Cited by 187Dementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchAlzheimer's disease research and treatmentsAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research

Heterogeneity in Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis and Progression Rates: Implications for Therapeutic Trials

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Duara, Ranjan, Barker, Warren·2022·Neurotherapeutics

Abstract

The clinical presentation and the pathological processes underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be very heterogeneous in severity, location, and composition including the amount and distribution of AB deposition and spread of neurofibrillary tangles in different brain regions resulting in atypical clinical patterns and the existence of distinct AD variants. Heterogeneity in AD may be related to demographic factors (such as age, sex, educational and socioeconomic level) and genetic factors, which influence underlying pathology, the cognitive and behavioral phenotype, rate of progression, the occurrence of neuropsychiatric features, and the presence of comorbidities (e.g., vascular disease, neuroinflammation). Heterogeneity is also manifest in the individual resilience to the development of neuropathology (brain reserve) and the ability to compensate for its cognitive and functional impact (cognitive and functional reserve). The variability in specific cognitive profiles and types of functional impairment may be associated with different progression rates, and standard measures assessing progression may not be equivalent for individual cognitive and functional profiles. Other factors, which may govern the presence, rate, and type of progression of AD, include the individuals' general medical health, the presence of specific systemic conditions, and lifestyle factors, including physical exercise, cognitive and social stimulation, amount of leisure activities, environmental stressors, such as toxins and pollution, and the effects of medications used to treat medical and behavioral conditions. These factors that affect progression are important to consider while designing a clinical trial to ensure, as far as possible, well-balanced treatment and control groups.

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  • Differences in age at onset, rate of cognitive decline, and treatment responsiveness result from a combination of intrinsic factors such as genetic background, sex, and immune system variability, as well as extrinsic influences including dietary patterns, comorbid conditions, and environmental exposures.

    “These differences result from a combination of intrinsic factors, such as genetic background, sex, and immune system variability, as well as extrinsic influences including dietary patterns, comorbid conditions, and environmental exposures418,419.”

    From Artificial intelligence-driven multi-omics approaches in Alzheimer's disease: Progress, challenges, and future directions (2025) · cites this paper as [418]

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  • Increasing research recognizes etiological and clinical heterogeneity of AD as a hallmark of AD and related diseases (ADRDs), making diagnosis, treatment, and drug development/testing more difficult.

    “More and more research is recognizing the etiological and clinical heterogeneity of AD as a hallmark of AD and related diseases (ADRDs), which makes it more difficult to diagnose, treat, and develop and test new medications for AD.”
  • Cognitive, neurological, psychological, and functional deficits in AD are complicated and different due to interactions with environmental factors.

    “Cognitive, neurological, psychological, and functional deficits are complicated and different as a result of these interactions with environmental factors.”
  • The interplay between phenotypes and genotypes is part of the heterogeneity of AD.

    “The interplay between phenotypes and genotypes is part of the heterogeneity of AD.”

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Yashin AI, Fang F, Kovtun M, Wu D, Duan M, Arbeev K, et al. Hidden heterogeneity in Alzheimer's disease: insights from genetic associa- tion studies and other analyses. Exp Gerontol. 2018;107:148-60.

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Authors
Duara, R., & Barker, W.
Affiliations
  • Florida International University (US)
  • Mount Sinai Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
Barker, Warren
Venue
Neurotherapeutics
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2022-01
Volume
19
Issue
1
Pages
8-25
ISSN
1878-7479 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4210391623
Cited by
187
References
215
Citations by year
2026: 59 · 2025: 64 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 5
FWCI
5.51
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neurotherapeutics (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging (1P30AG066506-01)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, disease heterogeneity, disease progression rate, amyloid-beta deposition, neurofibrillary tangles, atypical presentation, brain reserve, cognitive reserve, functional reserve, neuropsychiatric symptoms, comorbidities, vascular disease, neuroinflammation, genetic factors, demographic factors, lifestyle factors, clinical trial design
MeSH terms
Alzheimer Disease, Brain, Humans, Disease Progression

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