Progress of clinical laboratory tests and molecular imaging for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

With the expansion of aging population, Alzheimer′s disease (AD) is increasingly imposing a substantial burden on the society. Because of irreversible neuronal death in the brain, effective control of AD relies on early diagnosis for timely therapeutic intervention, and this requires efficient laboratory tests and molecular imaging. Current laboratory tests for AD includes measurements of Aβ peptides, Tau, and a number of other recently discovered molecules in the cerebrospinal fluid and the peripheral blood. PET-based imaging of glucose metabolism, amyloid Aβ, Tau neurofibrillary tangles, TSPO protein, and neuronal receptors, has also proven to be useful in clinical finding of AD. This review will focus on the progress in studies of these biomarkers and methodologies for ADdiagnosis. Key words: Alzheimer′s disease; Dementia; Positron-emission tomography