Perspectives on a collaborative Canada-China research program on diagnostic biomarkers for pre-dementia stages of Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

As biomarkers are important in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the first collaborative work of recruiting early-onset familial AD (EOFAD) families in Canada and China was initiated in 2012. The registration networks have collected hundreds of pedigrees, for which genetic screening, neuropsychological tests and amyloid and tau imaging was used to study diagnostic biomarkers for preclinical and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stages of AD. Besides identifying pedigrees with novel mutations in presenilins (PSENs)/amyloid precursor protein (APP), the program has benefited training of Chinese research fellows, AD clinical trials for prevention, the ethical concerns for clinical findings, and other collaborative projects with Chinese investigators. Further research of the collaborative program may facilitate the testing and clinical use of novel treatments for EOFAD and late onset AD and contribute to dementia prevention strategies in Canada and China.

Keywords

registration network / early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease (EOFAD) / mutation / neuropsychological testing