Scientists have hopefully developed a screening technique that detects levels of the harmful proteins that build up in the brain, causing memory loss and confusion in Dementia sufferers. If the test proves accurate in larger studies, it could offer a method to identify which people experiencing memory problems are at greater risk of developing the Alzheimer’s. Brain scans can show Alzheimer’s disease ‘plaques’ – which are sticky clumps of a protein called “beta amyloid” – a decade before they cause memory and thinking problems. However, the scans are too expensive and impractical for routine use.
The new blood test, developed at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, measures for 9 biological markers of the plaques. The test performed well In a study of more than 1,100 people.
They first used blood samples from 273 people to identify 9 hormones and proteins that appeared to predict amyloid levels in the brain. A cut-off level was then set for what was considered high. With the thinking that people above that point will then go on to develop Alzheimer’s , with the time between onset being about 8-10 years.
When researchers used the 9 marker blood test on the same blood test, it correctly identified 83% of people with high amyloid levels and correctly ruled out 85%of people without Alzheimers.
The test was then trialled successfully on nearly 900 more blood samples. This blood test has been patented and the owners are talking with numerous companies about making it commercially available. Around 800,000 suffer from forms of dementia in the UK, with the number of cases expected to double within a generation.
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