Title | The Emergence of a New Conceptual Framework for Alzheimer's Disease. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2018 |
Authors | Dubois, B |
Journal | J Alzheimers Dis |
Volume | 62 |
Issue | 3 |
Pagination | 1059-1066 |
Date Published | 2018 |
ISSN | 1875-8908 |
Abstract | The New Criteria for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), published by a group of experts in 2007, have resulted in a revolution in the comprehension of the disease. Before 2007, the diagnosis of AD dementia was done through a process of exclusion: it was considered in the case of patients with a dementia syndrome without identified etiologies. This traditional algorithm had three major limitations that penalize the disease: 1) a low accuracy of the performance which may share responsibility for negative results in clinical trials; 2) a late identification of the patients only when they reach the threshold of dementia which may delay the activation of optimal care; and last but not least, 3) an absence of clear recognition of AD as a disease because of the lack of specific arguments for its identification. Since 2007, the disease has gained a clear definition based on positive evidence: a specific clinical phenotype (the amnestic syndrome of the hippocampal type) and the presence of biomarkers, considered as a biological signature of the disease. Thanks to these positive arguments, AD is a clinically and biologically well-delineated disease, no longer defined as "probable". It is now possible to certify that a given patient has or does not have the disease. Like diabetes, cancer, hyperthyroidism or any other disorder, AD has now a clear definition with well-defined borders. The disease has entered the world of medicine with identified diseases with a biological fingerprint. This is the story of this adventure that we will present now. |
DOI | 10.3233/JAD-170536 |
Alternate Journal | J. Alzheimers Dis. |
PubMed ID | 29036825 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC5870001 |