About Alzheimer's Blood Tests
Alzheimer's is a devastating disease that can rob its victims of their memories and ability to live independently. However, not all cases of memory loss are Alzheimer's. There are other chronic medical conditions such as Parkinson's, stroke, Huntington's disease, and others that can cause changes in memory and cognitive ability. This makes diagnosing Alzheimer's disease complicated. Currently, a battery of tests can be done by physicians to help determine if memory loss is related to Alzheimer's or another cause. Unfortunately, they can only be done after symptoms appear. Groundbreaking research is working to develop a blood test that can better predict this condition, possibly even before symptoms actually occur.
Other People Are Reading
-
Identification
-
The condition known as Alzheimer's was named in 1906 by the German physician Alois Alzheimer. It is a progressive brain disorder that can be fatal. As we age, changes to our brain are occur naturally and some memory loss, slowed thinking and problem solving abilities are normal. However, significant memory loss or confusion is not a normal part of getting older. In the case of Alzheimer's, for reasons not clearly understood, cells in the brain begin to die. In addition, the brain actually shrinks. As these cells stop functioning and the brain diminishes in size, normal brain activity is disrupted.
There are theories that some of this damage may occur due to plaque build up between nerve cells, and to the development of tangles (twisted protein fibers) inside of brain cells. Both plaque build up and tangles happen to everyone as they age. In the case of Alzheimer's disease, the incidence of both are higher. As all of these changes occur, communication between the cells is disrupted and the brain cells can no longer survive. As the cells and nerve signals are impaired, activities such as remembering details, thinking and problem solving are no longer possible.
Significance
-
Diagnosing Alzheimer's is not easy, as there is no single test. A thorough review of the patient's complete medical history, mental functioning tests, neurological exams and brain imaging scans are necessary. Currently, these tests can only help to diagnose Alzheimer's after signs and symptoms have appeared. By that point, there is often irreversible damage to the brain. However, one promising new development is the use of special blood tests.
Up until now, the blood tests used by physicians were not designed to identify Alzheimer's, but rather to rule out other causes for the changes in memory and behavior. Infection, thyroid conditions, anemia and kidney failure are just a few of the medical conditions that can be detected by blood tests and can cause symptoms of memory loss and confusion. In contrast, the blood tests that are being studied now, claim to detect certain proteins in the blood, that suggest the presence of Alzheimer's. This means that if these tests are approved, physicians can diagnose the condition more accurately. -
Types
-
One such test, called NeuroPro, is being developed by Power 3 medical Products. A similar blood test is being developed by Tony Wyss-Coray and Satoris (see Resources). This test monitors the occurrence of eighteen different proteins found in the blood. Since these proteins play a role in how communications between brain cells occur, certain changes in these proteins may signal a tendency towards the development of Alzheimer's. In order to develop this new blood test, researchers examined the more then one hundred proteins that are normally present in the blood. They claim they have been able to identify the eighteen that are present in the majority of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
At this time, little is known about exactly how these proteins help cells communicate and why they are linked to the development of Alzheimer's. At this stage all that is known is that in the individuals studied so far, these particular eighteen proteins seem to appear in a high percentage of the patents with Alzheimer's.
Benefits
-
If these Alzheimer's blood tests are eventually proven to be as accurate as they seem, they will provide a more definitive and simpler way to test for this disease. The most rewarding benefit will be the ability to screen individuals for Alzheimer's and to make an early diagnosis. Scientists at Stanford University believe that these blood tests can predict the occurrence of Alzheimer's up to two to three years before the onset of symptoms. While there is still no cure, the earlier the disease is diagnosed, the sooner treatment and intervention can begin. This may help patients with Alzheimer's and their loved ones better prepare for the future.
Considerations
-
Blood tests for Alzheimer's are still in the clinical trial stage and not yet available. However, according to studies published in Nature Medicine and by Stanford University (see Resources) the blood tests are approximately 90% accurate. To date, most of the clinical trails have been small, and larger scale studies are still needed. It is important to note that these blood tests simply alert physicians to the possibility that their patient will develop this disease. They do not yet offer a cure or definitive diagnosis. However, as more is understood about the behavior of these proteins and exactly how they help brain cells "talk" to one another, scientists may get closer to learning how to prevent or cure Alzheimer's.
-
