Chris's mother, Shirley, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 67, following signs like memory lapses during Skype calls. Initial skepticism about her young age led to a thin diagnosis via a letter, highlighting inadequacies in early detection. Current diagnostic standards involve costly cognitive tests and imaging techniques, which few individuals receive. However, advancements in blood tests show promise for non-invasive and cost-effective detection of Alzheimer's biomarkers, potentially transforming how the disease is diagnosed in the future and improving accessibility to diagnostics.
The gold standard for diagnosing Alzheimer's involves cognitive tests plus either a brain scan or cerebrospinal fluid sampling that reveal abnormal levels of the proteins amyloid and tau.
My mother never saw a neurologist. It was such a thin diagnosis. We thought this can't be right, she's too young.
Very soon, it may be possible to determine whether someone has Alzheimer's using a simple drop of blood.
In recent years, blood tests have been developed that are just as good at detecting Alzheimer's biomarkers as expensive brain scans and painful lumbar punctures.
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