Biochemical assay of Alzheimer's disease-associated protein(s) in human brain tissue: a clinical study

Article Abstract:

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is suspected in patients who exhibit dementia, or a progressive deterioration of memory and intellectual abilities, but the diagnosis cannot be confirmed until the patient dies. Postmortem examination of brain tissue reveals whether the patient had AD or a different form of dementia. But even with access to brain tissue, there are some problems with diagnostic process, which involves identifying and counting abnormalities known as neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The procedure is time-consuming and there are chances for error because the abnormalities are not evenly distributed throughout the tissue; an under-representative sample might be taken and examined, leading to an erroneous diagnosis. There is also evidence that plaques and tangles occur in elderly persons without AD. It would be beneficial to develop a faster and at least equally accurate method for diagnosing AD in brain tissue. A new technique, an enzyme immunoassay, was utilized to detect the presence of Alzheimer's disease-associated protein (ADAP) in brain tissue samples from 27 normal patients, 28 with neurological diseases other than AD, and 56 with AD. In 86 percent of AD cases, ADAP was identified, while it was not found in detectable levels in the two control groups. It is concluded that the ADAP test may be a useful addition to currently accepted methods for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Measurement, Causes of, Dementia

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Mortality from Alzheimer disease - United States, 1979-1987

Article Abstract:

A report is presented concerning mortality from Alzheimer disease (AD) in the US from 1979 through 1987. AD is a progressive neurological disorder leading to complete cognitive loss. In those years, 46,202 people died of AD, with an increase in the adjusted death rate per 100,000 people from 0.4 (1979) to 4.2 (1987). This increase was higher among older people, and higher for whites than blacks. The death rates were highest in 1987 in the Rocky Mountain States and New England; data are presented in tabular form for each state. New York and Alaska had the lowest rates in 1987. Changes in diagnostic criteria over the years, and differences from region to region, make direct estimation of AD prevalence difficult. However, the trend toward increasing AD-associated mortality has also been noted in England, Norway, and other countries. Increased awareness of the disease by health care providers in recent years could be partly responsible for the apparent increase in mortality; cognitively impaired patients are more likely to be classified as AD. The Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association and federal funding for research on AD have helped promote such awareness. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Patient outcomes, Mortality, Statistics

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Decreased beta-amyloid(sub 1-42) and increased tau levels in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer disease

Article Abstract:

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by a decrease of beta amyloid(sub 1-42) and an increased in tau protein in cerebrospinal fluid but more research is needed before this can be used as a diagnostic test. This was the conclusion of a study of 3,264 Alzheimer's patients and 1,553 healthy volunteers. Both of these proteins are involved in the formation of plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain that are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.

Physiological aspects, Cerebrospinal fluid

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