As Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia—affecting an estimated 6.7 million Americans—it’s no surprise that people who experience memory loss might suspect AD.
In fact, there is another common cognitive disorder with very similar symptoms, called TDP-43 limbic age-related encephalopathy – or late-onset for short – that is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s.
A recent report published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association highlights the need to develop “objective criteria” for diagnosing and staging all types of dementia, including late-onset dementia.
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Fine is a prevalent condition in late life and can contribute to memory loss and cognitive decline, according to report co-author Rebecca M. Edelmayer, Ph.D., vice president for science engagement of the Alzheimer’s Association of Chicago.
“Ending is defined by changes in the TDP-43 protein in brain tissue and frequently coexists with Alzheimer’s disease changes, such as the accumulation of amyloid beta plaques and tau tangles,” he said. she told Fox News Digital.
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The newly proposed criteria aim to help clinicians better differentiate late-onset Alzheimer’s, which ultimately led to more accurate diagnoses and improved treatment strategies, Edelmayer noted.
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Late tends to have a slower rate of decline than Alzheimer’s disease, according to lead author David Wolk, a professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania.
The condition occurs in tandem with Alzheimer’s disease in about a third of patients, the doctor estimated, and it appears to accelerate the course of the disease.
More than 25% of people over 80 have this form of dementia.
“Despite the commonalities of the disease, most clinicians and patients have never heard of it later and do not consider it when memory loss is present,” Wolk noted.
“Knowing whether it is present with Alzheimer’s disease also impacts prognosis and may impact the effectiveness of treatments.”
Before the criteria presented in the new report, there was no consensus on how to diagnose this condition.
“It was only defined at autopsy after death,” Wolk said.
“These criteria allow doctors to diagnose the disease, which is an important step in both clinical practice and, ultimately, research to better treat the disease.”
Although there is a diagnostic test to definitively measure Alzheimer’s disease, no such test exists for the end, Wolk pointed out.
“The criteria provide levels of probability of diagnosis, but cannot be definitive,” he told Fox News Digital. “Moreover, the criteria must be validated in practice.”
In the near future, Edelmayer noted, advances in biological markers will help clinicians differentiate between all the different types of dementia.
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“Until these tools are available, clinical diagnostic criteria – like the one we just published – can be used to support a more personalized medicine approach to treatment, care and clinical study enrollment,” he said. she told Fox News Digital.
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“Additionally, these new recommendations create a roadmap that identifies opportunities for further research, and the challenges that remain in accurately diagnosing individuals with the end.”
Original article source: Memory loss is not always Alzheimer’s: experts warn of common but little-known dementia
