Abstract
The diagnosis of dementing disorders is severely hampered by the absence of reliable
biomarkers that can be measured in body fluids such as blood, urine and cerebro-spinal
fluid (CSF).
Searching for biomarkers is hampered by the huge variability between individuals;
the use of autopsy specimens induces significant data fluctuation due to rapid post-mortem
changes in the specimens.
The search for biomarkers obtained from living donors has contributed already a vast
amount of data.
The role of amyloid and tau as early diagnostic markers in the pathology of dementia
has been reported in differential involvement in Alzheimer's disease (AD), late onset
Alzheimer disease (LOAD), Lewy Body dementia (DLBD), Vascular dementia, fronto-temporal
lobar degeneration (FTLD), Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and non neurological controls.
In the coming decennia, brain/tissue/biobanks (BTB-banks) will have a major role in
identifying the relevant biomarkers and will collect, preserve and type RNA and DNA
extracted from brain/tissue/body fluids in order to update the pathological hallmarks
of dementing disorders.
The present paper reviews and compares the currently known/clinically applied biomarkers
in dementia which can be identified and incorporated into clinical drug trials and
elucidate proposed mechanisms of disease and drug action. Furthermore, the review
screens a panel of biomarkers used for early and differential diagnosis and comments
on the validity of these biomarkers in reflecting the typical hallmarks of neurological
disorders.
Keywords
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Published online: March 27, 2009
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© 2009 Elsevier B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
