Risk for AD

The clinical criteria and diagnosis of dementias, including AD, has not changed since the 1990’s. Given the advantages of early diagnosis and early intervention, there is an urgent need to revise the criteria for diagnosis so that the disease may be identified in the earlier stages.[i]  The is much research in identifying the shift between EARLY cognitive changes associated with dementia and that associated with normal aging, an area known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI).14  This remains a challenge for both clinicians and researchers since the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Dementia Rating Scale and other evaluating tools are relatively insensitive to early cognitive symptoms.14

A new blood test called APOE (apolipoprotein E) genotyping has been used to identify individuals who carry the APOP-4 gene. The presence of this gene increases a person’s risk for AD and when the gene is present in a person with dementia, a diagnosis of AD is supported. This test is not recommended as a predictive test in individuals who do not have symptoms of cognitive impairmen.