Alzheimer's disease blood test just as accurate as other exams, researchers say
BOSTON - A blood test could soon be used to identify patients with Alzheimer's disease.
A new study finds the test is just as accurate as other tests currently used to diagnose the disease.
The blood test looks for the presence of a protein called phosphorylated tau, or p-tau, which is a biomarker for the build-up of damaging proteins in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. Currently, patients need to undergo special brain scans or spinal taps to look for the presence of these proteins in the brain but the tests can be expensive and invasive.
In a new study published in the journal JAMA Neurology, researchers in Europe discovered that the blood test was just as accurate as brain scans and spinal taps. Not only could the blood test help identify people early in disease when they could benefit from treatment but it could also help exclude Alzheimer's as a diagnosis allowing doctors to search for other treatable causes of a patient's mental decline.
The blood test is commercially available for research purposes, but scientists expect it to be available for use on patients soon.