CAN A SIMPLE BLOOD TEST DIAGNOSE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE?
January 27, 2012 A novel technique that may ultimately enable the accurate diagnosis of mild and moderate Alzheimer’s disease is being developed by a team of researchers led by Pedro Carmona of Madrid’s Instituto de Estructura de la Materia. This technique utilizes a simple blood test, and appears to represent a less invasive approach than is currently available:
At present, the most reliable and sensitive diagnostic techniques are invasive, e.g. require analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord). However, white blood cells (or mononuclear leukocytes) are also thought to carry amyloid-ß peptide in Alzheimer patients.
Using two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy, the technique proposed by Carmona and colleagues measures the amount of infrared radiation that is emitted or absorbed by an individual’s white blood cells. Differing levels of radiation appear to be indicative of different stages of formation of amyloid-ß within the cells, which in turn appear to be indicative of different stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers are optimistic that this new technique will provide a sensitive, low-cost, and rapid method by which the presence of Alzheimer’s disease can be identified, even at an early stage.