Could Sleep Molecules Lead to a Blood Test for Alzheimer's Disease?

A study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association found a specific class of molecules may help with Alzheimer's diagnosis, reports ScienceDaily . The researchers discovered the level of sleep-inducing fatty molecules in blood were higher in participants with amyloid in the brain. Amyloid coheres into plaques that destroy neurons, and their accrual is believed to start years before the manifestation of Alzheimer's symptoms such as memory loss. "A much-needed pre-requisite for new treatments for Alzheimer's disease is a reliable diagnostic test that could be used to identify people at risk," said King's College London's Cristina Legido-Quigley. "A blood test would be cheaper than measuring amyloid in the brain and easier to do than a spinal tap. There is more work to be done. So far, we have measured these molecules in nearly 600 participants, and hope to expand to the thousands to establish if a new diagnostic test in blood is indeed possible."