Blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: Keys to success and things to consider

Abstract

During the last two decades, considerable progress has been made in the field of fluid and imaging biomarkers for neurodegenerative dementias. As a result, the most recent research and clinical guidelines (the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association, International Working Group 2, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) incorporate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and positron emission tomography (PET) biomarkers in the diagnostic criteria of dementia and mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) [[1], [2], [3]]. However, as both CSF and amyloid PET examinations require expert knowledge and are of limited availability outside specialized memory clinics, there is no doubt that blood tests would be much easier to implement in clinical medicine and as screening tools when recruiting patients for clinical trials.