A blood test using a novel biomarker can predict when Alzheimer's disease symptoms will emerge, and it outperforms the current leading diagnostic blood test, the National Institutes of Health reported.
The new test is designed to track how the disease progresses in a patient. According to the National Institutes of Health, it may signal when symptoms are drawing near, giving clinicians a potential window before cognitive changes appear.
The National Institutes of Health said the biomarker at the center of the test is distinct from those used in existing blood-based diagnostics. Researchers found it surpasses the leading blood test currently used for Alzheimer's diagnosis in its predictive accuracy.
The ability to anticipate symptom onset through a blood draw, rather than more invasive or costly procedures, is central to what the National Institutes of Health described as the test's advantage over its predecessor.