The body of evidence

DISCERN™ is supported by autopsy-validated studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Visit this page to learn more.
Science
Morphometric Imaging Biomarker Identifies Alzheimer's Disease Even Among Mixed Dementia Patients
Authors
Florin V. Chirila, Guang Xu, Dan Fontaine, Grant Kern, Tapan K. Khan, Jason Brandt, Yoshihiro Konishi, Gerhard Nebe-von-Caron, Charles L. White Ill & Daniel L. Alkon
A definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), even in the presence of co-morbid neuropathology (occurring in > 50% of AD cases), is a significant unmet medical need that has obstructed the discovery of effective AD therapeutics.
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Science
Alzheimer dementia with sparse amyloid–AD mimic or variant?
Authors
Alberto Serrano-Pozo and Bradley T. Hyman
In a new study, one-quarter of individuals with clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate Alzheimer dementia had no or only sparse neuritic amyloid plaques in their brains, and most were also at low or intermediate neurofibrillary tangle stage. The findings have enormous implications for clinical trails of anti-amyloid ant anti-tau therapies.
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Science
Early diagnostic accuracy and pathophysiologic relevance of an autopsy-confirmed Alzheimer’s disease peripheral biomarker
Authors
Tapan Kumar Khan and Daniel L. Alkon
Few currently available diagnostic tests have significantly improved this early uncertainty, while the “gold standard” diagnosis continues to require clinical dementia in life and the presence of pathologic brain lesions of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain at autopsy. Here, the inflammatory agonist bradykinin, a small nano-peptide, that induces PKC-mediated phosphorylation of Erk1 and Erk2 in fibroblasts, was applied to punch biopsy-obtained human skin fibroblasts.
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Science
PKC Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease Brains and Skin Fibroblasts
Authors
Tapan K. Khan, Abhik Sen, Jarin Hongpaisan, Chol S. Lim, Thomas J. Nelson and Daniel L. Alkon
Skin fibroblast samples from AD patients have demonstrated a deficit in PKC compared to controls and an AD-specific change in the A-oligomer effects on PKC. Together, these data demonstrate that the relationship between A levels and PKC is markedly altered in AD patients’ brains and skin fibroblasts, reflecting a loss of protective effect of PKC against toxic A accumulation.
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Science
An internally controlled peripheral biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease: Erk1 and Erk2 responses to the inflammatory signal bradykinin
Authors
Tapan K. Khan and Daniel L. Alkon
Here, we investigate MAPK Erk1 and Erk2 phosphorylation in response to the inflammatory agonist bradykinin, which activates PKC pathways.
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Science
Spatiotemporal Complexity of Fibroblast Networks Screens for Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors
Florin V. Chirila, Tapan K. Khan and Daniel L. Alkon
The lack of a definitive diagnostic for AD has been a major obstacle to AD drug discovery. Here, we describe a novel, highly accurate peripheral diagnostic for AD patients based on quantitatively measured complexity of skin-sampled fibroblast networks.
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Science
Fibroblast Aggregation Rate Converges with Validated Peripheral Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors
Florin V. Chirila, Tapan K. Khan and Daniel L. Alkon
The inaccuracy of the diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has made its therapeutic intervention difficult, particularly early enough to prevent significant neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction. Here, we describe a novel, highly accurate peripheral diagnostic for AD patients based on quantitatively measured aggregation rate of human skin fibroblasts.
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Science
Association of Cognitive Function Trajectories in Centenarians With Postmortem Neuropathology, Physical Health, and Other Risk Factors for Cognitive Decline
Authors
Nina Beker, PhD; Andrea Ganz, MSc; Marc Hulsman, PhD; Thomas Klausch, PhD; Ben A. Schmand, PhD; Philip Scheltens, MD, PhD
In this study, we aim to identify trajectories of cognitive performance in different domains for cognitively healthy centenarians, and to explore associations with risk factors of cognitive decline, including neuropathology associated with Alzheimer disease (AD) and factors of cognitive reserve.
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Science
Soluble β-Amyloid Induction of Alzheimer’s Phenotype for Human Fibroblast K+ Channels
Authors
Rene Etcheberrigaray, Etsuro Ito, Christopher S. Kim, Daniel L. Alkon
Although P-amyloid is the main constituent of neurite plaques and may play a role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease, mechanisms by which soluble P-amyloid might produce early symptoms such as memory loss before diffuse plaque deposition have not been implicated.
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The Skin-Brain Connection in Alzheimer's Disease: A Simplified Overview
Authors
DISERN™ is an autopsy-validated skin test that assesses several critical factors directly related to AD that regulate memory, the formation of synaptic connections among neurons, the levels of amyloid plaques, and levels of neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.
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Supporting Payer Treatment Reimbursement Decisions for Alzheimer’s Disease: DISCERN™ Test Provides Definitive Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and Degenerative Pathologies vs. Other Forms of Dementia
Authors
Dr. Daniel Alkon, Chief Scientific Advisor, SYNAPS Dx
DISCERN™ Test Provides Definitive Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and Degenerative Pathologies vs. Other Forms of Dementia Highly accurate, minimally invasive test is well positioned to help address a number of key issues that payers, providers and patients face when it comes to getting a definitive diagnosis for Alzheimer's Disease early in the patient journey.
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The Budget Impact of the DISCERN™ Diagnostic Test for Alzheimer’s Disease in the United States
Authors
Lauren Fusfeld, Frederick Huie, Scott Howell, Alyssa McVey and Thomas F Goss
DISCERN™ is estimated to decrease total costs by $4.75 M over three years, which equates to approximately $63.11 net savings per test per year for a cohort followed over three years. While the cost of diagnosis with DISCERN™ is higher than the cost of diagnosis with CDP modalities, the overall costs associated with the CDP are larger due to the longer time needed to receive a diagnosis as well as the higher number of patients who receive a misdiagnosis and require extra care.
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Clinical Study of Novel Skin Biomarker Test for Alzheimer’s Disease Gains Vigorous Physician Support in Long-Sought Early Detection Breakthrough
Authors
Frederick Huie, MD, Medical DIrector, CVS/Aetna and Advisory Council Member, SYNAPS Dx Scott C. Howell, D.O.
Experts believe science has primarily focused on amyloid to accurately diagnose AD, when in reality, AD is a complex, neurodegenerative form of dementia that requires a more nuanced approach than the linear structure of current diagnostic pathways. While the underlying cause of AD is still unknown, experts agree that changes in the brain due to age, combined with genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors all play an important role in disease progression.
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Resolving A Diagnostic Dilemma
Authors
Frederick Huie, MD, Medical Director, CVS/Aetna and Advisory Council Member, SYNAPS Dx Scott C. Howell, DO, Semler Scientific and Philippe Douyon, MD, Inle BrainFit Institute™
On the backdrop of a heated, very public debate regarding CMS coverage determinations and restricted patient access to new drugs to treat Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), there is little to no discussion about the real questions that will face most people suffering from cognitive decline: who is the right candidate for the drug and what other options are available to manage mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD dementia for those who are not candidates?
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Part II: Accurately Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease: Shortcomings of Blood Biomarkers and Need for Definitive, Non-invasive Diagnostic Testing
Authors
Dr. Daniel Alkon, Chief Scientific Advisor, SDx
Shortcomings of Blood Biomarkers and Need for Definitive, Non-invasive Diagnostic Testing Part II
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Part I: Accurately Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease: Shortcomings of Blood Biomarkers and Need for Definitive, Non-invasive Diagnostic Testing
Authors
Dr. Daniel Alkon, Chief Scientific Advisor, SDx
Shortcomings of Blood Biomarkers and Need for Definitive, Non-invasive Diagnostic Testing
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DISCERN™ Test Application Note
DISCERN™ uses a minimally invasive skin biopsy to inform a definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in a patient living with dementia. In long-term clinical trials, DISCERN™ has accurately identified AD in people recently diagnosed with dementia (≤ 4 years from a dementia diagnosis), and patients with mixed dementias such as Lewy body dementia, vascular or frontal lobe dementia. The DISCERN™ test includes three assays evaluating critical factors directly related to AD, such as memory regulation, synaptic connections formation among neurons, and the levels of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. DISCERN™ was granted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Breakthrough Device designation in 2018 and has Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) status in most states. In 2021, the DISCERN™ Laboratory Developed Test (LDT)/CLIA certified lab test was awarded Medicare reimbursement codes 206U and 207U, national reimbursement rates, and is paid for by Medicare.
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Skin Fibroblast-Derived AD-Biomarker Index for Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease
The AD Index, as part of the DISCERN™ test, measure phosphorylation of ERK1 and ERK2 in response to an inflammatory agonist bradykinin to distinguish AD from normal controls and non-AD dementias. In blinded, autopsy-validated clinical trials, the AD Index has been shown to accurately identify AD, outperforming clinical diagnosis, in those recently diagnosed with dementia (94% specificity and 97% sensitivity). The AD Index can also accurately identify AD in people living with co-morbid dementias or additional causes of dementia, including multi-infarct dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or Frontal Lobe Dementia
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PKCƐ Assay for Alzheimer’s Disease Measuring synaptic dysfunction to inform a highly accurate diagnose Alzheimer’s Dementia in early dementia.
The PKCε assay in the DISCERN™ test measures an enzyme found in the brain and peripheral tissues such as skin, associated with synaptic loss, amyloid-β elevation, and cognitive deficits in AD. The level of PKCε has been shown to accurately identify AD in those recently diagnosed with dementia (96% specificity and 100% sensitivity) and to distinguish AD from other causes of dementia, such as multi-infarct dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or Frontal Lobe Dementia.
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Morphometric Imaging Assay for Alzheimer’s Disease Accurately informs diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease in early dementia, even in the presence of Mixed dementia
In clinical trials, the morphometric imaging assay has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity of results correlating with postmortem diagnosis as defined by the NIH Gold Standard. Diagnostically distinguishes AD from other forms of dementia, even in early-stage AD (≤4 years of a dementia diagnosis).
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