Redefining Alzheimer’s: What the rapidly changing landscape means for doctors

Stock photo. iStock.com/ aquaArts studio

By Emma Wilkinson

Alzheimer’s disease has long lagged behind other conditions in terms of progress made with diagnosis and treatment. But experts say a revolution is coming. Blood tests to more easily identify the disease are prompting debate about its very definition, shifting diagnosis away from clinical symptoms and toward biological markers.

These kinds of tests are bringing forward timelines for intervention: despite disappointment over the limited benefits of available anti-amyloid therapies, dementia specialists are anxiously awaiting results of large-scale trials to see if they are more effective when given before clinical symptoms arise. Early intervention is a priority with dozens of other disease-modifying treatments now being tested as well.