Scientists believe we’re one step closer to a common, clinical blood test that would provide an accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease ahead of time.
The findings were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference this week and could be a breakthrough in the way we think about the disease.
Alzheimer’s Disease is typically diagnosed through memory and thinking skills test which can be imprecise, and PET scan and spinal fluid tests which are more reliable, but expensive and invasive.
A blood test would be a cheap, effective way to identify whether people with cognitive issues were experiencing Alzheimer’s rather than another type of dementia that would require a different treatment.
“When patients come to me with changes in their memory and thinking, one of the major questions is, what’s the cause? Is it Alzheimer’s Disease or is it something else?” said Dr Suzanne Schindler of Washington University in St Louis, Missouri.
“(These tests) would help us diagnose people earlier and more accurately”.
The new work focuses on a protein called tau, which builds up and damages the brain.
By measuring a particular form of this protein – p-tau217 – scientists have been able to identify people with Alzheimer’s versus people with other types of dementia that would require different treatment, with an accuracy ranging from 89 to 98 per cent.
Scientists believe the test could eventually be used to predict whether someone with no symptoms would develop Alzheimer’s.
“It’s not a cure, it’s not a treatment, but you can’t treat the disease without being able to diagnose it,” said Dr Michael Weiner of the University of California, San Francisco.
“Accurate, low-cost diagnosis is really exciting, so it’s a breakthrough.”
An interesting breakthrough, and one that could make a real difference!
