Top 10 Questions on Biomarkers in Early Alzheimer’s Disease: Improving Diagnosis and Use of Targeted Therapies

The past several years have seen numerous advances in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis and management. Most recently, approval of antiamyloid monoclonal antibodies has revolutionized AD management and has required that patients have amyloid burden verified prior to initiating treatment. Biomarkers, whether obtained from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or positron emission tomography (PET) scans, are critical to the early diagnosis of AD and its subsequent management. Plasma biomarkers are an emerging approach that have the potential to further alter practice. Clinicians must incorporate CSF, PET, and eventually plasma biomarkers into practice to identify patients who are eligible for antiamyloid therapies and must tailor their procedures to incorporate these infusion therapies for patients with mild cognitive impairment due to AD or dementia due to mild AD. In this activity, Drs. James Galvin and Scott Turner answer commonly asked questions about the use of AD biomarkers in practice and implications of the results of biomarker testing.