Categorizing Biomarker Criteria for Alzheimer Disease Diagnosis and Staging: Clifford R. Jack Jr., MD

WATCH TIME: 8 minutes

"We divided biomarkers into three broad categories: core biomarkers specific for Alzheimer, biomarkers important in the Alzheimer pathogenic pathway but not specific to it, and biomarkers of non-Alzheimer copathology."

Characterizing diseases based on biological markers rather than syndromic presentations has become the standard in medicine and is now a unified concept applied to various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease (AD). In 2011, the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association organized 3 separate work groups to develop recommendations for the diagnosis and characterization of AD. These organizations reconvened in 2012 and 2018, forming single work groups to establish diagnostic criteria for the disease.

More recently, the committee updated the 2018 research framework in response to recent advancements, as detailed in a paper published in Alzheimer's & Dementia. The paper, authored by Clifford R. Jack Jr., MD, and colleagues, aimed to present objective criteria for diagnosing and staging AD by incorporating the latest developments in biomarkers. The authors noted that these proposed criteria are intended to serve as general principles that bridge research and clinical care, reflecting the current state of scientific knowledge.

Jack, a neuroradiologist at Mayo Clinic, recently sat down with NeurologyLive^® in an interview to discuss the 3 broad categories of biomarkers stated in the proposed criteria. He also talked about why the guidelines emphasized including biomarkers of non-Alzheimer pathologies in the categorization. Additionally, Jack spoke about the criteria used to determine the diagnostic performance of plasma biomarkers for AD.

REFERENCES
1. Jack CR Jr, Andrews JS, Beach TG, et al. Revised criteria for diagnosis and staging of Alzheimer's disease: Alzheimer's Association Workgroup. Alzheimers Dement. Published online June 27, 2024. doi:10.1002/alz.13859
2. Alzheimer's Association Workgroup Publishes Biology-Based Criteria for Diagnosis and Staging of Alzheimer's Disease. News Release. Alzheimer's Association. Published June 27, 2024. Accessed July 17, 2024. https://www.alz.org/news/2024/revised-alzheimers-diagnostic-staging-criteria