New blood test can aid Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Despite its status as the most common cause of dementia and the countless individuals and families impacted by this degenerative brain disorder, Alzheimer’s disease has long been frustratingly difficult to diagnose. According to the National Institute on Aging, an autopsy was the only definitive method of diagnosis before the early 2000s. Since then, advances in lab testing and brain imaging have made it possible to see biological signs of the disease. And according to Fierce Biotech, breakthroughs in blood testing might make diagnosis easier than ever, allowing physicians to begin treatment even sooner and give patients and their families time to plan for the future.

The PrecivityAD test, developed by C2N Diagnostics and recommended for patients with early signs of dementia, measures beta-amyloid protein and apolipoprotein E in the bloodstream. Elevated levels of these proteins are common risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. While the blood test cannot be used on its own to diagnose Alzheimer’s, the company touts the test as a useful tool to predict amyloid plaques in the brain. The blood test was rolled out in late 2020 and current data suggests that it detects amyloid plaques with similar accuracy to PET scans.