Study: New blood test can help determine if someone has early signs of Alzheimer's

The blood test, called Precivity A-D-2, measures how much amyloid and tau a person is likely to have in their brain.

Gillian Neff and Rose Shannon

Aug 4, 2024, 5:04 PM

Updated 35 days ago

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A new Alzheimer's study has found that a blood test can help doctors determine if there is an accumulation of proteins in a patient's brain.
Scientists say clumps of protein can disrupt brain signals and become amyloid plaques and tau tangles that are thought to build up in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
The blood test, called Precivity A-D-2, measures how much amyloid and tau a person is likely to have in their brain.
Doctors say while results do not definitively conclude someone has Alzheimer's, the test, in addition to other information, can be used to figure out if a person has early signs of the disease.
Precivity detects biomarkers and has shown to have 90% accuracy rate in determining if memory loss is due to Alzheimer's.
In comparison, neurologists and other memory specialists correctly diagnose the disease in 73% of cases, while primary doctors diagnose Alzheimer's with a 61% accuracy rate.
Doctors say because there is no current cure for Alzheimer's, early detection remains key as new treatments have been shown to slow the progress of the disease.
People might also have access to newer treatment that is close to being approved by the Food and Drug Administration.