Revised criteria for diagnosis and staging of Alzheimer's disease: Alzheimer's Association Workgroup.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Expert consensus diagnostic criteria and conceptual framework without primary empirical data
PubMed 38934362 · doi:10.1002/alz.13859
What was done
An expert workgroup convened by the Alzheimer's Association updated the 2018 research diagnostic framework for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The authors formulated revised diagnostic and staging principles incorporating advances in fluid and imaging biomarkers—including amyloid positron emission tomography (PET), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) assays, and plasma biomarkers (specifically phosphorylated tau 217)—to bridge research and clinical application.
What was found
The abstract reports consensus criteria rather than empirical or numerical data. AD is defined biologically as a continuum beginning with asymptomatic neuropathologic change. Abnormal Core 1 biomarkers (amyloid PET, approved CSF biomarkers, or accurate plasma biomarkers such as p-tau217) are defined as sufficient to establish a biological diagnosis of AD across the continuum. Core 2 biomarkers (tau PET and select biofluid markers) provide prognostic information and indicate whether AD pathology contributes to existing clinical symptoms.
Why it matters
This framework formally shifts Alzheimer's disease diagnosis from a syndromic, symptom-based definition to a biomarker-defined biological construct across preclinical and symptomatic stages.
Limits
The publication is an expert consensus document without primary empirical data, so no quantitative diagnostic accuracy metrics (e.g., sensitivity or specificity of specific assays) are reported in the abstract. The authors state these criteria do not provide step-by-step clinical workflows or specific treatment protocols.
Cited by
- supports The Alzheimer's Association diagnostic criteria categorize individuals with elevated plasma p-tau217 as having stage 1 Alzheimer's disease.