R.I. researcher helps pioneer Alzheimer's diagnostic

Oct. 13--PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- With research bringing potential new treatments for Alzheimer's disease, scientists including Butler Hospital's Dr. Stephen P. Salloway have written criteria for the use of lumbar puncture in diagnosing the fatal disorder. Spinal taps, as they are commonly known, may be used in conjunction with PET scans and other diagnostic measures.

"These criteria will arm medical professionals with necessary guidance when the use of lumbar puncture is an appropriate part of the process to diagnose Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, thereby giving people with dementia and their families the possibility of a head start in preparing for the course of their disease," Maria C. Carrillo, chief science officer at the Alzheimer's Association, said in a statement.

"Lumbar puncture, while not currently in routine clinical practice in the U.S., is anticipated to be a safe and cost-effective way to retrieve cerebrospinal fluid to test for biological markers of Alzheimer's disease, potentially delivering valuable diagnostic information to clinicians and their patients earlier in the course of the disease," said the statement.

The release accompanied publication this week of an article in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of The Alzheimer's Association co-authored by Salloway, Carrillo and 11 other scientists at centers in San Francisco, Chicago, Sweden, Spain and elsewhere.

Salloway told The Journal that "these new criteria guide doctors on how to use these new tests to diagnose Alzheimer's early so patients can plan ahead, make important decisions and take advantage of approved treatments and new medications being tested. It's also important for providers to address patients' concerns and reassure them that having a spinal tap is a safe and simple procedure."

He added: "An accurate diagnosis forms the foundation for excellent medical care. A number of conditions mimic the memory loss seen in Alzheimer's disease, often with a good prognosis, and the rate of misdiagnosis is 20 to 30 percent." Salloway also is Martin M. Zucker Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown's Alpert Medical School.

In the article, Salloway and his co-authors outlined the practical possibilities of an early and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's. Confirmation of Alzheimer's "pathology," they wrote, "may bring a myriad of benefits to patients and their families" including "education, advanced care planning, and clinical care early in the disease process, including treatment with [Alzheimer's disease] medications to treat symptoms, as appropriate."

Additionally, they wrote, diagnosis with the help of the additional tool of spinal-tap analysis could provide patients "necessary time to prepare for adjustments to work responsibilities, safe driving conditions, and financial planning; and opportunities to enroll as participants in clinical trials aimed at delaying the disease and hopefully providing benefits to other patients and families if successful."

-- gwmiller@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7380

On Twitter: @GWayneMiller

___

(c)2018 The Providence Journal (Providence, R.I.)

Visit The Providence Journal (Providence, R.I.) at www.projo.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.