As disease-modifying therapies become available, initiating therapy early in the disease, before clinical signs emerge, will be critical, so research on new strategies for earlier diagnosis is among the most active areas in Alzheimer's science.

Although there are no validated biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, researchers are investigating genetic risk profiling, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, such as beta-amyloid and tau, and advanced brain imaging techniques that will allow clinicians to detect and monitor genetic, metabolic, vascular and cellular changes related to Alzheimer's disease.

• Appropriate Use Criteria for Amyloid Imaging
• Alzheimer's Association's Global Consortium for Biomarker Standardization
• Genetic risk profiling
• Genetic Testing Topic Sheet (PDF)
• Alzheimer's Association Position Statement on Genetic Testing (PDF)