Three groups of experts worked for two years to develop new
diagnostic criteria and guidelines for earlier detection of
Alzheimer's disease. They're the first guidelines issued since
1984. The announcement and overview can be found on the
Alzheimer's Association site. The new guidelines establish a
framework for developing, identifying and using biomarkers for
early diagnosis. They also provide more information for
diagnosing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which occurs before
serious symptoms of Alzheimer's appear. People with MCI
experience a decline in memory, reasoning or visual perception
that's measurable and noticeable to themselves or to others, but
not severe enough to be diagnosed as Alzheimer's or another
dementia. The new guidelines formalize an emerging consensus
that everyone who eventually develops Alzheimer's experiences
this stage of minimal but detectable impairment, even though
it's not currently diagnosed in most people. However, not
everyone with with MCI eventually develops Alzheimer’s,