Figure 1
The theory and reality of contemporary dementia research paradigms. (a) An 'ideal' model, wherein older adults with early biomarker-detected changes of dementia can be selected and this cohort then progresses through a stage of 'cognitive impairment non-dementia' (CIND) with eventual overt dementia of a particular pathological subtype. (b) A more complex situation that is closer to the 'real world' of dementia research, wherein predictive accuracy of biomarkers is not 100% sensitive or specific, CIND to dementia conversion is neither predictable nor inevitable and the final syndrome of dementia is often a mix of underlying pathologies. CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; MCI, mild cognitive impairment.