A trio of new tests to diagnose Alzheimer's disease now available

Health Canada recently approved three tests that aim to help identify patients whose cognitive decline is related to Alzheimer's disease. “Their use could considerably improve (its) detection in the early stages of the disease,” read a press release from Roche Diagnostics, a division of Hoffmann-La Roche. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the accumulation in the brain of amyloid beta and tau proteins, characteristic biomarkers of this pathology which represents the most common type of dementia and could affect more than 1.1 million Canadians by 2050. Read: Taking a daily multivitamin appears to boost brains of adults over 60, but more study needed Today, screening for Alzheimer's is done using different types of brain scans including CT scans and MRIs, which lead to an accurate diagnosis in about 70%-to-80% of cases. They can be refined using positron emission tomography (PET) to detect whether beta-amyloid plaques or tau tangles have formed in the brain. The tests developed by Roche Diagnostics “achieve 90% concordance with amyloid PET imaging and have the potential to provide a more affordable and accessible option,” offering an alternative solution to PET imaging by avoiding radioactive radiation, the company states. Read: Mediterranean ‘MIND’ diet good for the brain From lumbar puncture, Roche's Elecsys Three-Test Combo measures cerebrospinal fluid beta-amyloid (1-42), phospho-tau (181P), and total-tau protein concentrations in those 55 years of age and over. ”Because changes in these biomarker levels occur in the early stages of the disease, the test can detect Alzheimer's pathology at the first signs and symptoms,” noted the press release. “While biomarker changes may be detectable 10-to-20 years before the memory loss and subtle behavioral changes of mild cognitive impairment, the biggest challenge is to accurately diagnose Alzheimer's disease as soon as these changes occuring are noticeable,” says Dr. Sandra Black, cognitive neurologist and director of the Centre For Brain Resilience and Recovery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. “Mild cognitive impairment can be assessed through cognitive testing and daily function questionnaires, but until recently, more accurate diagnostic tests were only available through research protocols,” she says, noting that these tests lacked the precision and automation necessary for large-scale implementation in routine clinical laboratories. ”This is no longer the case, and we look forward to helping clinicians and labs across the country gain access to Roche's technology.” This article has been translated from its original French and first appeared on our sister site Profession Santé.

A trio of new tests to diagnose Alzheimer's disease now available

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