PHILADELPHIA: One of the classic hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease is the sticky gobs of brain plaques called amyloids that clog up the brain’s neuropathways. But one type of cognitive degeneration doesn’t seem to have any relation to amyloid buildup: Suspected non-Alzheimer pathophysiology (SNAP).
SNAP is a biomarker associated with progressive dementia, yet it isn’t the same as the biomarkers for Alzheimer’s or other amyloid-related dementias. Researchers are trying to discover more about how SNAP develops in order to improve diagnosis methods and treatment plans that are specific to non-amyloid dementias.