Alzheimer’s blood test 96% accurate, developers say

A group of scientists out of New Jersey say they have developed a blood test that diagnoses Alzheimer’s disease with unprecedented accuracy.

The test’s development team, composed of scientists from Durin Technologies, Inc., and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine, say it uses human protein microarrays to detect the presence of specific antibodies in the blood that can be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s. The test has a 96 percent diagnostic sensitivity with the potential to spot Alzheimer’s in its earliest stages, years before symptoms appear, the researchers said.

The same test also demonstrated the ability to distinguish Alzheimer’s from Parkinson’s disease. The research team’s findings appear online in PLoS ONE.

“A test that can not only diagnose the disease in individuals showing telltale symptoms, but possibly also detect the disease years before these symptoms appear would make early therapeutic intervention possible,” said Robert Nagele, PhD, founder of Durin Technologies, Inc., and a professor at the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine, in a release.

Nagele says this discovery may have a profound clinical impact and could ultimately be well-suited for inclusion in routine healthcare, especially if it can also be applied to detection of other diseases.

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Alzheimer’s disease could be detected through pre-symptomatic blood test

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