2024-02-10 22:30:00
– Will Alzheimer’s soon be diagnosed in the blood?
A new procedure could possibly detect cognitive decline in the future. But many questions still remain unanswered.
Published today at 11:30 p.m
It is still unclear whether the test works as reliably in clinical practice as it does under the experimental conditions of the study.
Symbolfoto: Getty Images
Diagnostic tests for diseases that cannot be treated or cannot be treated well are a delicate matter. This is particularly true for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Antibodies that are intended to help against the progression of pathological forgetfulness have recently become available on the market in the USA. Such approval is also imminent in Europe. However, no cure is yet possible with the help of these medications; at best, the cognitive impairments can be delayed somewhat. In addition, the side effects of the drugs are sometimes significant and long-term studies are lacking.
The publication of an international research team led by Swedish scientists on an Alzheimer’s test should be seen against this background. In the Specialist magazine “Jama Neurology” The neuroresearchers describe that measuring faulty tau proteins, such as those that form as fibrillar deposits between the nerve tracts in Alzheimer’s, could make diagnostics easier. Determining the biomarker p-tau217 in blood plasma would make it easier to see in the future how the disease progresses and when and for whom a possible therapy might be useful. P-tau217 is a protein that clumps together during the onset and development of Alzheimer’s and whose concentration is increased in the brains of patients.
786 subjects with an average age of 66 years and mild to moderate cognitive impairment took part in the study. The analysis showed that the blood test for p-tau217, which is already commercially available, produced similar results to the determination of biomarkers after puncture of the spinal fluid or the detection of abnormal changes in the PET scan of the brain, a special form of imaging. “This is a step in the right direction,” says Richard Oakley from the British Alzheimer’s Association. “The study shows that blood tests can be just as accurate as more invasive and expensive tests for changes in the brain.”
“In view of increasing cases of dementia, haste is essential”
Dementia experts who, like Oakley, spoke to the British Science Media Center agree that it will be some time before further therapeutic procedures are not only in development but can be used in practice and help patients. However, it is necessary to make accurate diagnoses, especially for early forms of the disease and treatments that can slow or stop the progression. “In view of increasing cases of dementia, it is important to act quickly because many people are unclear about their condition,” says Oakley.
The biomarker currently being investigated has proven to be as suitable as other, more complex test methods. But even these are not really accurate when it comes to the stage of the disease and predicting its course. “This is the challenge of improving the diagnosis and care of Alzheimer’s patients,” says neuroscientist Mark Dallas from the University of Reading. “And that should be done with the right biomarker, one that can be easily measured.”
The next step is to use the tests to identify those patients who will benefit most from therapy. Even if the test for p-tau217 seems to have a lot of potential: “Before any blood test becomes standard diagnostics, it must be proven that it is at least as sensitive and accurate as the previous gold standard, the lumbar puncture,” says British Alzheimer’s researcher Sheona Scales. “That could apply to p-tau217.”
Alzheimer’s and dementia
You can also find more content from the SonntagsZeitung in the current issue des E-Papers.
Werner Bartens writes in the Knowledge about Medicine section. He studied medicine, history and German in Giessen, Freiburg, Montpellier and Washington DC.More information
Found an error? Report now.
0 comments
1707605641
#Laboratory #test #Alzheimers #diagnosed #blood