REAL AD-Validation of a realistic screening approach for early Alzheimer's disease

Early diagnosis is crucial to treatment success. This is especially relevant for Alzheimer's disease (AD), with its protracted preclinical phase. Most health care systems do not have the resources to conduct large-scale AD screenings in middle-aged individuals in need of novel AD treatment options and early, accurate diagnosis. Recent developments in blood-based biomarkers and remote cognitive testing offer novel, cost-effective, and scalable methods to detect cognitive and biomarker changes that may indicate early AD. In research cohorts, promising results have been reported, but these modalities have not been validated in population-based settings. The validation of a realistic screening approach for early Alzheimer's disease (REAL AD) study aims to validate the diagnostic and prognostic performance of the combined use of blood- based biomarkers and remote cognitive testing as a screening approach for early AD employing an existing health care infrastructure (the Swedish V & auml;stra G & ouml;taland Region Primary Healthcare). REAL AD aims to provide a concrete, individualized diagnostic framework, which could significantly improve AD prognosis.