Conceptual evolution in Alzheimer's disease: Implications for understanding the clinical phenotype of progressive neurodegenerative disease

Gregory A. Jicha, Sarah A. Carr

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

78 Scopus citations

Abstract

Over the past several decades, our understanding of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has seen an evolution from the dichotomous concept of normal versus AD in the dementia state to a more accurate and complete appreciation of AD as a progressive disorder with clinical, biological, and pathological features occurring along a continuum from normal to end-stage disease. Integrating our understanding of the relationships and interplay between the clinical, biological, and pathological features of AD may allow the identification of AD at even preclinical, completely asymptomatic stages of the disease. This review attempts to summarize the clinical stages of AD in terms of epidemiology, historical evolution of disease stage diagnoses, cognitive/neuropsychologic features, psychiatric/behavioral manifestations, and functional decline in the context of our developing understanding of the biological processes responsible for the pathogenesis of AD described in detail in the accompanying articles.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)253-272
Number of pages20
JournalJournal of Alzheimer's Disease
Volume19
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2010

Keywords

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Clinical features
  • Mild cognitive impairment
  • Preclinical AD

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Geriatrics and Gerontology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Conceptual evolution in Alzheimer's disease: Implications for understanding the clinical phenotype of progressive neurodegenerative disease'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this