[Markers of prodromal Alzheimer's disease]

Abstract

The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease has long been considered a diagnosis of probability, as the definitive diagnosis can only be established by histopathological examination. However, the development of in-vivo biomarkers, considered a reflection of physiopathological processes, has changed our view of the disease. New criteria have recently been proposed that integrate such biomarkers as found in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using new diagnostic tools such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), brain scintigraphy, FDG-positron emission tomography (PET) and PET amyloid ligand uptake studies. The value of these new criteria for the diagnosis of prodromal Alzheimer's disease and the prospect of disease-modifying drugs are also discussed.