A team of scientists from Australia and Japan has developed a blood test to detect proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
In a study published by the Nature journal, a noninvasive test developed to detect the toxic protein amyloid beta which is known to be present in people affected by Alzheimer’s, did so with 90% accuracy.
According to the Alzheimer’s Society, there are more than 520,000 people affected by the disease in the UK.
As reported by CNN, the idea behind the test was to predict the presence of the toxic protein, the buildup of which in the brain is one of the signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The test was trialled on 121 patients from Japan and 252 from Australia, ranging from healthy to mild cognitive impairments or Alzheimer’s disease.
“This test is at least as good as current brain scan techniques and far surpasses existing blood tests,” said Colin Masters, professor of dementia research at Melbourne’s Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, who led the study.
To read the original story, click here.
