When Alzheimer's is LATE: Why does it matter?

Recent therapeutic advances provide enhanced motivation for accurate diagnosis of the underlying biologic etiologic causes of dementia. This review focuses on the importance of clinical recognition of Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy (LATE). LATE affects approximately one-quarter of older adults and produces an amnestic syndrome that is commonly mistaken for Alzheimer's disease (AD). While AD and LATE often co-occur in the same patients, these diseases differ in the protein aggregates driving neuropathology (amyloid/tau vs. TDP-43). This review discusses signs and symptoms, relevant diagnostic testing, and potential treatment implications for LATE that may be helpful for physicians, patients, and families. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.