Clinical Laboratory News of the Day – Blood Test As Accurate as Lumbar Puncture for Detecting Alzheimer’s Disease – Molecular Diagnostics

Blood test as accurate as lumbar puncture for detecting Alzheimer’s disease

Author: LabMedica Editorial in Spanish
Updated February 08, 2024

People with Alzheimer’s disease often have accumulations of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain, which are key indicators of the disease. Typically, a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is based on symptoms such as problems with cognition and memory. However, only a small percentage (2%) of people diagnosed with dementia undergo gold standard diagnostic tests such as a PET scan or lumbar puncture. With the advent of new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, improving diagnostic accuracy has become increasingly important. The study suggests that a commercial blood test can detect Alzheimer’s disease as effectively as a standard lumbar puncture. This test specifically detects “p-tau217”, a variant of the tau protein that is a major marker of Alzheimer’s disease.

This new study, conducted by researchers at the University of Gothenburg (Mölndal, Sweden), found that blood levels of p-tau217 correlated with levels of amyloid and tau proteins detected in brain and lumbar puncture studies. This discovery promises to change the process of diagnosing patients with suspected Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, the study used a threshold to separate people into those likely or likely to have Alzheimer’s disease, and into an intermediate group requiring further evaluation using traditional methods such as a lumbar puncture or PET scan. By using this blood testing method, the researchers expect a significant reduction, by about 80%, in the need for these more invasive follow-up tests.

Image: Detecting Alzheimer’s disease using a blood test may be as accurate as a standard lumbar puncture (photo courtesy of 123RF)

However, a number of issues remain unresolved. There is a need to better understand how these blood tests perform in routine clinical settings, especially among different patient populations. Additionally, like new treatments, these blood tests must undergo regulatory approval before they can be integrated into medical practice. People want a quick and accurate diagnosis that will “ultimately bring us closer to a cure for dementia,” said Dr Sheona Scales, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK. “Over the past year, we have seen incredible progress in the development of blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease. And as we see more and more different types of tests, studies like this are key to understanding which ones are most accurate.”

Related links:
University of Gothenburg