This new definition, (from the journal The Lancet Neurology), now disregards the existence of “proven dementia” to integrate the notion of “biomarkers”. The latter would thus make it possible to identify the disease in living patients.
The group of experts redefines Alzheimer’s disease as “a clinical-biological syndrome allowing a much earlier diagnosis”. According to the researchers, this new definition would make it possible to establish a diagnosis in living patients thanks to identifiable biomarkers, whereas it was necessary to wait for a post-mortem examination to be carried out beforehand.
The definition proposed by this group of experts no longer includes the notion of “proven dementia”. To establish a diagnosis of the disease, patients must now present “episodic” disorders of memory, but also biological signs visible by MRI, neuroimaging or analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid.
“The simplicity of the proposed criteria has the main advantage of no longer waiting for the patient to have developed proven dementia or of excluding from the diagnosis and treatment of many patients who have signs of the disease despite the absence of disability. functional “, explain the main authors of the study.
This redefinition could in particular make it possible to accommodate patients identified as “asymptomatic at risk of Alzheimer’s disease”, that is to say who present positive biomarkers but no symptoms, or “presymptomatic of Alzheimer’s disease”, or individuals carrying genetic mutations, in tests intended to delay the onset of clinical signs.
