Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, affecting millions of people worldwide and causing major personal and family distress and socio-economic burden. The presentation of AD encompasses a continuum that extends from asymptomatic individuals with pathological evidence of AD to patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD and finally patients with AD dementia. Pathological hallmarks of AD, β-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles may be detectable in the brain decades before clinical symptoms. In this context substantial technological advances in neuroimaging (MRI and PET) and CSF analysis allowed the development of biomarkers related to neurodegeneration, cerebral β-amyloid deposition, and tau-related pathology, increasing diagnostic accuracy and favoring the identification of early AD patients.
A timely and accurate diagnosis in the early stages of disease is critical for prognosis and advanced-care planning, which requires coordination between the patient, caregivers, family members, HCPs, specialists, social services and payers.
During the “Meet the Expert” the crucial theme of AD early diagnosis will be presented, discussing different steps of diagnostic journey including the relevance of clinical and biomarker assessments. Key learnings, implications and recommendations will be shared on how to improve patient journey, supporting paradigm shift in AD.