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Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (with the announcement of the diagnosis). The number of patients consulting to find out if they have Alzheimer's disease continues to grow. Reasons to consult most often include anxiety about being affected by this disease, confidence in medical and therapeutic advances relayed in the media and the desire to plan for the future, taking into account a possible deterioration. Advances in the knowledge of the natural history of the disease and the technical progress currently allow an early diagnosis, before the stage of dementia. Although the clinical use of biomarkers is justified in patients who have attended a Memory Clinic, ethical issues remain. The disclosure of the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease to the person who is not yet suffering from dementia remains a sensitive subject. In this context, it seems appropriate at this stage to restrict the use of these methods to centers specializing in early diagnosis.

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (with the announcement of the diagnosis). The number of patients consulting to find out if they have Alzheimer's disease continues to grow. Reasons to consult most often include anxiety about being affected by this disease, confidence in medical and therapeutic advances relayed in the media and the desire to plan for the future, taking into account a possible deterioration. Advances in the knowledge of the natural history of the disease and the technical progress currently allow an early diagnosis, before the stage of dementia. Although the clinical use of biomarkers is justified in patients who have attended a Memory Clinic, ethical issues remain. The disclosure of the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease to the person who is not yet suffering from dementia remains a sensitive subject. In this context, it seems appropriate at this stage to restrict the use of these methods to centers specializing in early diagnosis.Diagnostic précoce de la maladie d’Alzheimer (avec la consultation d’annonce). Le nombre de patients qui consultent pour savoir s’ils sont atteints de la maladie d’Alzheimer ne cesse de grandir. Les motifs les amenant à consulter le plus souvent invoqués incluent l’anxiété à l’idée d’être atteint par cette maladie, la confiance dans les avancées médicales et thérapeutiques relayées dans les médias et le désir de planifier le futur en tenant compte d’une éventuelle détérioration. Les avancées dans la connaissance de l’histoire naturelle de la maladie et les progrès techniques permettent à l’heure actuelle un diagnostic précoce, avant le stade de décompensation démentielle. Même si l’usage clinique des biomarqueurs est défendable chez les patients ayant consulté une clinique de la mémoire, des questions éthiques subsistent. La divulgation du diagnostic de maladie d’Alzheimer à la personne qui n’est pas encore atteinte de démence reste un sujet sensible. Dans ce contexte, il apparaît à ce stade pertinent de restreindre l’utilisation de ces méthodes aux centres spécialisés dans le diagnostic précoce.