Precision Medicine: Clarity for the Complexity of Dementia

Brenna Cholerton; Eric B Larson; Joseph F Quinn; Cyrus P Zabetian; Ignacio F Mata; C Dirk Keene; Margaret Flanagan; Paul K Crane; Thomas J Grabowski; Kathleen S Montine; Thomas J Montine

doi:10.1016/j.ajpath.2015.12.001

Precision Medicine: Clarity for the Complexity of Dementia

Am J Pathol. 2016 Mar;186(3):500-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2015.12.001. Epub 2015 Dec 24.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
² Group Health Research Institute, Seattle, Washington.
³ Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland, Oregon.
⁴ Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington; Parkinson's Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington; Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
⁵ Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington; Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
⁶ Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
⁷ Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
⁸ Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
⁹ Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Electronic address: tmontine@uw.edu.

Abstract

Three key elements to precision medicine are stratification by risk, detection of pathophysiological processes as early as possible (even before clinical presentation), and alignment of mechanism of action of intervention(s) with an individual's molecular driver(s) of disease. Used for decades in the management of some rare diseases and now gaining broad currency in cancer care, a precision medicine approach is beginning to be adapted to cognitive impairment and dementia. This review focuses on the application of precision medicine to address the clinical and biological complexity of two common neurodegenerative causes of dementia: Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Alzheimer Disease / genetics
Alzheimer Disease / physiopathology
Alzheimer Disease / therapy
Cognition Disorders / genetics
Cognition Disorders / physiopathology
Dementia / genetics
Dementia / physiopathology*
Humans
Mutation
Parkinson Disease / genetics
Parkinson Disease / physiopathology*
Parkinson Disease / therapy
Precision Medicine*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding