When I co-invented the first PET (positron emission tomography) scan to visualize brain amyloid and tau—the physical evidence of Alzheimer's disease—I did not foresee the distressing mental impact these test results could have on the psyche of people who received them and had just mild memory issues.
Although the presence of amyloid raises one's risk for Alzheimer's, it does not guarantee they will get it—in fact, they may never get it. Receiving such scans or blood test results can lead to increased anxiety, as well as the unfounded perception that one is rapidly losing their ability to think, remember, and enjoy life.
Before a person develops Alzheimer's dementia (the cognitive decline that makes them dependent on others for care), they first transition from normal age-related forgetfulness to mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a more challenging memory issue that does not disrupt independence but increases the risk for developing dementia.
The new tau-protein blood test was accurate 90 percent of the time, but its accuracy fell in patients in early disease stages.
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