Commentary on 'Recommendations from the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association workgroups on diagnostic guidelines for Alzheimer's disease.' New criteria for a new era.

摘要

The publication in Alzheimer's & Dementia of new criteria for preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) [1], mild cognitive impairment (MCI) [2] due to AD, and dementia due to AD [3] represents the dawning of a new era in our field. Coupled with the groundbreaking recommendation of an advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration regarding marketing approval for florbetapir in the diagnosis of AD [4], we move into a period during which attention is shifted from the diagnosis of a single syndrome to the staging of a complex disease and its clinical manifestations. These exciting developments are tempered by the public health emergency related to the anticipated emergence of 115 million new cases of dementia worldwide in the next 40 years [5], whereas the most recent drug development efforts have been disappointing and are seriously challenging the amyloid hypothesis.