Your patient’s initial cognitive complaint or observed impairment may be your trigger to screen, diagnose, and intervene. A key part of the process can be biomarker confirmation to support the diagnosis. While biomarker testing is not currently recommended for routine clinical practice, it may be a useful tool when deemed appropriate by the clinician.1-4 Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can improve, remain stable, or decline cognitively. Identifying biomarkers can help evaluate risk and guide prognosis. The use of biomarker assessment can help your patients to start navigating the journey today.1,5-8
Amyloid beta biomarkers may help2:
There are a wide variety of biomarkers available for neuropathological diagnosis of AD. For instance, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests can determine whether amyloid beta (Aβ) pathology is present in the brain and are currently considered valid proxies for neuropathologic changes of AD.11
Many other biomarkers that are commonly used in research are non-specific indicators of neuronal damage. And while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely available and recommended as part of the diagnostic criteria, especially to rule out other possible causes, it lacks molecular specificity and cannot confirm AD pathology.12
As the IDEAS Study has shown, accurate biomarker assessment increases the clinician’s confidence in AD diagnosis and allows for appropriate changes in management, including medication selection and counseling.21
The Alzheimer’s Care Locator can help you find an Alzheimer’s specialist or diagnostic center for amyloid beta (Aβ) testing.
Put your practice on the map.