title: Current concepts in Alzheimer's disease: a multidisciplinary review.
abstract: This comprehensive, pedagogically-oriented review is aimed at a heterogeneous audience representative of the allied disciplines involved in research and patient care. After a foreword on epidemiology, genetics, and risk factors, the amyloid cascade model is introduced and the main neuropathological hallmarks are discussed. The progression of memory, language, visual processing, executive, attentional, and praxis deficits, and of behavioral symptoms is presented. After a summary on neuropsychological assessment, emerging biomarkers from cerebrospinal fluid assays, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine, and electrophysiology are discussed. Existing treatments are briefly reviewed, followed by an introduction to emerging disease-modifying therapies such as secretase modulators, inhibitors of Abeta aggregation, immunotherapy, inhibitors of tau protein phosphorylation, and delivery of nerve growth factor.
authors.affiliation: Science Direction Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy. lminati@istituto-besta.it
authors.forename: Ludovico
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Minati
authors.forename: Trudi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Edginton
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bruzzone
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giaccone
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D018697:Nootropic Agents