by Dr. G. A. Anderson

Created on: July 20, 2011   Last Updated: July 21, 2011

The latest research findings on diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease were presented July 20, 2011 in Paris, France. The Alzheimer's Association International Conference, at its conference, had encouraging news for those who are engaged in discovering the cure, as well as those who are either suffering from the disease or their doctors and caregivers. It is possible that a blood test will soon be able to spot the developing telltale signs.

Experimental tests were helpful in detecting the plaque that forms in people's brains. Larger studies will need to be undertaken to substantiate early testing and verify the validity of this form of testing, but Australian scientists and others are hopeful that blood tests will help immensely with screening of possible Alzheimer's sufferers. Obviously, this would speed up the process of traditional testing that includes oral exams and written questionnaires, along with interviews. Though these methods would be used eventually, the blood test would show whether or not the patient would need to undergo traditional testing. If the blood tests returned negative results, there would be no need for brain scans, for example, which are "too expensive and impractical for routine use," according to Maria Carrillo, who is the senior director of medical and scientific relations for the Alzheimer's Association. She also points out that the use of blood tests "soon" does not mean in the "immediate future," but rather when further studies on a larger scale have been completed with reliable, replicatable results.

Because a simpler way of detecting the disease ahead of time is needed, a long-running study "of more than 1,100 people" was conducted. It was led by Samantha Burnham et al at Austrailia's CSIRO, a national science agency. They collaborated with several universities on these studies, using participants who were healthy and some who were impaired. The goal was to develop the blood test. Blood samples identified nine hormones and proteins considered "predictive of amyloid levels in the brain," explained Burnham. (Beta amyloid is protein that forms in sticky clumps in the brain and causes interference with memory and thought processes.) Once these proteins and hormones were identified, a "cutoff level" was determined - anything above that level was seen as high and cause for concern. Burnham also explained that people showing levels higher than their cutoff point would develop Alzheimer's. The span of time between testing and the manifestation of the disease could be as long as eight to ten years.

If blood tests can be used as a determiner of the future onset of Alzheimer's, patients and loved ones can begin to think ahead and plan for the troubling and stressful eventualities connected with the disease. It gives time for plans to be made for care giving and management of the more serious symptoms and affects of the disease as it fully develops.

The next steps for scientists include further experimentation to ensure standardization of the blood test procedures so that reliable outcomes are available regardless of the labs used or the doctors prescribing the test. Reliability is essential to either rule out or confirm presence of high levels of the nine hormones and proteins considered indicative of an Alzheimer's diagnosis.

More on the latest studies and findings can be found by doing a search for the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, Paris, held in July, 2011.

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