A NEW DAWN IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE MANAGEMENT? Recent Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment

Program Overview

With the number of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) specialists limited in many parts of the country, many primary care physicians (PCPs) must provide care, often beyond their level of training or expertise, for patients with AD or early signs of AD. Too often early signs and symptoms of AD are missed or not given appropriate priority, and thus specialty referrals occur later in the course of disease. Furthermore, the difficulty in diagnosing AD and the lack of any disease modifying therapy (DMT) for AD has fostered clinical inertia among many physicians. However, the approval of the first blood test for AD in November 2020 and the first DMT, aducanumab, in June 2021, should begin to provide the armamentarium that has been missing from AD management since it was first characterized.

Given that 85% of initial AD diagnoses are made by non-specialists, yet almost 40% of PCPs are not comfortable making the diagnosis and 50% do not consider medical professionals prepared to care for people with AD, it is vital that PCPs receive education to help them stay abreast of these recent developments, be able to integrate them into practice where appropriate and in an evidence-based manner, and be aware of emerging developments in AD diagnosis and treatment.

The educational program, “A NEW DAWN IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE MANAGEMENT: Recent Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment” will provide the latest AD clinical developments in a manner that is most relevant to the primary care setting and will provide access to AD resources and experts to help prepare them for the potential sea change in AD management.

Agenda

Welcome and Introduction Detecting Mild Cognitive Impairment and Decline Early in the Course of Disease Current and Emerging Therapies for AD Q&A Session and Activity Roundup.

Target Audience

The intended audience for this educational initiative is primary care physicians and other clinicians who manage patients with AD and other dementias.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

Integrate validated assessment tools and discuss available biomarker testing to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease early in the course of disease
Make timely and appropriate referrals to AD specialists for patients with symptoms of AD or other dementias
Assess the safety and efficacy profiles of current and emerging treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease