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Thanks to the over 1,000 people who took part in the Translational Biomarkers of Aging and Dementia : TRIAD project, Dr. Pedro Rosa-Neto and his team at the Douglas Research Centre affiliated with McGill University could provide family doctors with a diagnostic test to indicate the presence of Alzheimer disease before symptoms appear. The challenge is to replace costly and invasive diagnostic tools such as brain imaging and lumbar punctures with a simple blood test.

Characterized by an accumulation of amyloid plaques and the tau protein in the brain, Alzheimer disease is currently diagnosed when symptoms arise. The diagnostic tools that are currently being validated, which identify the tau protein in the blood, could be used to detect the most common form of dementia even before the onset of clinical manifestations.

“Right now, no country, Canada included, has the infrastructure to make standard tests available to everyone. We’re in the process of validating blood tests for widespread use in family physicians’ offices. That could make it possible to treat people before they develop dementia,” said the neurologist.

Dr. Rosa Neto points to a paradigm shift that could be a clinical reality within a year or two. “Significant progress is being made. Of all the degenerative diseases, Alzheimer disease could be the first for which we find a solution,” he added, noting that the Fonds de recherche du Québec – secteur Santé funding enables researchers to use the most advanced biomarkers—a homegrown technology that gives Québec a head start.

Source:

Alzheimer : vers un dépistage précoce – Québec Science (quebecscience.qc.ca)

Karikari, T.K., Ashton, N.J., Brinkmalm, G. et al. Blood phospho-tau in Alzheimer disease: analysis, interpretation, and clinical utility. Nat Rev Neurol 18, 400–418 (2022).