scholarly journals The PredictAD project: development of novel biomarkers and analysis software for early diagnosis of the Alzheimer's disease

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 20120072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kari Antila ◽  
Jyrki Lötjönen ◽  
Lennart Thurfjell ◽  
Jarmo Laine ◽  
Marcello Massimini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Brain Images ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Irreversible Effects ◽  
The Right

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia affecting 36 million people worldwide. As the demographic transition in the developed countries progresses towards older population, the worsening ratio of workers per retirees and the growing number of patients with age-related illnesses such as AD will challenge the current healthcare systems and national economies. For these reasons AD has been identified as a health priority, and various methods for diagnosis and many candidates for therapies are under intense research. Even though there is currently no cure for AD, its effects can be managed. Today the significance of early and precise diagnosis of AD is emphasized in order to minimize its irreversible effects on the nervous system. When new drugs and therapies enter the market it is also vital to effectively identify the right candidates to benefit from these. The main objective of the PredictAD project was to find and integrate efficient biomarkers from heterogeneous patient data to make early diagnosis and to monitor the progress of AD in a more efficient, reliable and objective manner. The project focused on discovering biomarkers from biomolecular data, electrophysiological measurements of the brain and structural, functional and molecular brain images. We also designed and built a statistical model and a framework for exploiting these biomarkers with other available patient history and background data. We were able to discover several potential novel biomarker candidates and implement the framework in software. The results are currently used in several research projects, licensed to commercial use and being tested for clinical use in several trials.

scholarly journals Novel Trends in Electrochemical Biosensors for Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Pavla Valkova ◽  
Miroslav Pohanka
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
Electrochemical Biosensors ◽  
Standard Laboratory ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Asymptomatic Phase ◽  
The Right

Background. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifactorial progressive and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder affecting mainly the population over 65 years of age. It is becoming a global health and socioeconomic problem, and the current number of patients reaching 30–50 million people will be three times higher over the next thirty years. Objective. Late diagnosis caused by decades of the asymptomatic phase and invasive and cost-demanding diagnosis are problems that make the whole situation worse. Electrochemical biosensors could be the right tool for less invasive and inexpensive early diagnosis helping to reduce spend sources— both money and time. Method. This review is a survey of the latest advances in the design of electrochemical biosensors for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Biosensors are divided according to target biomarkers. Conclusion. Standard laboratory methodology could be improved by analyzing a combination of currently estimated markers along with neurotransmitters and genetic markers from blood samples, which make the test for AD diagnosis available to the wide public.

Using GANs and MLP Artificial Neural Networks to support early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease: a study on the potential of artificial data expansion

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Bandeira ◽  
Mêuser Valença ◽  
Renan Alencar
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Computational Intelligence ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Classification Model ◽  
World Health ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Artificial Neural

The life expectancy of the population in the most developed countries is growing every day and, consequently, there is an increase in various age-related diseases. In Brazil, just over 1.1 million people have Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In 2019, according to the World Health Organization, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias were the third leading cause of mortality in the Americas and Europe. Despite being a degenerative and irreversible disease, if diagnosed early, treatments can be performed to slow the progression of symptoms and ensure a better quality of life for the patient. Most papers that study Computational Intelligence solutions to support diagnosis follow an approach based on neuroimaging evidence. In addition to this, another approach that has been gaining prominence is biochemical and molecular analysis. Following this approach, Ray et al., Ravetti & Moscato and Dantas & Valença carried out studies with classifiers from statistics or Computational Intelligence to support the early diagnosis of the disease. The work was carried out from a dataset with values of 120 blood proteins. Through this, they were able to classify whether or not the patient could be diagnosed with AD. As a result, Ray et al., Ravetti & Moscato and Dantas & Valença obtained an average accuracy rate of 89%, 93% and 94.34%, respectively. Thus, this work aims to use a traditional approach with a proposed Multilayer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network model to perform the early diagnosis of a patient with or without AD and compare the results obtained with the results of the related works cited. In addition, this work has as main objective to evaluate the potential of using synthetic data generated using a Generative Adversarial Network in the training and tests of the proposed classification model.

scholarly journals Suppression of AMD-Like Pathology by Mitochondria-Targeted Antioxidant SkQ1 Is Associated with a Decrease in the Accumulation of Amyloid β and in mTOR Activity

Antioxidants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia A. Muraleva ◽  
Oyuna S. Kozhevnikova ◽  
Anzhela Z. Fursova ◽  
Nataliya G. Kolosova
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Term Treatment ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Eye Health ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Long Term Treatment

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of irreversible visual impairment and blindness in developed countries, and the molecular pathogenesis of AMD is poorly understood. Recent studies strongly indicate that amyloid β (Aβ) accumulation —found in the brain and a defining feature of Alzheimer’s disease—also forms in the retina in both Alzheimer’s disease and AMD. The reason why highly neurotoxic proteins of consistently aggregate in the aging retina, and to what extent they contribute to AMD, remains to be fully addressed. Nonetheless, the hypothesis that Aβ is a therapeutic target in AMD is debated. Here, we showed that long-term treatment with SkQ1 (250 nmol/[kg body weight] daily from the age of 1.5 to 22 months) suppressed the development of AMD-like pathology in senescence-accelerated OXYS rats by reducing the level of Aβ and suppressing the activity of mTOR in the retina. Inhibition of mTOR signaling activity, which plays key roles in aging and age-related diseases, can be considered a new mechanism of the prophylactic effect of SkQ1. It seems probable that dietary supplementation with mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SkQ1 can be a good prevention strategy to maintain eye health and possibly a treatment of AMD.

Current Status of the Neurobiology of Alzheimer's Disease and the Importance of Early Diagnosis

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 596-597
Author(s):  
Edith V. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Medical Treatment ◽  
Accurate Diagnosis ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Loss Of Dignity ◽  
Scientific Rationale

Alzheimer's disease—occurring upward of 15% of individuals age 65 and older—is the most prevalent age-related dementia. Since the late 1970s, neuropsychologists have been instrumental in identifying patterns of sparing and impairment of cognitive, sensory, and motor functions and rates of declines in selective functions. Anyone who has engaged in longitudinal study of AD and anyone of that large segment of the population with relatives suffering with AD has witnessed first-hand the relentless, irreversible demise of function and ultimate loss of dignity characteristic of AD's course. The approach of Scinto and Daffner's edited book, Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease, avoids rehashing the already established descriptions of AD and provides firm, scientific rationale for the meaningfulness of early and accurate diagnosis of AD despite its current dire prognosis and lack of effective medical treatment.

scholarly journals Position Statement on Anti-Dementia Medication for Alzheimer’s Disease by Swiss Stakeholders

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Giovanni Frisoni ◽  
Jean-Marie Annoni ◽  
Stefanie Becker ◽  
Tim Brockmann ◽  
Markus Buerge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Old Age ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Position Statement ◽  
Swiss Health ◽  
The Right ◽  
To Receive

The present document represents the position of Swiss health-care associations, clinical and research centers, research-supporting foundations, and the association Alzheimer Switzerland regarding the care of persons with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. We claim that dementia is not part of normal aging but a disease developing more frequently in old age; early diagnosis and treatment of dementia is paramount; all patients with dementia have the right to receive state-of-the-art treatments; more intense information, education, and counseling on dementia are necessary; media should provide balanced and fair reporting of scientific discoveries on Alzheimer’s and dementia; all patients with dementia have the right to be treated; anti-dementia drugs should be used and accompanied by listening, compassion, and understanding.

scholarly journals Promise and Challenge: The Lens Model as a Biomarker for Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian Tian ◽  
Boai Zhang ◽  
Yanjie Jia ◽  
Zhaoming Li
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Accurate Diagnosis ◽  
Lens Model ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Diagnosis And Prognosis ◽  
Protein Deposits ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Brain

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia pathologically characterized by cerebral amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition. Early and accurate diagnosis of the disease still remains a big challenge. There is evidence that Aβaggregation starts to occur years before symptoms arise. Noninvasive monitoring of Aβplaques is critical for both the early diagnosis and prognosis of AD. Presently, there is a major effort on looking for a reasonably priced technology capable of diagnosing AD by detecting the presence of Aβ. Studies suggest that AD is systemic rather than brain-limited focus diseases and the aggregation of the disease-causing proteins also takes place in lens except the brain. There is a possible relationship between AD and a specific subtype of age-related cataract (supranuclear cataract). If similar abnormal protein deposits are present in the lens, it would facilitate non-invasive diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression. However, there are controversies on the issues related to performance and validation of Aβdeposition in lens as biomarkers for early detection of AD. Here we review the recent findings concerning Aβdeposition in the lenses of AD patients and evaluate if the ocular lens can provide a biomarker for AD.

IS ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE DRUG DEVELOPMENT BROKEN? WHAT MUST BE IMPROVED

2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
P.-J. Ousset ◽  
J. Cummings ◽  
J. Delrieu ◽  
V. Legrand ◽  
N. Prins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Drug Development ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Trial Duration ◽  
Surrogate Outcomes ◽  
Technical Requirements ◽  
Number Of Patients

During the decade from 2002 to 2012, 99.6% of the 244 agents tested for efficacy in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s’ disease (AD) failed to achieve their primary endpoints. At a CTAD symposium on November 14, 2013, in San Diego, USA, an international group of AD researchers met to discuss the evolution of trials over the past 10 years and proposed a number of changes intended to streamline and enhance the efficiency of clinical trials. Approximately 1,031 AD trials were conducted between 2000 and 2012. The number of patients per trial site tended to decrease over time necessitating a larger number of sites. The use of biomarkers for enrichment purposes, or as measures of target engagement or surrogate outcomes, results in higher screen failure and drop-out rates, adding to trial duration and/or costs. Present disease modifying AD trials ask for increasing logistical and technical requirements, necessitating the creation of highly specialized trial facilities and limiting the participation of smaller sites. Due to heavy administrative and regulatory task, only about 13% of the team's time is used for the essential recruitment. Proposals and perspectives: Strategies suggested to improve the efficiency of recruitment include establishing “ready to go cohorts” in advance of trials using biomarkers and clinical measures. Simplification and harmonization of administrative procedures, including harmonization of certification procedures, are urgently needed. Alternative approaches, such as using the Internet to screen volunteers for possible inclusion needs to be evaluated. The AD drug development enterprise from discovery through clinical trials requires re-examination and re-organization if new drugs are to be delivered to patients in a timely way.

scholarly journals Retinal Degeneration and Alzheimer’s Disease: An Evolving Link

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 7290
Author(s):  
Ajay Ashok ◽  
Neena Singh ◽  
Suman Chaudhary ◽  
Vindhya Bellamkonda ◽  
Alexander E Kritikos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Retinal Degeneration ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Iron Chelation ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽  
Retinal Cell ◽  
Age Related

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma are degenerative conditions of the retina and a significant cause of irreversible blindness in developed countries. Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common dementia of the elderly, is often associated with AMD and glaucoma. The cardinal features of AD include extracellular accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) and intracellular deposits of hyper-phosphorylated tau (p-tau). Neuroinflammation and brain iron dyshomeostasis accompany Aβ and p-tau deposits and, together, lead to progressive neuronal death and dementia. The accumulation of Aβ and iron in drusen, the hallmark of AMD, and Aβ and p-tau in retinal ganglion cells (RGC), the main retinal cell type implicated in glaucoma, and accompanying inflammation suggest overlapping pathology. Visual abnormalities are prominent in AD and are believed to develop before cognitive decline. Some are caused by degeneration of the visual cortex, while others are due to RGC loss or AMD-associated retinal degeneration. Here, we review recent information on Aβ, p-tau, chronic inflammation, and iron dyshomeostasis as common pathogenic mechanisms linking the three degenerative conditions, and iron chelation as a common therapeutic option for these disorders. Additionally discussed is the role of prion protein, infamous for prion disorders, in Aβ-mediated toxicity and, paradoxically, in neuroprotection.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document