''amyloid cascade'' and the ''continuum of AD,'' discussed in this article, are now well established. From updated classifications and recommendations to advances in biomarkers of AD, we aim to critically assess the literature on AD, addressing new definitions and challenges that emerged from recent studies on the subject. Updates on the status of major clinical trials are also given, and future perspectives are discussed.

A preliminary study about neurofilament light chain and tau protein levels in psoriasis: Correlation with disease severity

“…Increased blood NFL and tau protein concentrations were reported in neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disorders. Since tau pathology is more strongly associated with clinical and cognitive decline than amyloid pathology, and tau may accumulate in susceptible regions earlier than amyloid, we measured NFL and tau proteins in the blood 26 . Several studies have shown increased plasma tau in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared with that in healthy individuals.…”

Dissecting Sex-Related Cognition between Alzheimer’s Disease and Diabetes: From Molecular Mechanisms to Potential Therapeutic Strategies

“…Presently, for the treatment of mild to moderate AD, cholinesterase inhibitors (i.e., donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine) are used, whereas the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist (i.e., memantine) is used for the treatment of severe cases of AD [ 167 ]. The major problem with using these drugs lies in providing symptomatic and short-term benefits only without affecting the pathogenic mechanisms involved in the disease [ 168 ]. Rigorous work has been done in drug discovery in the last decade to develop disease-modifying drugs to counter AD progression.…”

Role of Body-Fluid Biomarkers in Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis

“…For the diagnosis of AD, these morphological abnormalities in brain cells and tissues are used for clinical evaluations. Clinical AD is mainly characterized by two key factors including intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and extracellular amyloid plaques or senile plaques [6], with the hyperphosphorylation of tau oligomer protein [7]. In addition, amyloid plaques are suggested to be critical features of AD neuropathology [8].…”