Cognitive disorders present significant medical and social challenges nowadays, due to their high prevalence, progressive course and a lack of effective methods for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and comorbid pathologies. An important area of research is the identification of molecular biomarkers that reflect early pathophysiological changes and facilitate a more accurate biological characterization of cognitive impairment. This study provides an overview of the most relevant signaling molecules for diagnosing cognitive disorders. It presents data on the effectiveness of using comprehensive panels of molecular biomarkers in clinical practice, including β-amyloid, CD34, claudin, DRP1, endothelin-1, NF-kB, PINK1, RAGE, S100, α-synuclein, and tau protein, in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD). The study results demonstrate that cumulative changes in the expression of signaling molecules reflect various neurodegenerative and vascular-associated biological processes. The data obtained are comparative in nature and require further validation before potential clinical application.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; biomarkers; buccal epithelium; dementia; differential diagnosis.