- Researchers report that two blood tests have shown promise for early identification of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Researchers also reported that men have faster cognitive decline from dementia than women.
- Experts note that identifying Alzheimer’s in its early stages allows treatments to start sooner and can help families arrange for care.
The Society for Neuroscience is highlighting three studies on interventions for the early detection and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Two studies indicate that a blood-based test might detect the disease in its early stage.
The third shows that cognitive decline might occur faster in men.
The findings were presented at the organization’s annual conference. They haven’t been published yet in a peer-reviewed journal.
In one study, researchers in China analyzed a database of 1,160 blood proteins to find markers that may help with early identification as well as determining the stage of Alzheimer’s disease.
The scientists used blood samples from 180 people of Chinese descent in Hong Kong over the age of 60. The participants consisted of 106 people with clinically diagnosed Alzheimer’s as well as 74 healthy controls.
The researchers chose 18 proteins that can signal changes associated with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. They found that this protein panel was accurate for classifying mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s across two different cohorts.
The researchers found that the changes detected by their test lined up well with Alzheimer’s disease progression. They said their panel could identify Alzheimer’s in its early stages, provide information on a person’s current stage, and allow medical professionals to determine the progression of the disease.
The researchers noted that these biomarkers were the same across ethnic groups, specifically…
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