London: A recent British study has revealed that a simple blood test measuring proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease and dementia may be capable of detecting the condition years - or even decades - before symptoms begin to emerge.
Researchers behind the study said the findings suggest that Alzheimer's disease may already be present during middle age and associated with measurable cognitive differences long before clinical diagnosis. They added that the use of blood tests to identify early brain changes could prove highly valuable in the future, although further research is still needed.
As part of the study, scientists analyzed blood samples from 1,350 individuals in the United States who showed no signs of dementia. The participants had an average age of 61 years.
The researchers measured levels of two amyloid-related biomarkers, in addition to the protein "p-tau217," which has been closely associated with Alzheimer's disease.
The analysis identified elevated biomarker levels in 86 participants. These individuals demonstrated weaker cognitive performance, faster decline in verbal memory, and slower mental processing speeds in tests conducted over a five-year period.
According to the researchers, the findings build on earlier studies involving older adults by demonstrating that evidence of Alzheimer's-related neurodegeneration can already be detected in middle age - even if such cases remain relatively uncommon - and that these biological changes are linked to measurable cognitive differences. (QNA)
