A new study confirms that early signs of Alzheimer’s disease can be accurately detected in Asian populations even in individuals with concurrent cerebrovascular disease, a major discovery that can alter early diagnosis in various populations.
For those focusing on memory loss, the test can provide vital early answers without the need for expensive brain scans or invasive spinal faucets, which are traditionally the gold standard for diagnosis.
“This study provides strong evidence that plasma P-TAU217 may be a game-changer to change AD brain changes in AD BARES and has a high CEVD burden,” said Professor Christopher Chen, director of the Center for Memory, Aging and Cognitive at NUHS and co-author of the study.
The study has special significance for Asian populations, which usually have a higher prevalence of cerebrovascular diseases, which involves damaged blood vessels in the brain, which can lead to dementia. Previous studies on similar blood tests have focused primarily on Western populations where this complication is less common.
Led by Dr. Mitchell Lai of the National University of Singapore Yong lin Medical School, the study showed that the P-TAU217 blood test performed better than conventional clinical evaluations and other blood biomarkers for identifying the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease.
The test is surprisingly accurate, with 94% negative predictive values (correctly identifying individuals without Alzheimer’s disease) and 82% positive predictive values (correctly identifying people with Alzheimer’s disease). This level of accuracy involves more expensive PET scans.
Perhaps most importantly, the test may significantly reduce the need for confirmatory PET scans, with only 10% of cases and at least 40% of clinical evaluations. This represents a significant advance for areas with limited resources or where advanced imaging technology is reduced.
“While blood biomarkers are not expected to replace the gold standard in current clinical measures, their greatest value may lie in providing a cost-effective, insignificant invasive screening and risk breakdown tool to help reduce the proportion of individuals who need a confirmatory pet scan,” said Dr. Joyce Chong in N. Pharmsacolic of Phronge Accolatig of Pharmsacoloics of Pharmsacoloics of Phronge Accology and Nus of Pharmsacoloics of Parmsacoloc of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmesolog of Parmeso
The results also show that individuals with higher plasma P-TAU217 levels experienced faster cognitive decline over time, suggesting the potential value of the test not only for diagnosis, but also for predicting disease progression.
The study included 215 cognitive abilities from Singapore, ranging from normal cognition to dementia. It is worth noting that over 70% of participants suffer from some form of cerebrovascular disease, making these results particularly relevant to similar Asian populations.
For physicians who treat diverse populations, the test provides a new tool that democratizes opportunities for early diagnosis – potentially allowing early interventions and better managing this devastating situation.
Dr. Lai expands his research in the future, expanding research to expand the study: “People’s concern about dementia is a chronic condition caused by a complex interactive process, especially in our population, especially in which CEVD may be an important promoter of AD-related cognitive impairment. Our long-term goal is our long-term goal of clinically useful diagnosis, as well as clinically useful diagnosis, and to contribute to clinically useful diagnosis. This debilitating condition.”
As Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of global effects and is expected to increase significantly in aging populations, especially in Asia, this accessible early diagnosis is an important step in addressing the growing public health challenges.
If you find this report useful, consider supporting our work with a small donation. Your contribution allows us to continue to bring you accurate, thought-provoking scientific and medical news that you can trust. Independent reporting requires time, effort, and resources, and your support makes it possible for us to continue exploring stories that are important to you. Thank you so much!
