[The future of biomarkers in dementia diagnostics]

Nervenarzt. 2011 Nov;82(11):1385-6, 1388, 1390, passim. doi: 10.1007/s00115-011-3348-x.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Neurochemical dementia diagnostics (NDD) is a routine laboratory tool in the diagnostic process of patients with neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Currently, two groups of biomarkers analyzed in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are being considered, namely amyloid β (Aβ) peptides and tau proteins, along with the hyperphosphorylated forms of the latter (p-tau). Current directions in the development of NDD include the following: 1. search for novel biomarkers with improved analytical or diagnostic performance; 2. search for biomarkers in the blood; 3. applications of novel technologies enabling better management of patient samples; 4. optimization of the analysis of the biomarkers already available (for example, by improved quality control and inter-laboratory comparison of results). This review presents the state of the art in the field of CSF-based NDD and also summarizes some of the hypotheses of how the future development of NDD tools might look.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnosis*
  • Biomarkers / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Forecasting*
  • Germany
  • Humans
  • Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / trends*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / analysis*
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / cerebrospinal fluid*

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins