Role of Fluid Biomarkers and PET Imaging in Early Diagnosis and its Clinical Implication in the Management of Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is based on symptoms; however, the challenge is to diagnose AD at the preclinical stage with the application of biomarkers and initiate early treatment (still not widely available). Currently, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid-β 42 (Aβ ₄₂) and tau are used in the clinical diagnosis of AD; nevertheless, blood biomarkers (Aβ ₄₂ and tau) are less predictive. Amyloid-positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is an advancement in technology that uses approved radioactive diagnostic agents (florbetapir, flutemetamol, or florbetaben) to estimate Aβ neuritic plaque density in adults with cognitive impairment evaluated for AD and other causes of cognitive decline. There is no cure for AD to date—the disease progression cannot be stopped or reversed; approved pharmacological agents (donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine; memantine) provide symptomatic treatment. However, the disease-modifying therapies are promising; aducanumab and CAD106 are in phase III trials for the early stages of AD. In conclusion, core CSF biomarkers reflect pathophysiology of AD in the early and late stages; the application of approved radiotracers have potential in amyloid-PET brain imaging to detect early AD.