Imaging and fluid biomarkers predictive of progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia

Dementia is a growing socioeconomic and medical problem that affects increasing portions of the population, with a prevalence that doubles every 5 years after the age of 65. Alzheimer’s disease (AD; 60–80%) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD; 5–10%) constitute two of the most common causes of dementia. The first symptoms appear during an initial clinical phase referred to as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Each year, 8–15% of patients with MCI develop clinical dementia. Identifying biomarkers predictive of progression from MCI to dementia will enable initiation of disease‐modifying treatments at a stage where clinical symptoms of dementia are still limited. We investigated the predictive utility of imaging and fluid biomarkers of AD and FTLD including ß‐amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau in positron emission tomography (PET), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and MRI for predicting progression of MCI to dementia.