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A blood test could be just as good at detecting the signs of Alzheimer’s disease as painful and invasive lumbar punctures, research suggests.
Measuring levels of a protein called p-tau217 in the blood could be just as accurate at detecting signs of the progressive condition, experts say.
The protein is a marker for biological changes in the brain for people with Alzheimer’s disease, which is a form of dementia.
The new findings have the potential to “revolutionise” diagnosis for people who are suspected to have Alzheimer’s, experts say.
It could also be better than a range of other tests currently under development.
In the study of 786 people, the researchers were able to use the ALZpath p-tau217 test to identify patients as likely, intermediate and unlikely to have Alzheimer’s disease.
“This study is a hugely welcome step in the right direction as it shows that blood tests can be just as accurate as more invasive and expensive tests at predicting if someone has features of Alzheimer’s disease in their brain,” said Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at the Alzheimer’s Society.
“Furthermore, it suggests results from these tests could be clear enough to not require further follow-up investigations for some people living with Alzheimer’s disease, which could speed up the diagnosis pathway significantly in future.
“However, we still need to see more research across different communities to understand how effective these blood tests are across everyone who lives with Alzheimer’s disease.”
Read more on dementia:
Families say elderly relatives with dementia failed by care home
Fiona Phillips believes presenting GMTV may have brought on Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s diagnosis blood tests ‘could be offered on NHS within five years’
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