A method to detect Alzheimer By monitoring the levels of the protein in the blood

                                                                                        Detect Alzheimer's disease

 

A method to detect Alzheimer's disease 11 years before symptoms appear.

Scientists have discovered a "blood signal" that can predict Alzheimer's disease 11 years before symptoms appear. This allows doctors to be more vigilant and begin treatment early.

A report published by the specialized scientific website "Science Alert" stated that early detection of Alzheimer's disease provides better support and broader treatment options, and also gives scientists a greater opportunity to study the disease.

An international team of researchers discovered that in people with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease, a specific biomarker in the blood can indicate the disease up to 11 years before cognitive symptoms appear.

Scientists say this biomarker is the protein beta-synuclein, which can be detected with a simple blood test. It is an indicator of damage to the synapses between nerve cells in the brain, and its links to dementia are increasingly well established.

"The levels of this protein in the blood reflect nerve cell damage and can be detected relatively easily," says Patrick Ockel, a neurologist at the German Center for Neurological Diseases.

The researchers studied blood samples from 178 individuals registered in the Alzheimer's Disease Research Database. The participants were a mix of people, both in terms of their apparent dementia symptoms and the presence of genetic mutations associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Through statistical modeling, the team found higher levels of beta-synuclein in the blood of asymptomatic carriers of the mutation compared to those without the mutation, and the highest levels in those with symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. This is strong evidence that this protein is linked to the early damage associated with dementia.

Not all study participants were followed over time, but indications of the typical progression of Alzheimer's disease and the development of symptoms suggest that screening for this protein could provide an early warning more than a decade in advance.

Scientists say this finding makes sense given how beta-synuclein works: It's found in the junctions (or synapses) between neurons, and when these junctions are disrupted, the protein is released. That this appears to occur in the early stages of dementia development provides further clues about how dementia begins.

"The loss of brain mass and other pathological changes that also occur in Alzheimer's disease only occur at a later stage," says Markus Otto, a neurologist at the University of Halle Medical School in Germany. He adds: "After symptoms appear, the more severe the cognitive impairment, the higher the blood level of beta-synuclein. Therefore, this biomarker reflects pathological changes in both the pre-symptomatic and symptomatic stages."

This biomarker has potential beyond early diagnosis. Researchers believe that monitoring beta-synuclein levels could help determine the progression of Alzheimer's disease and the effectiveness of certain treatments in protecting neurons. This test may also help measure brain damage caused by other conditions, such as stroke.

If Alzheimer's is diagnosed early, promising new treatments, such as anti-amyloid antibodies, can delay symptoms for years, but they tend to be most effective when administered early. "Currently, Alzheimer's is usually diagnosed too late," says Okell. "So we need improvements in diagnostics. Otherwise, we won't be able to fully benefit from these new drugs."