Scientists Develop Blood Test That Diagnoses Alzheimer’s And Identifies What Stage It Has Reached

Scientists have developed a blood test for Alzheimer’s disease that can help diagnose the neurodegenerative disease while also indicating how far it has progressed. The results could help doctors decide which medications to prescribe depending on how long they’ve had the condition. Traditionally, Alzheimer’s disease is detected through positron emission tomography (PET) brain scans, the Gold Standard test for the disease. These scans pick up the presence of amyloid plaques and tau tangles. There are also some blood tests available for clinical diagnosis, including two based on technology licensed from Washington University. These tests can help identify the presence of the disease, but do not indicate its clinical stage – the degree of impairment in thinking or memory.