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In the more than 25 years since clinical criteria for diagnosing Alzheimer disease (AD) were last updated, our understanding of the illness has deepened greatly. We now know much more about its pathophysiology (e.g., the role of amyloid-beta [Aβ] in early disease and the clinical correlation of tau tangles with cognitive dysfunction) and its genetic underpinnings (e.g., autosomal dominant forms such as Aβ precursor protein, as well as the APOE*E4 locus of susceptibility). Equally important, our knowledge about other types of neurodegenerative dementias (e.g., dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, and vascular dementia) has expanded.
In light of these advances, the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association form…