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Abstract The National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimers Association charged a workgroup with the
task of revising the 1984 criteria for Alzheimers disease (AD) dementia. The workgroup sought to
ensure that the revised criteria would be flexible enough to be used by both general healthcare pro-
viders without access to neuropsychological testing, advanced imaging, and cerebrospinal fluid mea-
sures, and specialized investigators involved in research or in clinical trial studies who would have
these tools available. We present criteria for all-cause dementia and for AD dementia. We retained
the general framework of probable AD dementia from the 1984 criteria. On the basis of the past
27 years of experience, we made several changes in the clinical criteria for the diagnosis. We also
retained the term possible AD dementia, but redefined it in a manner more focused than before. Bio-
marker evidence was also integrated into the diagnostic formulations for probable and possible AD
1552-5260/$ - see front matter 2011 The Alzheimers Association. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2011.03.005
dementia for use in research settings. The core clinical criteria for AD dementia will continue to be
the cornerstone of the diagnosis in clinical practice, but biomarker evidence is expected to enhance
the pathophysiological specificity of the diagnosis of AD dementia. Much work lies ahead for vali-
dating the biomarker diagnosis of AD dementia.
2011 The Alzheimers Association. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Alzheimers disease; Dementia; Diagnosis; Magnetic resonance brain imaging; Positron emission tomography;
Cerebrospinal fluid
2. Criteria for all-cause dementia: Core clinical criteria The differentiation of dementia from MCI (see compan-
ion article [5] on the diagnosis of MCI) rests on the determi-
In this section, we outline core clinical criteria to be used nation of whether or not there is significant interference in the
in all clinical settings. Because there are many causes of ability to function at work or in usual daily activities. This is
dementia, we will first outline the criteria for all-cause inherently a clinical judgment made by a skilled clinician on
dementia. the basis of the individual circumstances of the patient and
The diagnosis of dementia is intended to encompass the the description of daily affairs of the patient obtained from
spectrum of severity, ranging from the mildest to the most the patient and from a knowledgeable informant.
severe stages of dementia. The methodology for staging of
dementia severity was beyond the charge of the workgroup.
Dementia is diagnosed when there are cognitive or behav- 3. Proposed classification criteria for AD dementia
ioral (neuropsychiatric) symptoms that: We propose the following terminology for classifying
1. Interfere with the ability to function at work or at usual individuals with dementia caused by AD: (1) Probable AD
activities; and dementia, (2) Possible AD dementia, and (3) Probable or
2. Represent a decline from previous levels of function- possible AD dementia with evidence of the AD pathophysi-
ing and performing; and ological process. The first two are intended for use in all clin-
3. Are not explained by delirium or major psychiatric ical settings. The third is currently intended for research
disorder; purposes.
4. Cognitive impairment is detected and diagnosed
through a combination of (1) history-taking from 4. Probable AD dementia: Core clinical criteria
the patient and a knowledgeable informant and (2)
an objective cognitive assessment, either a bedside 4.1. Probable AD dementia is diagnosed when the patient
mental status examination or neuropsychological
testing. Neuropsychological testing should be per- 1. Meets criteria for dementia described earlier in the
formed when the routine history and bedside mental text, and in addition, has the following characteristics:
status examination cannot provide a confident diag- A. Insidious onset. Symptoms have a gradual onset over
nosis. months to years, not sudden over hours or days;
5. The cognitive or behavioral impairment involves B. Clear-cut history of worsening of cognition by report
a minimum of two of the following domains: or observation; and
a. Impaired ability to acquire and remember C. The initial and most prominent cognitive deficits are
new informationsymptoms include: repetitive evident on history and examination in one of the fol-
questions or conversations, misplacing personal lowing categories.
belongings, forgetting events or appointments, a. Amnestic presentation: It is the most common
getting lost on a familiar route. syndromic presentation of AD dementia. The defi-
b. Impaired reasoning and handling of complex tasks, cits should include impairment in learning and
poor judgmentsymptoms include: poor under- recall of recently learned information. There should
standing of safety risks, inability to manage fi- also be evidence of cognitive dysfunction in at least
nances, poor decision-making ability, inability to one other cognitive domain, as defined earlier in the
plan complex or sequential activities. text.
c. Impaired visuospatial abilitiessymptoms in- b. Nonamnestic presentations:
clude: inability to recognize faces or common ob- Language presentation: The most prominent def-
jects or to find objects in direct view despite good icits are in word-finding, but deficits in other
acuity, inability to operate simple implements, or cognitive domains should be present.
orient clothing to the body. Visuospatial presentation: The most prominent
d. Impaired language functions (speaking, reading, deficits are in spatial cognition, including object
writing)symptoms include: difficulty thinking agnosia, impaired face recognition, simultanagno-
of common words while speaking, hesitations; sia, and alexia. Deficits in other cognitive domains
speech, spelling, and writing errors. should be present.
e. Changes in personality, behavior, or comportment Executive dysfunction: The most prominent def-
symptoms include: uncharacteristic mood fluctua- icits are impaired reasoning, judgment, and prob-
tions such as agitation, impaired motivation, lem solving. Deficits in other cognitive domains
initiative, apathy, loss of drive, social withdrawal, de- should be present.
creased interest in previous activities, loss of empa- D. The diagnosis of probable AD dementia should not
thy, compulsive or obsessive behaviors, socially be applied when there is evidence of (a) substantial
unacceptable behaviors. concomitant cerebrovascular disease, defined by
a history of a stroke temporally related to the onset or strates insufficient historical detail or objective cognitive
worsening of cognitive impairment; or the presence documentation of progressive decline,
of multiple or extensive infarcts or severe white Or
matter hyperintensity burden; or (b) core features of
Dementia with Lewy bodies other than dementia 5.2. Etiologically mixed presentation
itself; or (c) prominent features of behavioral variant
frontotemporal dementia; or (d) prominent features of Etiologically mixed presentation meets all core clinical
semantic variant primary progressive aphasia or non- criteria for AD dementia but has evidence of (a) concomitant
fluent/agrammatic variant primary progressive apha- cerebrovascular disease, defined by a history of stroke tem-
sia; or (e) evidence for another concurrent, active porally related to the onset or worsening of cognitive impair-
neurological disease, or a non-neurological medical ment; or the presence of multiple or extensive infarcts or
comorbidity or use of medication that could have severe white matter hyperintensity burden; or (b) features
a substantial effect on cognition. of Dementia with Lewy bodies other than the dementia
itself; or (c) evidence for another neurological disease or
Note: All patients who met criteria for probable AD by a non-neurological medical comorbidity or medication use
the 1984 NINCDSADRDA criteria [1] would meet the cur- that could have a substantial effect on cognition
rent criteria for probable AD dementia mentioned in the Note: A diagnosis of possible AD by the 1984
present article. NINCDS-ADRDA criteria [1] would not necessarily meet
the current criteria for possible AD dementia. Such a patient
4.2. Probable AD dementia with increased level of would need to be re-evaluated.
certainty
certainty of AD pathophysiological process may be useful in with biomarker support, the core clinical diagnosis of AD
three circumstances: investigational studies, clinical trials, dementia must first be satisfied.
and as optional clinical tools for use where available and According to their nature, CSF biomarkers rely on a quan-
when deemed appropriate by the clinician. titative interpretation in comparison with normative stan-
Biomarker test results can fall into three categoriesclearly dards. Imaging biomarkers can be interpreted in both
positive, clearly negative, and indeterminate. We envision that a qualitative or quantitative manner. In many cases, bio-
application of biomarkers for the AD pathophysiological marker results will be clearly normal or abnormal. In these
process would operate as outlined in the Table 1. cases, a qualitative interpretation of a biomarker test will un-
equivocally identify positive findings that imply the pres-
7. Possible AD dementia with evidence of the AD ence of the underlying AD pathophysiological process, or
pathophysiological process negative findings that unequivocally imply absence of an
AD pathophysiological process. However, in some cases,
This category is for persons who meet clinical criteria for
ambiguous or indeterminate results will be obtained. This
a non-AD dementia but who have either biomarker evidence
is inevitable given that all biomarkers are continuous mea-
of AD pathophysiological process, or meet the neuropatho-
sures, and the diagnostic labels of positive or negative
logical criteria for AD. Examples would include persons
require that cutoff values be applied to continuous biological
who meet clinical criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies
phenomena. Although sophisticated quantitative and objec-
or for a subtype of frontotemporal lobar degeneration, but
tive image analysis methods do exist, at present, accepted
who have a positive AD biomarker study or at autopsy are
standards for quantitative analysis of AD imaging tests are
found to meet pathological criteria for AD. In the biomarker
lacking. Standard clinical practice in diagnostic imaging is
table, we indicate that both categories of biomarkers must be
qualitative in nature. Therefore, quantification of imaging
positive for an individual who presents clinically with a non-
biomarkers must rely on local laboratory specific standards.
AD phenotype to meet criteria for possible AD. This is a con-
The same holds true for CSF biomarkers, although standard-
servative approach that may change as more information is
ization efforts are more advanced for CSF biomarkers than
gained concerning the long-term outcomes of different com-
for the imaging tests. Quantitative analytic techniques are,
binations of biomarker findings. A diagnosis of possible AD
and will continue to be in evolution for some time. There-
dementia with evidence of AD pathophysiological process
fore, practical use of biomarkers must follow best-practice
does not preclude the possibility that a second pathophysio-
guidelines within laboratory-specific contexts, until stan-
logical condition is also present.
dardization has been fully accomplished.
A sequence of events has been described with Ab patho-
8. Considerations related to the incorporation of physiological processes becoming abnormal first and down-
biomarkers into AD dementia criteria stream neuronal injury biomarkers becoming abnormal later
As described in the two companion articles on the pre- [6,7]. This might imply a hierarchical ranking of Ab
clinical [4] and MCI [5] phases of the AD pathophysiologi- biomarkers over downstream neuronal injury biomarkers for
cal process, AD dementia is part of a continuum of clinical diagnostic purposes. However, at this time, the reliability of
and biological phenomena. AD dementia is fundamentally such a hierarchical scheme has not been sufficiently well
a clinical diagnosis. To make a diagnosis of AD dementia established for use in AD dementia. Given the number of
Table 1
AD dementia criteria incorporating biomarkers
Biomarker probability Neuronal injury (CSF tau,
Diagnostic category of AD etiology Ab (PET or CSF) FDG-PET, structural MRI)
Probable AD dementia
Based on clinical criteria Uninformative Unavailable, conflicting, Unavailable, conflicting,
or indeterminate or indeterminate
With three levels of evidence Intermediate Unavailable or indeterminate Positive
of AD Intermediate Positive Unavailable or indeterminate
pathophysiological process High Positive Positive
Possible AD dementia (atypical
clinical presentation)
Based on clinical criteria Uninformative Unavailable, conflicting, Unavailable, conflicting,
or indeterminate or indeterminate
With evidence of AD High but does not rule Positive Positive
pathophysiological out second etiology
process
Dementia-unlikely due to AD Lowest Negative Negative
18
Abbreviations: AD, Alzheimers disease; Ab, amyloid-beta; PET, positron emission tomography; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; FDG, fluorodeoxyglucose;
MRI, magnetic resonance imaging.
different AD biomarkers, it is inevitable that different com- He also serves on a speakers bureau for Lundbeck Pharma-
binations of test results can occur. For example, individual ceuticals; Bradley Hyman serves as a consultant to EMD
cases might be encountered with a positive Ab and negative Serrano, Janssen, Takeda, BMS, Neurophage, Pfizer, Quan-
neuronal injury biomarker, or a positive FDG PET and ne- terix, foldrx, Elan, and Link, and receives funding from the
gative tau measure, and so on. At present, the data are NIH, the Alzheimers Association, and Fidelity Biosciences;
insufficient to recommend a scheme that arbitrates among Jennifer Manly reports no conflicts of interests; Claudia Ka-
all different biomarker combinations. Further studies are was serves on a Data Safety Monitoring Board for Lilly
needed to prioritize biomarkers and to determine their value Pharmaceuticals, Elan Pharmaceuticals, and Lundbeck.
and validity in practice and research settings. She is an investigator in a trial sponsored by Avid Radiophar-
maceuticals; Howard Chertkow serves as a consultant to
Pfizer Canada, Lundbeck Canada, Janssen Ortho, Novartis
9. Pathophysiologically proved AD dementia
Canada, and Bristol Myers Squibb. He receives a research
The diagnosis of pathophysiologically proved AD grant from Pfizer Canada; Sandra Weintraub reports no con-
dementia would apply if the patient meets the clinical and flicts of interest; David Knopman serves on a Data Safety
cognitive criteria for AD dementia outlined earlier in the Monitoring Board for Lilly Pharmaceuticals, and is an inves-
text, and the neuropathological examination, using widely tigator for clinical trials sponsored by Elan Pharmaceuticals,
accepted criteria [24], demonstrates the presence of the Forest Pharmaceuticals, and Baxter Healthcare. He is deputy
AD pathology. editor of Neurology, and receives compensation for editorial
activities; Guy McKhann serves on a Data Safety Monitor-
ing Board for Merck; Maria Carrillo and Bill Thies are em-
10. Dementia unlikely to be due to AD
ployees of the Alzheimers Association and reports no
conflicts; Creighton Phelps and Walter Koroshetz are
1. Does not meet clinical criteria for AD dementia. employees of the U.S. Government and report no conflicts.
2. a. Regardless of meeting clinical criteria for probable
or possible AD dementia, there is sufficient evidence
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