Overview

Nearly 7 million Americans are currently living with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and this number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050 with the aging of the population and the lack of a cure for the disease. However, recognition of the onset of pathologic changes in the brain long before symptoms appear has led to new definitions of the disease and prompted the development of new diagnostic tools and disease-modifying therapies to enable earlier intervention. Unfortunately, even with diagnostic advances, there is no single test for AD and physicians must use a variety of approaches including assessment of family and medical history, cognitive test results, and lab tests/brain imaging.

Recently, though, the approval of blood-based biomarkers (BBMs) for detection of neuropathologic changes associated with AD provides a new avenue for earlier, more efficient diagnosis of the disease. Consequently, a key objective for improving the diagnosis of AD is the incorporation and optimal use of BBMs within routine practice. Unlike cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers and imaging tests, BBMs are more accessible and cost effective and can be scaled to address increasing test volumes required to confirm amyloid pathology and determine patient eligibility for treatment with disease-modifying therapies. However, use of BBMs in the diagnosis of AD involves a number of considerations that will be addressed in this educational program, such as who should be tested and when? What are recommended BBM testing algorithms and workflows? Which BBM test is best? How should the test results be interpreted? How should test results and a potential diagnosis of AD be discussed with patients and family members? Considering all of these factors, clinicians require training on optimal implementation of BBM testing in practice. This activity will provide you with the knowledge and resources you need to use BBMs as a diagnostic/triaging tool to accelerate a diagnosis of AD and allow for earlier intervention.