Alzheimer’s disease can be characterized by three main phases:
(1) Preclinical AD: Abnormal AD biomarkers but no clinical symptoms
(2) MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment): Individuals are mildly symptomatic but do not have dementia. MCI denotes cognitive decline without impairment in activities of daily living
(3) Dementia: Individuals show progressive loss of cognitive function and the ability to live independently
Read more about the typical course of Alzheimer’s disease
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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease and the leading cause of dementia worldwide, regardless of socioeconomic status.
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a state where an individual has lost the ability to carry out daily life activities independently because of cognitive impairment that is not due to an underlying psychiatric condition. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) refers to the abnormal presence of Aβ and tau proteins, which define AD among many other neurodegenerative diseases. Dementia -including dementia due to AD- is likely to be underestimated because of underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis.