Researchers from the University of Michigan have made a significant breakthrough in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
In a study published in the Alzheimer’s & Dementia journal, they explored the potential of two blood-based serum biomarkers – amyloid β (Aβ)42, the Aβ42/40 ratio, and phosphorylated tau181 (p-tau181) – in tracking cognitive changes in middle-aged women.
The study, which followed 192 middle-aged women over 14 years as part of the Study on Women’s Health Across the Nation, Michigan Cohort, revealed a direct relationship between these biomarkers and cognitive function.
Higher levels of p-tau 181 were associated with accelerated cognitive decline, while lower Aβ 42/40 levels correlated with faster cognitive deterioration.
Xin Wang, a research assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, emphasizes the promise of this new area of study. However, she notes the need for a larger and more diverse sample to validate these findings.
The implications of these findings are far-reaching. Blood biomarker assessments in midlife could serve as early predictors of cognitive decline, offering a window for early intervention and prevention before irreversible dementia develops.
This approach could lead to less invasive and potentially more affordable methods of neurological testing compared to current techniques like lumbar punctures and PET scans.
It’s important to note, as Wang points out, that the presence of these biomarkers does not necessarily indicate Alzheimer’s Disease.
However, they are integral to understanding the neuropathological changes that precede cognitive impairment.
The choice of midlife as the focus of the study is strategic.
This period is pivotal for women due to two significant changes: the menopausal transition, marked by a sharp reduction in estrogen levels and ovarian alterations, and the higher prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors like hypertension and diabetes.
Both factors are linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older age.
While the study’s findings are based on a relatively small sample, they represent an important step towards larger, more diverse research efforts.
This work could pave the way for groundbreaking developments in the early detection and prevention of cognitive decline and dementia in women, particularly during the critical midlife period.
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The research findings can be found in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
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