Cited by 5,465Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsDementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

Alzheimer's disease

Open access
Scheltens, Philip, De Strooper, Bart, Kivipelto, Miia, Holstege, Henne, Chételat, Gael, Teunissen, Charlotte E, Cummings, Jeffrey, van der Flier, Wiesje M·2021·The Lancet

Abstract

In this Seminar, we highlight the main developments in the field of Alzheimer's disease. The most recent data indicate that, by 2050, the prevalence of dementia will double in Europe and triple worldwide, and that estimate is 3 times higher when based on a biological (rather than clinical) definition of Alzheimer's disease. The earliest phase of Alzheimer's disease (cellular phase) happens in parallel with accumulating amyloid β, inducing the spread of tau pathology. The risk of Alzheimer's disease is 60-80% dependent on heritable factors, with more than 40 Alzheimer's disease-associated genetic risk loci already identified, of which the APOE alleles have the strongest association with the disease. Novel biomarkers include PET scans and plasma assays for amyloid β and phosphorylated tau, which show great promise for clinical and research use. Multidomain lifestyle-based prevention trials suggest cognitive benefits in participants with increased risk of dementia. Lifestyle factors do not directly affect Alzheimer's disease pathology, but can still contribute to a positive outcome in individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Promising pharmacological treatments are poised at advanced stages of clinical trials and include anti-amyloid β, anti-tau, and anti-inflammatory strategies.

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Crossref · 10.1016/s0140-6736(20)32205-4

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155 of 155 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • European and American associations have highlighted the importance of biomarkers in AD, which is featured by amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques (A), pathological tau (T), and neurodegeneration (N).

    “Recently, both European and American associations highlighted the importance of biomarkers in AD which is featured by amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques (A), pathological tau (T), and neurodegeneration (N) [6][7][8].”

    From Identification of novel diagnostic panel for mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease: findings based on urine proteomics and machine learning (2023) · cites this paper as [8]

    The Diagnostic criteria section describes the ATN research framework—amyloid (A), phosphorylated tau (T), and neurodegeneration (N)—and emphasizes the importance of biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease. It does not establish the claim that both European and American associations highlighted their importance. It also specifies that amyloid and phosphorylated tau, rather than all three ATN categories, define Alzheimer’s disease in that framework. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Mutations in MAPT are sufficient to cause dementia (frontotemporal dementia, FTD).

    “Cognitive loss is much more robustly correlated with MAPT based NFTs pathology, and mutations in MAPT are sufficient to cause dementia (frontotemporal dementia, FTD) (Scheltens et al., 2021).”

    From β-amyloid accumulation enhances microtubule associated protein tau pathology in an APPNL-G-F/MAPTP301S mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (2024) · cites this paper as Scheltens et al., 2021

    The Tau-PET section (page not provided) says tau-PET binding topography correlates with cognitive deficits, supporting the sentence’s point about tau pathology and cognition. Our copy does not state that MAPT mutations are sufficient to cause frontotemporal dementia; searches for MAPT mutations and frontotemporal dementia found no such passage. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Mutations in MAPT might not cause AD because MAPT pathology does not drive the accumulation of Aβ pathology.

    “Mutations in MAPT might not cause AD because MAPT pathology does not drive the accumulation of Aβ pathology (Scheltens et al., 2021).”

    From β-amyloid accumulation enhances microtubule associated protein tau pathology in an APPNL-G-F/MAPTP301S mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (2024) · cites this paper as Scheltens et al., 2021

    The Pathophysiology section says amyloid β induces the spread of tau pathology, and the Diagnostic criteria section describes amyloid β as a defining feature of Alzheimer’s disease. Neither passage establishes that MAPT mutations do not cause Alzheimer’s disease or that tau pathology cannot drive amyloid β accumulation. A search for MAPT found a reference to the MAPT lifestyle trial, not to mutations in the gene. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Cognitive loss is much more robustly correlated with MAPT based NFTs pathology.

    “Cognitive loss is much more robustly correlated with MAPT based NFTs pathology, and mutations in MAPT are sufficient to cause dementia (frontotemporal dementia, FTD) (Scheltens et al., 2021).”

    From β-amyloid accumulation enhances microtubule associated protein tau pathology in an APPNL-G-F/MAPTP301S mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (2024) · cites this paper as Scheltens et al., 2021

    The Tau-PET passage (Introduction > Imaging biomarkers; page not provided) says that, unlike amyloid-β deposition, tau-PET binding topography correlates with cognitive deficits. This supports the comparison in the claim, but the passage concerns a tau-imaging measure rather than directly measuring MAPT-based neurofibrillary tangles. The cited sentence also attributes the claim that MAPT mutations suffice to cause frontotemporal dementia to this source; searches for MAPT and frontotemporal dementia did not find support for that claim in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • This injury is further enhanced by aging, vascular damage, metabolic conditions such as Type II Diabetes and genetic risk factors.

    “This injury is further enhanced by aging, vascular damage, metabolic conditions such as Type II Diabetes and genetic risk factors (Scheltens et al., 2021).”

    From β-amyloid accumulation enhances microtubule associated protein tau pathology in an APPNL-G-F/MAPTP301S mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (2024) · cites this paper as Scheltens et al., 2021

    The Epidemiology section identifies advanced age and APOE ε4 as major Alzheimer’s disease risk factors and associates cardiovascular risks with dementia. The Pathophysiology discussion also places ageing and vascular changes in the disease landscape. But the paper does not establish that type 2 diabetes or these factors enhance the injury described in the claim; it cautions that vascular risks may contribute to dementia without increasing Alzheimer’s pathology. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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1 retracted

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 9

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Authors
Scheltens, P., De Strooper, B., Kivipelto, M., Holstege, H., Chételat, G., Teunissen, C. E., Cummings, J., & van der Flier, W. M.
Affiliations
  • Amsterdam University Medical Centers (NL)
  • Karolinska University Hospital (SE)
  • Cleveland Clinic (US)
Corresponding author
Scheltens, Philip
Venue
The Lancet
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-04
Volume
397
Issue
10284
Pages
1577-1590
ISSN
  • 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
  • 0140-6736
OpenAlex
W4206046172
Cited by
5,465
References
155
Citations by year
2026: 1183 · 2025: 1629 · 2024: 1297 · 2023: 825 · 2022: 416 · 2021: 111
FWCI
89.85
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Lancet (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Amsterdam UMC (VU Amsterdam) - Institutional Repository (publishedVersion)
  • Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Lirias (KU Leuven) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • DZNE Pub (submittedVersion)
  • Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Biogen (P20GM109025)
  • Weston Brain Institute
  • EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research
  • Fondation Vaincre Alzheimer
  • Health~Holland
  • European Commission (EU-FP7)
  • Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale
  • ZonMw (733051102)
  • Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (EU-FP7)
  • Association France Alzheimer
  • Hjärnfonden
  • Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse
  • Alzheimerfonden
  • Stichting Dioraphte
  • Alzheimer Nederland
  • Vlaamse regering
  • FONDATION ALZHEIMER
  • Région Normandie
  • Janssen Prevention Center
  • GIESKES-STRIJBIS FONDS
  • Medical Research Council
  • Center for Innovative Medicine
  • National Institute on Aging (R01AG053798, P20AG068053, P30AG072980)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (P20GM109025)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (U01NS093334)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, dementia prevalence, amyloid-beta, tau pathology, apolipoprotein E, biomarkers, amyloid PET, phosphorylated tau, anti-amyloid therapy, anti-tau therapy, anti-inflammatory therapy, dementia risk
MeSH terms
Alzheimer Disease, Humans

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