Blood Based Tests for Early Dementia

Pat & Dennis Bender Early Dementia Diagnosis & Prognosis Fund

 

J. Dennis Bender

Office, Home & Cell Phone: 859-391-5226

5726 La Jolla Blvd. – Suite 311

La Jolla, CA 92037-7345

&

Office - 100 Riverside Pl. - Suite 303

Covington, KY 41011-5711

 

We support the development of improved diagnostic methods for the early detection and diagnosis of MCI, Alzheimer’s, vascular and other dementias, their likely prognosis, and best treatment options. We focus on the development of Bayesian-based, medical-decision-support systems, comparative-effectiveness research, and the better utilization of these for the above. (After incorporating in KY as a 501(c)3 in 2002, we dissolved that entity in favor of a simplified form of two entirely self-financed, private philanthropies utilizing a Vanguard Charitable Trust for making annual-research-grants for early-dementia-detection and its correct differential-diagnosis and likely-prognosis. They will continue on, after I am long gone, either mentally or physically, with annual grants. Scripps Foundation, Profs. Randall Bateman, James Brewer and others will be our fund’s future research grant advisors. KMK Law is our legal advisor and David J. Bender is my Estate Rep. (See: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/research_progress/earlier-diagnosis)

 

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www.JDBender.com – EMS/eVTOL & Educational Experimental Aviation Fund (Vanguard Charitable Trust)

www.JDBender.org – Dementia Diagnosis Fund (Vanguard Charitable Trust)

 

May 16, 2024

 

Here my Vet as the flag-bearer for the Ukraine towing their 120’-long national flag. I’m also the flag-bearer for early dementia detection and its proper diagnosis and prognosis research!

ChatGPT-4o doesn’t look quite ready to replace my laborious daily medical literature research, study archiving and summarizations! Also looks like we also have a likely winner of my $100,000 annual research grant at Scripps Research as a follow-up to their most recent lecture (see: https://frontrow.scripps.edu/ !)

What Is The Best Blood-Based Test For The Very-Early Detection of Dementia?

I want to be replaced by ChatGPT so I can stop spending all day, every day, doing this research!

ChatGPT-4o As of now, blood-based-tests for the very-early-detection of dementia are still under research and development. However, there have been significant advancements in this area. One of the most promising tests is the measurement of specific biomarkers related to Alzheimer's-disease, which is the most common cause of dementia.

Key Blood-Based Biomarkers for Early Detection:

1. Amyloid Beta (Aβ) Proteins:
   • Aβ42 and Aβ40: The ratio of these two proteins can indicate the presence of amyloid plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
2. Tau Proteins:
   • Total-Tau (t-tau): Elevated levels can suggest neuronal damage.
   • Phosphorylated Tau (p-tau): Specific phosphorylated forms, such as p-tau181 and p-tau217, are particularly indicative of Alzheimer's pathology.
3. Neurofilament Light Chain (NfL):
   • Elevated levels of NfL in the blood can indicate neurodegeneration and are associated with various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
4. Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP):
   • This protein is associated with astroglial activation and neuroinflammation, which are also involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

Notable Blood Tests:

1. PrecivityAD™ Test:
   • Developed by C₂N Diagnostics, this test measures specific forms of amyloid-beta and other markers to estimate the likelihood of amyloid plaques in the brain.
2. Simoa™ Assay:
   • This highly sensitive assay can detect low levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood, providing an indication of neurodegeneration.

Research and Development:

• Blood-tests are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with new biomarkers being discovered and validated. Research is ongoing to improve the accuracy and reliability of these tests.
• Longitudinal-studies are critical to understanding how these biomarkers change over time and how early they can detect the onset of dementia.

Current Limitations:

• While these tests show promise, they are not yet widely available for routine clinical use and are often used in conjunction with other diagnostic methods, such as cognitive assessments and imaging studies (e.g., PET scans and MRIs).
• The specificity and sensitivity of these tests are still being evaluated, and more research is needed to determine their efficacy in diverse populations.

Conclusion: The best blood-based test for the very early detection of dementia is likely to involve a combination of biomarkers, including amyloid-beta, tau-proteins, and neurofilament-light-chain. These tests are promising but are still primarily used in research settings. As the technology advances and more data becomes available, these tests may become a routine part of early dementia screening and diagnosis.

 

 

Draft

 

 

{Blood Based Tests for Early Dementia}