Latest Alzheimer's lab tests focus on memory loss, not brain plaques
Latest Alzheimer's lab tests focus on memory loss, not brain plaques toggle caption Andrew Brookes/Getty Images When doctors suspect Alzheimer's, they can order a blood test to learn whether a patient's brain contains the sticky amyloid plaques that are a hallmark of the disease. Compared with biomarkers of amyloid plaques, MTBR-tau243 "was much more related to memory loss, symptom onset, dementia stage, all the things that patients care about," Bateman says. The blood test indicates how much abnormal tau is in a patient's brain, Bateman says, "and it only goes up when people are symptomatic." When the test becomes available commercially, Bateman says, it will give doctors a fast and easy way to tell whether the amyloid plaques sitting in a patient's brain are actually affecting their memory and thinking.
New Markers For Alzheimer's Disease Could Aid Diagnosis And Speed Up Drug Development
Alzheimer's eye test to enter trial phase in hopes of diagnosing before symptoms appear
Experimental drug reduces protein clumps and slows memory loss in early Alzheimer’s
Memory test along with brain scan can detect very early stage of Alzheimer's: study
Discover Related
Lowering LDL 'bad' cholesterol can reduce dementia risk: Study
Researchers find a way to delay Alzheimer's symptoms. But they have to prove it
19-year-old youngest Alzheimer's patient leaves doctors struggling for answers
The common clue to your risk of Alzheimer’s just discovered by scientists
The various challenges associated with AI-driven genetic testing
Why Alzheimer’s scientists are rethinking the amyloid hypothesis
Weight-loss jab Ozempic 'could help patients with advanced Alzheimer's', scientists say
Dementia doctor reveals the four subtle signs of Alzheimer's that strike decades prior
Researchers investigating if drugs can be repurposed to combat dementia
New breakthrough laser test could detect different types of dementia in seconds
New study to investigate non-invasive treatment for dementia and Parkinson’s
What are the symptoms and treatments for Alzheimer’s – as new drug is rejected
A new Alzheimer's study suggests where you live can affect the odds of a diagnosis
New blood tests can help diagnose Alzheimer's. Are doctors ready for what's next?
More hope than ever that half of dementia cases could be prevented – study
Progress in fighting Alzheimer's disease highlighted at conference
FDA approves a second Alzheimer’s drug that can modestly slow disease