Mayo Clinic researchers validate blood test to diagnose Alzheimer's disease in outpatient memory clinics

[douglas9]

Newswise — JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Alzheimer's disease, characterized by memory loss, problems with concentration and thinking, and changes in personality and behavior, has a major impact on the lives of patients, their families, and loved ones. With new treatments available for people with early signs of the disease, there is a growing need for accessible, low-cost tests to diagnose Alzheimer's earlier. In a new study, Mayo Clinic researchers confirmed the accuracy of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved blood test that can be used in outpatient memory clinics to diagnose the disease in patients with varying degrees of cognitive impairment. The findings are published in Alzheimer's and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

Traditional methods of measuring the accumulation of toxic proteins in the brain, which indicate Alzheimer's disease, include positron emission tomography (PET) and lumbar punctures. However, these tests can be expensive and invasive. More accessible, noninvasive, and low-cost biomarkers—measurable indicators of a disease—are needed to improve overall diagnostics in clinical settings.

“Our study found that the blood test confirms the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease with 95% sensitivity and 82% specificity,” says corresponding author Dr. Gregg Day, a neurologist specializing in dementia and a clinical researcher at the Mayo Clinic. “When performed in an outpatient setting, the test has similar accuracy to cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, with the advantage of being much more convenient and low cost."


https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/news/144#:~:text=%E2%80%9COur%20study%20found%20that%20the,researcher%20at%20the%20Mayo%20Clinic.