Scientists have devised a new test to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease based on markers in a blood sample, a development that could lead to a more accurate risk assessment for the neurological disorder.
Specialists must find amyloid plaques, tau tangles, and neurodegeneration in the brain to make a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Signs Of Alzheimer’s Disease
The researchers sought to develop a blood test capable of detecting brain-specific nerve cell damage to evaluate neurodegeneration, a reliable disease marker. Although preliminary results were encouraging, researchers could not reveal when patients could expect to gain access to the new test.
The scientific community is racing to create additional diagnostic techniques since early disease diagnosis is essential for reducing cognitive decline. Simplify this, such as a blood test called soluble oligomer binding assay (SOBA) that detects harmful amyloid beta clumps that accumulate in the brain.
Neuroimaging and examination of cerebrospinal fluid taken through a lumbar puncture, commonly known as a spinal tap, are typically used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease.
Even in the United States, a significant number of patients do not have access to MRI and PET scanners due to their high cost and scheduling complexity. Accessibility is an important concern.
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Old Way Of Determining The Condition
The newly developed blood test targets a protein known as brain-derived tau (BD-tau), which is not only detectable in blood tests but also correlates strongly with Alzheimer’s-related neurodegeneration in cerebrospinal fluid.
Alzheimer’s could be consistently distinguished from other neurodegenerative illnesses such as Parkinson’s and other dementias based on BD-tau levels in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood of Alzheimer’s patients.
Dr. Karikari stated that the most essential use of blood biomarkers is to improve clinical confidence and risk prediction in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s, a chronic neurodegenerative disease affecting over six million Americans, is defined by a lack of communication between neurons in the brain, leading to functional loss and cell death.
In Alzheimer’s disease-affected brains, aberrant quantities of normally occurring proteins build plaques that gather between neurons and impede cell function.
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