A test can detect Alzheimer’s three and a half years before diagnosis, a study suggests.
Research from King’s College London’s Department of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience has produced a blood-based test that can predict the risk of the condition. The study supports the idea that components in the blood can influence the formation of brain cells.
Dr Edina Silajdzic, the joint first author of the study, said: “Our results are extremely important as they allow us to predict the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Although Alzheimer’s disease affects the formation of new brain cells in the hippocampus in the early stages of the disease, previous research could only examine neurogenesis in the later stages through post-mortem examinations.
Research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London has developed a blood-based test that can predict Alzheimer’s risk
To understand the early changes, the researchers collected blood samples over several years from 56 people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a condition in which someone begins to experience deterioration in their memory or cognitive ability.
Although not everyone with MCI will develop Alzheimer’s disease, sufferers move toward a diagnosis much more quickly than the rest of the population.
Thirty-six of the 56 people in the study were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
When the researchers used only the blood samples that were furthest from the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, they found that the changes in neurogenesis occurred 3.5 years before a clinical diagnosis.
Professor Sandrine Thuret, lead author of the King’s IoPPN study, said: “Previous studies have shown that blood from young mice can have a rejuvenating effect on cognition in older mice by promoting hippocampal neurogenesis.
“This gave us the idea to model the process of neurogenesis in a dish containing human brain cells and human blood.
“In our study, we wanted to use this model to understand the process of neurogenesis and use changes in this process to predict Alzheimer’s disease. new cells.’
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
