Scientists have discovered a blood marker that could help identify people at risk of developing dementia long before they start showing any symptoms. This breakthrough may lead to earlier detection and better chances of slowing down the disease.
The research, led by scientists from Boston University and other institutions, was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. The team, including researcher Emer McGrath, studied 52 healthy adults from the long-running Framingham Heart Study in the United States.
None of the participants had memory problems or showed signs of cognitive decline at the time their blood was tested.
The scientists measured levels of a protein called P-tau181 in the blood. This protein is linked to brain cell damage and is known to play a role in Alzheimer’s disease. Years later, specialized brain scans were conducted on the same individuals—on average, seven years after their blood was tested.
The results showed that those with higher levels of P-tau181 in their blood were more likely to have buildup of ß-amyloid in their brains. ß-amyloid is an abnormal protein that is strongly linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
When the researchers compared P-tau181 with two other possible blood markers, they found that P-tau181 was the best at predicting signs of ß-amyloid buildup. This suggests that a simple blood test could be used to identify people who are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease years before symptoms like memory loss or confusion appear.
If further research confirms these findings, a P-tau181 blood test could be used as a screening tool for people in middle or later life, or possibly even earlier. Detecting Alzheimer’s at an earlier stage would give doctors and researchers more time to explore treatments that might slow or prevent the disease from progressing.
This discovery could also have a major impact on clinical trials for new dementia treatments. Right now, many studies struggle to find the right participants—people who are in the very early stages of Alzheimer’s but have not yet developed symptoms.
A blood test for P-tau181 could help researchers identify these individuals more easily and test new treatments before the disease advances too far.
While more research is needed, this study offers hope that a simple blood test could one day become a routine way to detect Alzheimer’s before it causes significant damage. Early detection could open the door to better treatments, more effective prevention strategies, and ultimately, a better future for those at risk of dementia.
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