title: A methodological critique of the National Institute of Aging and Alzheimer's Association Guidelines for Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and mild cognitive impairments.
abstract: In 2011, the U.S. National Institute on Aging published guidelines for clinical diagnostics for Alzheimer's disease dementia. These guidelines define a continuum with three stages-an early, pre-clinical stage with no symptoms, followed by mild cognitive impairment, and a final stage of Alzheimer's disease dementia. This methodological critique examines the validity of this continuum. No studies exist showing the progression of these biomarkers to Alzheimer's disease. There is also a lack of empirical evidence showing how biomarkers determine mild cognitive impairment, which has multiple etiologies. The guidelines fail to explain anomalies where there are biomarkers but no expression of Alzheimer's disease.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, San Diego State University, CA, USA mariusgarrett@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mario D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.affiliation: Alzheimer's Cross-Cultural Research and Development [ACCORD]. San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valle
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D054561:National Institute on Aging (U.S.); D000069338:Neuropathology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: critique; dementia; guidelines; methodology; mild cognitive impairment; neuropathology; social intervention; validity