Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the main cause of dementia and accounts for 60% of dementia syndromes in people older than 75 years. The correct classification of AD and non-AD cases is mandatory to study disease mechanisms or new treatment possibilities. A typical clinical picture of AD consists of a progressive cognitive decline, with primary memory impairment. Structural, functional, and molecular brain imaging, along with CSF biomarkers of amyloid pathology, neurodegeneration, and the presence of a vulnerability-associated APOE genotype, support the diagnosis of AD. Use of biomarkers have led to the identification of individuals with mild cognitive impairment who are amyloid-negative addressing a conceptually separate clinical entity named suspected non-Alzheimer disease pathophysiology (SNAP). Clinical presentation and progression of SNAP can mimic AD which makes the final diagnosis and possible treatment uncertain in up to 30% of cases in clinical centers that are not using biomarkers. These non-AD pathologies are common with advancing age both in cognitively impaired and clinically normal elderly people and include Argyrophilic Grain Disease (ARG), Tangle Predominant Dementia and TDP-43 proteinopathy. The terms Primary age-related tauopathy (PART) and Limbic-dominant TDP-43 age-related encephalopathy (LATE) have been proposed as the most common and useful biological and emerging clinical construct to describe this phenomenon in > 80 years old individuals. Current evidence underlines the limitations of existing diagnostic tools, which remain inadequate for fully capturing the complexities of these conditions. Addressing these diagnostic ambiguities is crucial for assigning accurate diagnoses, reducing frequent misdiagnoses of AD, and implementing appropriate therapeutic strategies for elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
Key findings
- Clinical presentation and progression of SNAP can mimic AD which makes the final diagnosis and possible treatment uncertain in up to 30% of cases in clinical centers that are not using biomarkers.
- These non-AD pathologies are common with advancing age both in cognitively impaired and clinically normal elderly people and include Argyrophilic Grain Disease (ARG), Tangle Predominant Dementia and TDP-43 proteinopathy.
- The terms Primary age-related tauopathy (PART) and Limbic-dominant TDP-43 age-related encephalopathy (LATE) have been proposed as the most common and useful biological and emerging clinical construct to describe this phenomenon in > 80 years old individuals.
- Current evidence underlines the limitations of existing diagnostic tools, which remain inadequate for fully capturing the complexities of these conditions.
- Addressing these diagnostic ambiguities is crucial for assigning accurate diagnoses, reducing frequent misdiagnoses of AD, and implementing appropriate therapeutic strategies for elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
Why it matters
This review describes non-Alzheimer pathologies such as PART and LATE that can mimic Alzheimer disease and make diagnosis and possible treatment uncertain in up to 30% of cases at centers not using biomarkers. It does not report any treatment, cure, or prevention results.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 37/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Neural Transmission) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Neural Transmission: journal h-index 167 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 2 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 2 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Vesna Jelić: h-index 52 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Karolinska Institutet: institution h-index 1,477 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40164861) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 37 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1007/s00702-025-02916-0
- PubMed: 40164861
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of Neural Transmission →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Bogdanović, N., Smailović, U., & Jelić, V. (2025). Alzheimer mimicry: LATE and PART. Journal of Neural Transmission. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-025-02916-0
Vancouver
Bogdanović N, Smailović U, Jelić V. Alzheimer mimicry: LATE and PART. Journal of Neural Transmission. 2025. doi:10.1007/s00702-025-02916-0. PMID: 40164861.
BibTeX
@article{bogdanovic2025-40164861,
author = {Bogdanović, Nenad and Smailović, Una and Jelić, Vesna},
title = {{Alzheimer mimicry: LATE and PART}},
journal = {Journal of Neural Transmission},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1007/s00702-025-02916-0},
pmid = {40164861},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-025-02916-0}
}
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