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The patient pathway for mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease in Asia: Current practices, barriers, and expert recommendations for optimization
Seong Hye Choi, SangYun Kim, Paulus Anam Ong, Ai‐Vyrn Chin, Jacqueline C. Dominguez, Christopher Chen, Vorapun Senanarong, Chaur Jong Hu et al.. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer s Disease, 2025-06-06
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Plain-language summary
Forty-four physicians, primarily neurologists (n = 31; 70.5 %), were interviewed. Participants managed a median of 67.5 patients with mild cognitive impairment per month, of whom 24.0-87.5 % had mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease. Clinical investigations routinely comprised brief neuropsychological assessments, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (n = 41), as well as neurological tests (n = 39) and magnetic resonance imaging (n = 40). Except in Korea, comprehensive neuropsychological test batteries and amyloid positron emission tomography were seldom conducted in Asia. Most patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease were treated with nootropics and/or acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (Korea, 96 %; all other regions, 69 %), and almost all were recommended a non-pharmacological treatment (Korea, 93 %; all other regions, 100 %). Detection of mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease was considered prompt in Korea but suboptimal in other regions (n = 16) owing to low disease awareness among patients. Barriers to assessment and diagnosis included delayed healthcare visits for initial assessment (n = 7), neuroimaging backlogs (n = 6), and insufficient neuropsychology resources (n = 13). Access to amyloid biomarker tests, including amyloid positron emission tomography, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and blood tests, was limited in regions other than Korea. The survey findings showed that screening and diagnostic processes for mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease in Asia require further optimization. Efforts should also be made to educate patients and caregivers, improve the diagnostic capabilities of primary and secondary healthcare providers, and reinforce cognitive screening services. The provision and reimbursement of confirmatory tests of amyloid burden should be expanded across the region to facilitate access to innovative disease-modifying therapies.
What this study adds
Evidence grade: Low
The record lists 31 participants. This study surveyed physicians in Asia and found that most patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease were treated with nootropics and/or acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and almost all received non-pharmacological recommendations. Barriers to diagnosis included low disease awareness and limited access to biomarker tests, but no new treatment is tested.
Taken from this record’s own fields, not from reading the paper. The grade is assigned from the abstract’s wording; what that means.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Choi, S. H., Kim, S., Ong, P. A., Chin, A., Dominguez, J. C., Chen, C., et al. (2025). The patient pathway for mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease in Asia: Current practices, barriers, and expert recommendations for optimization. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer s Disease. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100215
Vancouver
Choi SH, Kim S, Ong PA, Chin A, Dominguez JC, Chen C, et al. The patient pathway for mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease in Asia: Current practices, barriers, and expert recommendations for optimization. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer s Disease. 2025. doi:10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100215. PMID: 40483260.
BibTeX
@article{choi2025-40483260,
author = {Choi, Seong Hye and Kim, SangYun and Ong, Paulus Anam and Chin, Ai‐Vyrn and Dominguez, Jacqueline C. and Chen, Christopher and Senanarong, Vorapun and Hu, Chaur Jong and others},
title = {{The patient pathway for mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease in Asia: Current practices, barriers, and expert recommendations for optimization}},
journal = {The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer s Disease},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100215},
pmid = {40483260},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100215}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Forty-four physicians, primarily neurologists (n = 31; 70.5 %), were interviewed.
- Participants managed a median of 67.5 patients with mild cognitive impairment per month, of whom 24.0-87.5 % had mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease.
- Clinical investigations routinely comprised brief neuropsychological assessments, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (n = 41), as well as neurological tests (n = 39) and magnetic resonance imaging (n = 40).
- Except in Korea, comprehensive neuropsychological test batteries and amyloid positron emission tomography were seldom conducted in Asia.
- Most patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease were treated with nootropics and/or acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (Korea, 96 %; all other regions, 69 %), and almost all were recommended a non-pharmacological treatment (Korea, 93 %; all other regions, 100 %).
Why it matters
This study surveyed physicians in Asia and found that most patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease were treated with nootropics and/or acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and almost all received non-pharmacological recommendations. Barriers to diagnosis included low disease awareness and limited access to biomarker tests, but no new treatment is tested.
Study details
- Participants31
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer s Disease) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer s Disease: journal h-index 63 (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 | 1 / 4 | 31 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 7 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 7 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Amitabh Dash: h-index 13 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | National University of Singapore: institution h-index 1,166 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 16 institution(s) in 10 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40483260) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100215
- PubMed: 40483260
- Original source →
- Free full text: The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer s Disease →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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