HealthBridge's In-Home Care Blog

It's been an exciting summer for Alzheimer's research. 

The Alzheimer's Association has created an incredible new website to help caregivers track research developments.  A team of scientists developed a new brain scan that can detect the hallmark plaques of the disease. 

Now, here in Texas, a team of researchers has developed a blood test for Alzheimer's Disease. 

The Houston Chronicle interviewed the primary researcher on the project:

"If it's confirmed, this test will offer millions of geriatric patients across the country and the planet the opportunity at least to be screened annually," said Dr. Sid O'Bryant, a professor of neurology at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center and the primary investigator of the study, in Hawaii. "Then, if it's positive they can go to a specialist and get a proper workup and start treatment."

The test, which measures a mix of more than 100 blood proteins, accurately classified those participants who had the disease and those who didn't 95 percent of the time. Blood samples were taken from about 600 people, split between those with and without the disease.

Many research teams are pursuing such a diagnostic tool, but Baylor College of Medicine team member Dr. Rachelle Doody said the Texas research is the most comprehensive and furthest along. The Texas team will publish a paper on the study in an undisclosed journal this fall, only the second ever such journal publication involving an Alzheimer's blood test.

Doody stressed that the study still needs to be replicated.

The team has submitted a grant request to the National Institutes of Health that would not only attempt to replicate the results, but also assess its ability to distinguish different types of Alzheimer's and to predict people's risk of developing the disease.

More than 5 million Americans have the degenerative brain disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association, and experts predict the number will double over the next 15 years as baby boomers age.

Texas has 340,000 people with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, an amount projected to grow to at least half a million by 2025.

The study was the product of the Texas Alzheimer's Research Consortium, a Legislature-created collaboration comprised of Baylor, Texas Tech, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth.

I'm so proud of the work we're doing here in Texas to fight Alzheimer's Disease.  We're among the first states to have a comprehensive State Plan for Alzheimer's Disease.  The Texas Alzheimer's Research Consortium is a shining example of how collaborating on the hardest problems can yield great results. 

We'll continue to keep you posted as these new Alzheimer's Disease diagnosis tests mature.  Until then, please continue to support the cause and continue to share your success stories with this community!