Simple at-home test can help predict Alzheimer's risk, says study
Researchers found self-administered finger-prick tests tracked Alzheimer’s biomarkers and cognitive decline in 174 people, but said the method is not yet diagnostic.
- On Wednesday, a study published in Nature Communications detailed a new at-home testing method combining finger-prick blood samples and online cognitive assessments to identify Alzheimer risk.
- Scientists aimed to create "scalable tools" to address a diagnostic gap, as only one in 1,000 people with early brain decline currently receives specialist evaluation.
- The study involved 174 participants who performed at-home finger-prick tests tracking biomarkers GFAP and p-tau217 alongside computerized memory and decision-making tasks.
- Dr. Sheona Scales, Director at Alzheimer's Research UK, said the test could "revolutionise dementia diagnosis" by offering a low-cost, scalable way to identify higher-risk people.
- Experts cautioned the test is not currently a diagnostic tool; larger, more diverse studies are needed to confirm performance alongside increased follow-up capacity in healthcare systems.
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Simple at-home test can predict Alzheimer’s risk, says study
An at-home test can help predict a person’s risk of getting Alzheimer’s, according to a new study. Source link : https://news.sky.com/story/simple-at-home-test-can-help-predict-alzheimers-risk-says-study-13540652 Author : Publish date : 2026-05-06 09:27:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
At-Home Blood Test Screens for Early Dementia
A simple finger-prick blood test at home combined with online cognitive tests can reveal signs of Alzheimer’s disease, providing a convenient way to screen for early dementia. The postal blood test, outlined in Nature Communications, is used to measure levels of two blood biomarkers linked with cognitive function: phosphorylated tau at amino acid 217 (p-tau217) and Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP). It could provide a way to screen for deme…
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