New research suggests there may one day be a blood test to accurately diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and its level of severity.
A team of scientists from the University of Georgia and the Medical College of Georgia discovered a “strong and consistent relationship” between certain antibodies and levels of cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer’s. The antibodies are created when the body detects the presence of two specific proteins that are strongly associated with Alzheimer’s disease: amyloid-beta protein and RAGE protein.
For the study, researchers took blood samples from 118 older adults and compared antibody levels with levels of cognitive impairment. Researchers hope the discovery of the link between the two factors will eventually lead to a blood test for the disease. The research can be found in the current issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.
