New approaches to diagnose and treat Alzheimer's disease: a glimpse of the future

Clin Geriatr Med. 2001 May;17(2):393-410. doi: 10.1016/s0749-0690(05)70075-6.

Abstract

An explosion of scientific and clinical knowledge about Alzheimer's disease now provides a basis for selecting targets for treatment aimed at slowing progression of dementia or delaying the onset of or preventing Alzheimer's disease. The rationale that underlies several promising approaches to treatment are reviewed. Novel forms of treatment are most effective when combined with sensitive clinical methods to diagnose Alzheimer's disease as early as possible and to track its progression over time. Therefore, this article highlights findings concerning biological markers for Alzheimer's disease and the mild cognitive impairment syndrome and attempts to define a prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnosis*
  • Alzheimer Disease / etiology
  • Alzheimer Disease / therapy*
  • Amyloid / drug effects
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • Animals
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
  • Biomarkers
  • Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological / standards
  • Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological / trends
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Disease Progression
  • Endopeptidases / drug effects
  • Estrogen Replacement Therapy
  • Forecasting
  • Humans
  • Inflammation
  • Mice
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Patient Selection
  • Primary Prevention / methods
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • Biomarkers
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • Endopeptidases
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
  • BACE1 protein, human
  • Bace1 protein, mouse