(dailyRx)
There is still no definitive way to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in a living person, but that may be about to change.
A blood test may soon be available to clearly diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in its earliest stages, thanks to the work of researchers at Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).
“Our clinical study shows that a non-invasive blood test, based on a biochemical process, may be successfully used to diagnose Alzheimer’s at an early stage and differentiate it from other types of dementia,” says senior author Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos, director of the MUHC Research Institute.
The test studies the production of a hormone called dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). The researchers were able to increase the production of DHEA, using a chemical process called oxidation, in blood taken from non-Alzheimer’s patients. In Alzheimer’s patients, oxidation did not increase DHEA.
“We demonstrated we could accurately and repetitively detect Alzheimer’s disease, with small samples of blood,” says Papadopoulos. “This test also allowed for differential diagnosis of early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting this can be used as a test to diagnose the disease in its infancy.”
Currently the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s follows the sequence of family history, information, mental assessment and a physical exam, focusing on neurological (brain function) signs.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in the United States affecting approximately 5.3 million people, and the number is growing. Alzheimer’s results in memory loss, decline in cognitive functioning, and behavioral changes.
Alzheimer’s disease is usually diagnosed clinically from the patient history, statements from relatives, and clinical observations. There is no cure, and treatment efforts are aimed at slowing the progression of the disease and treating its symptoms.