Mapping the evidence on the use of Alzheimer’s disease staging criteria (2011–2026): a scoping review to prioritise action for guidelines – protocol
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) staging has evolved rapidly with the introduction of biological definitions, expanded biomarker modalities and updated diagnostic frameworks. Multiple staging criteria are now used across research and clinical settings yet their real-world application remains unclear. Differences in healthcare infrastructure, biomarker availability and study purpose may influence how these criteria are implemented. This scoping review aims to systematically map how AD biological and clinical staging criteria have been used since 2011, characterise their application across study types and settings, and identify gaps that may inform future research and guideline development. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will conduct a scoping review using the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley and enhanced by Levac et al, and will report it according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guideline. We will search MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central, PsycINFO and Scopus supplemented by forward-citation and backward-citation tracking using Web of Science. The review will begin in October 2026, with the baseline review complete by March 2027 and will be maintained as a living review. Two reviewers will independently screen titles/abstracts and full texts, extract data using a piloted charting form and resolve disagreements through discussion or a third reviewer. We will map study characteristics, staging criteria used, biomarker and clinical measures applied, outcomes assessed and how studies have examined progression or transitions between stages. We will also conduct a gap analysis to identify underexplored populations, outcomes and applications, with an expert panel convened by the Alzheimer’s Association reviewing and validating the identified gaps. Findings will be summarised descriptively using tables, figures and visualisations. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This review does not require ethics approval because it uses published data. We will disseminate the findings through peer-reviewed publication, conference presentations, webinars and plain-language summaries for people living with AD and their families. We will also share results with guideline developers and other stakeholders to support future evidence-based recommendations.
Source: BMJ Open
Authors: Nazmul Islam, Farid Foroutan, Theodore M Johnson, Amanda G Smith, Clifford R Jack, Ozioma C Okonkwo, Sebastian Palmqvist, Jeremy J Pruzin, Gil Rabinovici, Jennifer Serafin, Reisa A Sperling, Eric Tangalos, Sheena K Aurora, Maria C Carillo, Heather Snyder, Simin Mahinrad, Rachel J Couban, Mary B Mcateer, Sarah Pahlke, Malavika P Tampi
Institutions: University Health Network, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, McMaster University, Emory University, University of South Florida, USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Institute, Mayo Clinic, University of Wisconsin System, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, University of California, San Francisco, UCSF Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Alzheimer's Association
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,839
OpenAlex ID: W7223889781