title: The New Criteria for Alzheimer's Disease - Implications for Geriatricians.
abstract: Two new sets of criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are now in play, including one set released in 2014, and a proposal for a "new lexicon" for how to describe the disease spectrum. A 2012 Canadian consensus conference said that to then, none of the new criteria or terminology would change primary care practice; that is still likely to be so. For dementia consultants, however, the new criteria pose challenges and offer opportunities. In general, the new criteria see an expanded role for bio-markers. Even so, the evidence base for this remains incomplete. Our understanding of the neuropathological criteria for dementia changed as the evidence base included more community cases. This is likely to inform the experience with biomarkers. At present, each of the criteria specifies an exclusive research role. Still, wider uptake is likely, especially in the United States. Geriatricians should be aware of the fundamental change in the terminology now being employed: AD diagnosis no longer obliges a diagnosis of dementia. Until more data emerge-something to which geriatricians can contribute-there is reason to be cautious in the adoption of the new criteria, as they are likely to be least applicable to older adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Divisions of Geriatric Medicine and of Neurology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS;; Département de médecine, Division de gériatrie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Molin
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Divisions of Geriatric Medicine and of Neurology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS;
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rockwood
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; biomarkers; criteria; dementia; frailty; geriatric medicine; mild cognitive impairment