Advances in amyloid beta oligomer detection applications in Alzheimer's disease

Changes in amyloid-beta-oligomer (A beta O) peptides levels are considered one of the major neuropathologic biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease (AD). A beta O levels can be detected using a variety of techniques such as neuroimaging, single molecule detection, immunoassays, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). However, such techniques are usually reserved for individuals with mild cognitive decline or symptoms of late onset AD often to the exclusion of those with subjective memory complaints and patients in the early presymptomatic stages of AD. Recently, many scientists have sought to address this issue by integrating these techniques onto a single device or inexpensive platform permitting routine measurements of A beta O concentrations outside the clinic. In this review, we examine the different types of clinical A beta O commercial assays and established analytical techniques currently employed in the diagnosis of AD as well as integrated optical and electrochemical sensing devices currently under development. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.