New Alzheimer’s Diagnostic Criteria Calls For Diagnosis Based On Biomarkers Instead Of Memory Testing

New criteria for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) rely on abnormalities on core biomarkers indicating disease-related changes in the brain that lead to the appearance and progression of clinical symptoms of cognitive impairment. The revised criteria define AD to be a biological process, that begins with the appearance of AD neuropathology (detected by biomarkers) while people are asymptomatic. Progression of the neuropathologic burden leads to the later appearance and progression of clinical symptoms. Importantly however, while the disease precedes the onset of clinical symptoms and thus exists in asymptomatic individuals, the committee recommends against biomarker testing in people without . . .