The article presents an in-depth review of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), emphasizing early detection as crucial due to the progression of the disease through stages from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and ultimately dementia. The review underlines the importance of identifying AD in the preclinical stages to prevent irreversible neuronal damage and the need for accurate diagnostic methods that go beyond invasive and costly procedures such as lumbar puncture and PET imaging.
The review discusses several non-cognitive signs that may indicate the onset of AD, such as behavioral and psychological symptoms, sleep disturbances, sensory impairments and physical changes. It suggests that these signs, while not definitive, could serve as early predictors of cognitive decline. The article also highlights the role of the gut microbiome and the potential of blood-based biomarkers in the early diagnosis of AD.
Historical shifts in diagnostic approaches are detailed, demonstrating a shift from reliance on clinical evidence to the integration of biological indicators. The review outlines the evolution of diagnostic criteria, the introduction of biomarkers and the potential impact of artificial intelligence in discovering new, minimally invasive biomarkers.
Specific non-cognitive signals are explored in depth, including behavioral symptoms of dementia, circadian rhythm disruptions, sensory disturbances and the influence of the gut microbiome on AD. The review highlights the correlation between these symptoms and the pathological changes in AD, suggesting a complex interplay between early signs and disease progression.
Advances in biomarker research are highlighted, with an emphasis on neuroimaging, blood-based markers, metabolomics, exosomal microRNA and the potential role of pathogens and endocrine dysregulation. The review suggests that these diverse biomarkers, if integrated, could significantly improve early detection and disease management.
The correlation between non-cognitive symptoms and pathological changes is an important point of discussion, with the review highlighting the bidirectional relationship between sleep disorders and AD, and the association between sensory disturbances and brain areas affected early in the disease.
In conclusion, the review highlights the need for early detection for effective intervention and the potential of non-cognitive symptoms and biomarkers in identifying AD before cognitive decline becomes apparent. It recognizes the challenges of integrating these indicators into clinical practice and calls for further research to confirm their reliability and applicability in early diagnosis.
The article concludes with a series of questions that highlight the need for further research into the use of non-cognitive manifestations as early indicators, the relationship between these symptoms and the underlying pathology of AD, and the potential of integrating these indicators with biofluidics biomarkers to improve diagnostic accuracy.
The review’s search strategy and selection criteria are outlined, focusing on studies from the past 5-10 years related to AD, its biomarkers and early diagnostic methods, ensuring a comprehensive and up-to-date synthesis of the current state of knowledge about early diagnosis. AD detection.
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Magazine reference:
Chen, Y., et al. (2024). Advances in early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Limits of medicine. doi.org/10.1007/s11684-023-1047-1.