Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. It is an irreversible brain disorder that slowly destroys your memory and thinking skills. Experts estimate the approximately 5.5 million Americans have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s [1]. There is no cure for the disorder, but scientists have just released a new Alzheimer’s blood test that will allow doctors to diagnose it earlier.

A New Alzheimer’s Test

Dr. David Holtzmann and Dr. Randall Bateman of the Washington School of Medicine founded the company C2N Diagnostics in St. Louis. They headed the research that led to the development of the new Alzheimer’s test. 

Up until this point, you needed two things to receive an Alzheimer’s diagnosis:

1. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s (such as memory loss)
2. To show that you have a build-up of beta-amyloid protein in your brain.

The problem, however, was that the only way to measure this protein build-up was with a very expensive PET brain scan. This scan can cost up to five thousand dollars, and most insurance plans don’t cover it. For this reason, many people with Alzeihmer’s go undiagnosed for years [2].

This new Alzheimer’s blood test measures two types of amyloid particles, as well as tau protein, which doctors find throughout the brain in Alzheimer’s. This helps doctors determine if someone has a gene that increases their risk for the disease [3]. 

Doctors then use a formula to combine these results with other factors, such as age. This enables them to give the patient a score of either low, medium, or high likelihood of having a buildup of amyloid protein in the brain.

Holtzman says that there are a vast number of reasons why someone might exhibit cognitive impairment, such as vitamin deficiencies. If someone, then, scores “low” on the test, it will prompt doctors to look for other reasons behind their symptoms. 

Read: Forty percent of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by targeting 12 risk factors throughout life

How Accurate is It?

Dr. Michael Weiner is an Alzheimer’s disease researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. He says that the test accurately predicts who has Alzheimer’s disease in their brain, even those who seem normal.

In a study of more than fourteen hundred people, the new Alzheimer’s test performed better than MRI brain scans, and just as well as PET scans or spinal taps. In fact, it was almost as accurate as looking at someone’s brain after they’ve died and finding evidence of Alzheimer’s.

The reason the test is so accurate is because it does more than just identify amyloid protein levels. Amyloid levels alone are not enough to accurately diagnose Alzheimer’s, because some people have high levels of the protein but don’t develop the disease.

Maria Carrillo is the chief science officer at the Alzheimer’s Association. She says that a PET scan showing you have amyloid in the brain does not indicate the presence of tau. This is why it doesn’t’ accurately diagnose Alzheimer’s.

“This test really opens up the possibility of being able to use a blood test in the clinic to diagnose someone more definitely with Alzheimer’s,” she said [3].

In fact, the test was 96 percent accurate at determining whether people’s dementia was the result of Alzheimer’s or a different neurodegenerative disorder. What’s more, studies showed the test was able to identify who would develop the disease twenty years before they would start exhibiting symptoms [4].

Read: Ayahuasca Stimulates Neurogenesis In The Hippocampus, Animal Study Shows

What Does the Alzheimer’s Test Cost?

The company is charging 1250 dollars for the test, a significant price drop from a PET scan. Neither insurance plans nor Medicare covers the cost, however, they offer income-based discounts.

“It’s not a cure, it’s not a treatment, but you can’t treat the disease without being able to diagnose it. And accurate, low-cost diagnosis is really exciting, so it’s a breakthrough,” says Dr. Weiner [3].

It is important to note that doctors will not be using this new Alzheimer’s test for general screening on people without symptoms. The purpose is to use it for people who are older than sixty who are experiencing thinking problems, and whom doctors are already screening for the disease. 

Seeking FDA Approval

While the test is now available for sale, the developers have not yet secured approval by the US Food and Drug Administration. Right now, leaders of multiple Alzheimer’s Associations are encouraged by the new Alzheimer’s test, but are showing caution.

Dr. Eliezer Masliah is the neuroscience chief at the U.S. National Institute on Aging. He says that they’re interested in the test, but want to see results. Heather Snyder of the Alzheimer’s Association, on the other hand, will not endorse the Alzheimer’s test until it has FDA approval.

“It’s not quite clear how accurate or generalizable the results are,” she said [2].

Others, however, are calling it a huge breakthrough.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Dr. Carrillo said of the test. “I mean, really, five years ago, I would have told you it was science fiction.” [3]

Keep Reading: Human Ageing Process Biologically Reversed For First Time Ever?

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