When doctors need to confirm the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, they often use a combination of brain imaging and cell analysis. Both have drawbacks. The latter involves a lumbar puncture, an invasive and painful procedure more commonly known as a spinal tap. A doctor inserts a needle into the hip to extract a sample of the patient’s cerebrospinal fluid. Lab technicians then examine the samples for signs of progressive neuronal loss and excess amyloid and tau protein build-up. Although MRI scans are less invasive, they are often expensive and accessibility is an issue. Not all communities have access to technology.
The next best tool for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease is a blood test. Some can detect abnormal tau protein counts, but are not very effective at spotting telltale signs of neurodegeneration.in this week’s diary , a multinational team of researchers from Sweden, Italy, the UK and the US detailed a new antibody-based blood test they recently developed. can be detected. After a study of 600 patients, the team found that the test reliably distinguished the disease from other neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Thomas Karikari, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh and one of the study’s co-authors, said: He hopes this breakthrough will help other researchers design better clinical trials for treating Alzheimer’s disease. It can improve clinical confidence in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease and selecting participants for clinical trials and disease monitoring,” he said. There are many things that must be done. First, the team needs to validate that it works for a range of patients, including those from different ethnic backgrounds.
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