Attitudes of Neurologists Toward the Use of Biomarkers in the Diagnosis of Early Alzheimer's Disease

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers reflect key elements of pathophysiology and improve the diagnostic process. However, their use in routine clinical practice is still limited.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to assess neurologists' barriers and enablers to early AD diagnosis using core AD biomarkers.

METHODS

We conducted an online study in collaboration with the Spanish Society of Neurology. Neurologists answered a survey exploring their attitudes towards AD diagnosis using biomarkers in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild AD dementia. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between neurologists' characteristics and diagnostic attitudes.

RESULTS

We included 188 neurologists with a mean age (SD) of 40.6 (11.3) years, 52.7% male. Most participants had access to AD biomarkers, mainly in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (89.9%,#x0025;, n = 169). The majority of participants (95.2%,#x0025;, n = 179) considered CSF biomarkers useful for an etiological diagnosis in MCI. However, 85.6% of respondents (n = 161) used them in less than 60% of their MCI patients in routine clinical practice. Facilitating patients and their families to plan for the future was the most frequent enabler for the use of biomarkers. Short consultation time and practicalities associated with the programming of a lumbar puncture were the most common barriers. A younger neurologist age (p = 0.010) and a higher number of patients managed weekly (p = 0.036) were positively associated with the use of biomarkers.

CONCLUSION

Most neurologists had a favorable attitude to the use of biomarkers, especially in MCI patients. Improvements in resources and consultation time may increase their use in routine clinical practice.