382.1 ð é«åžçç
382.1.0.1 ð äžé éé»
382.1.1 Hallmarks
- Amyloid-β plaques (Aβ42 oligomers most toxic)
- Neurofibrillary tangles (hyperphosphorylated tau)
- Neuronal loss
- Synaptic loss
- Gliosis
- Cholinergic deficit (nucleus basalis Meynert)
382.1.2 Braak Staging
- Stage I-II: entorhinal (transentorhinal) â preclinical
- Stage III-IV: hippocampal/limbic â MCI to early
- Stage V-VI: temporal/parietal/frontal/occipital â moderate to severe
382.1.3 Amyloid Hypothesis
- Aβ accumulation â tau â neuronal death
- Targeted by anti-amyloid therapies
382.1.4 Non-Modifiable
- Age (most important)
- APOE ε4 genotype (1 copy 3x risk, 2 copies 8-12x)
- Down syndrome (chromosome 21 â APP gene)
- Female sex (post-65)
- Family history
- Genetic forms (APP, PSEN1, PSEN2 â early-onset, AD)
382.1.5 Modifiable
- Cardiovascular risk (HTN, DM, smoking, dyslipidemia, obesity)
- Low educational attainment (less cognitive reserve)
- Head trauma
- Depression
- Hearing loss (consider hearing aids)
- Social isolation
- Physical inactivity
- Sleep disorders (OSA, insufficient sleep)
- Air pollution
- Excessive alcohol
- Lancet Commission 2024: 14 modifiable factors
382.1.6 Cognitive Domains
Early (Mild): - Episodic memory (recent > remote) â hallmark - Anomia (word-finding) - Apraxia, agnosia - Visuospatial difficulty - Executive function (judgment, planning)
Moderate: - Disorientation - ADL impairment - Behavioral changes - Aphasia worsens - Some neurological signs
Severe: - IADL/BADL dependent - Mutism or severe aphasia - Bedbound - Incontinence - Myoclonus, seizures (some) - Cachexia
382.1.7 BPSD (Behavioral + Psychological Symptoms)
- Agitation, aggression
- Hallucinations, delusions
- Depression, anxiety
- Apathy
- Wandering
- Sleep disturbance
- Sundowning
382.1.8 Atypical Presentations
- Logopenic primary progressive aphasia (AD pathology)
- Posterior cortical atrophy (visuospatial, Benson syndrome)
- Frontal AD variant
- Down syndrome AD
382.1.9 NIA-AA 2024 Revision
- Biological diagnosis based on biomarkers (Aβ + tau)
- AD continuum:
- Preclinical AD (biomarker positive, normal cognition)
- MCI due to AD (biomarker positive + MCI)
- Dementia due to AD (biomarker positive + dementia)
- Previously required clinical + biomarker
- Now: biomarkers can diagnose AD
382.1.10 Biomarkers
CSF: - Aβ42 â (deposited in plaques) - Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio â - Total tau â - Phosphorylated tau (p-tau 181, p-tau 217) â
Imaging: - Amyloid PET (florbetapir, florbetaben, flutemetamol, Pittsburgh compound B) - Tau PET (flortaucipir, others) - FDG-PET â temporoparietal hypometabolism - MRI â hippocampal/medial temporal atrophy, generalized
Plasma (emerging â important): - p-tau 217 (most accurate) - p-tau 181 - Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio - GFAP - NfL (neurodegeneration general) - Coming to clinical practice
382.1.11 Cognitive Tests
- MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination): 0-30
- MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment): 0-30 (more sensitive for MCI)
- ADAS-Cog (for trials)
- Neuropsychological testing
382.1.12 Imaging
- MRI: hippocampal/medial temporal atrophy
- FDG-PET: temporoparietal hypometabolism
- Amyloid PET: clinical (especially before anti-amyloid Tx)
- Tau PET: research mostly
382.1.13 Definition
- Cognitive decline beyond aging
- NOT functional impairment (preserved ADLs)
- May or may not progress
382.1.16 Symptomatic
Cholinesterase Inhibitors (Mild-Moderate AD): - Donepezil (Aricept) 5-23 mg/d - Rivastigmine (Exelon) PO or patch - Galantamine (Razadyne) 8-24 mg/d - Modest cognitive benefit - Side effects: GI, bradycardia, sleep disturbance - Continue if benefit perceived (no clear stop criteria)
Memantine (NMDA Antagonist): - For moderate-severe AD - Can combine with cholinesterase inhibitor - 5-20 mg/d - Side effects: dizziness, confusion
382.1.17 Disease-Modifying (ANTI-AMYLOID mAbs)
Lecanemab (Leqembi) â FDA Jan 2023 (accelerated), Jul 2023 (full): - Anti-amyloid mAb (anti-protofibril) - For early AD (MCI + mild dementia) with confirmed amyloid - IV infusion every 2 weeks - Clarity AD trial: slowed cognitive decline ~ 27% (CDR-SB), modest absolute effect - ARIA-E (edema) 12-13%, ARIA-H (hemorrhage) 17% â most asymptomatic, but serious in some - APOE ε4 homozygous: highest ARIA risk - Pre-Tx: MRI baseline + monitoring - Cost: ~ $26,500/year (US)
Donanemab (Kisunla) â FDA July 2024: - Anti-amyloid mAb (targets pyroglutamate Aβ) - For early AD - IV monthly - TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 trial: slowed decline 35% iADRS, 22% CDR-SB - Treatment until amyloid cleared (some patients can stop) - ARIA risk - Faster amyloid clearance than lecanemab
Aducanumab (Aduhelm) â withdrawn from market 2024 due to controversies
382.1.18 Other
- Manage CV risk factors aggressively
- Address modifiable risks
- Lifestyle (exercise, Mediterranean diet, MIND diet, cognitive engagement, social)
- Treat sleep disorders
- Sensory aids (hearing aids â important)
- Caregiver support
382.1.19 BPSD
- Non-pharmacologic first
- Behavioral approaches
- Address pain, infection, environment, medications
- Brexpiprazole (Rexulti) FDA 2023 for AD agitation
- Pharmacologic: cautious atypical antipsychotics (off-label, BBW)
- Citalopram (CitAD trial)
- Trazodone for sleep
- AVOID benzodiazepines (worsen)
382.1.19.1 𩺠åºé鿥
- AD = 60-80% of dementia
- Pathology: Aβ plaques + tau tangles
- Risk: age, APOE ε4, modifiable (Lancet 14 factors)
- Clinical: episodic memory â anomia â visuospatial â executive â behavioral
- NIA-AA 2024: biological diagnosis (biomarkers)
- Biomarkers: CSF + amyloid PET + emerging plasma (p-tau 217)
- Symptomatic: cholinesterase inhibitors + memantine
- DISEASE-MODIFYING: lecanemab (Leqembi, FDA 2023) + donanemab (Kisunla, FDA July 2024) â ARIA risk
- Atypical: posterior cortical atrophy + logopenic PPA