George Perry, PhD, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, discusses perspectives on biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Autopsy is still regarded as the gold standard diagnostic tool for AD. But even the gold standard is not reliable; with age, almost all individuals will develop plaques and increase tangle density. Therefore, in the older population, there is no correlation to disease pathology. The same applies to neuronal loss; they are lost through aging and many other life events. Furthermore, using biomarkers to inform patients of their potential AD development could lead to more despair and thus more significant chances of developing the disease. The APOE genotype is a genetic risk factor for AD, demonstrating a good prediction model for AD – however, it is not definitive. If individuals test likely to develop AD, Dr Perry recommends counseling to increase supportive measures; inappropriate decisions may be made in light of perceived AD development. Research into AD biomarkers is important, yet outcomes from knowing the answer to AD risk needs to be addressed. This interview took place during the 2022 World Congress on Controversies in Neurology (CONy) meeting.
