New Blood Test for Alzheimer Disease

In summary, The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article on using phospho-tau217 (p-tau217) in blood plasma to detect Alzheimer's Disease with over 80% specificity. The test shows potential for predicting Alzheimer's up to 20 years in advance. However, even with 100% sensitivity, there is still a high number of false positives, which could lead to a population enriched with true positives. Early detection allows for early intervention, including pharmacology, lifestyle changes, and diet for increased quality of life, as there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's.
  • #1
Tom.G
Science Advisor
Gold Member
5,189
4,011
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) today (7/28/2020) published an article on using presence of phospho-tau217 (p-tau217) in blood plasma to detect Alzheimers Disease. Over 80% specificity, and early results look like it could be predictive up to 20 years.

doi:10.1001/jama.2020.12134
or
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2768841

Cheers,
Tom
 
  • Informative
  • Like
Likes PhanthomJay and berkeman
Biology news on Phys.org
  • #2
About 10% of people 65 or older has Alzheimer's, so in a population of 100, there will be 10 with Alzheimer's and 90 negatives. With 80% specificity, 18 of the negatives will test positive (false positive) versus the 10 true positives in the sample. Even with 100% sensitivity, screening the general population with a test that has 80% specificity would give close to a 1.8x as many false positives as true positives.
 
  • Like
Likes jim mcnamara and jrmichler
  • #3
Ygggdrasil said:
Even with 100% sensitivity, screening the general population with a test that has 80% specificity would give close to a 1.8x as many false positives as true positives.
Yikes, that's not good.
 
  • #4
Your population of potential positives would be enriched for true positives by going from 0.1 to 0.55.
 
  • #5
I think the assumption on testing like this is: early detection allows for early intervention. Pharmacology, life style changes, and diet are all considerations. There is no cure, just increased quality of life.
 

What is the "New Blood Test for Alzheimer Disease"?

The "New Blood Test for Alzheimer Disease" is a recently developed diagnostic tool that uses a blood sample to detect biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's disease.

How is this blood test different from other diagnostic methods for Alzheimer's disease?

This blood test is different from other diagnostic methods for Alzheimer's disease because it is less invasive and less expensive compared to imaging techniques such as PET scans or spinal taps.

What are the potential benefits of using this blood test?

The potential benefits of using this blood test include earlier and more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, which can lead to earlier treatment and improved outcomes for patients.

Is this blood test widely available for use?

Currently, this blood test is still in the research and development phase and is not yet widely available for use. It may take several more years before it is approved for clinical use.

Are there any limitations or drawbacks to using this blood test?

One limitation of this blood test is that it may not be able to differentiate between different types of dementia, so further testing may be needed for a definitive diagnosis. Additionally, more research is needed to determine the accuracy and reliability of this test.

Similar threads

  • Biology and Medical
Replies
2
Views
979
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
1
Views
957
  • Biology and Medical
3
Replies
93
Views
14K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
4
Views
5K
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • Art, Music, History, and Linguistics
Replies
1
Views
951
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
32
Views
6K
  • STEM Career Guidance
Replies
7
Views
4K
  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
10
Views
2K
Back
Top