A new “breakthrough” blood test can help spot the key warning signs of Alzheimer’s, latest research suggests.
The technique, using a blood sample taken with a finger prick at home and posted to a laboratory without refrigeration, could make detecting the disease easier, especially in places where traditional tests are hard to access, said scientists.
They claimed the self-sampling method could “fundamentally change” how they conduct research into the progressive brain disorder.
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behaviour. It is usually tested for through brain scans or spinal fluid tests, which can be both invasive and expensive.
There are also increasingly accurate clinical blood tests but they need trained personnel and temperature-controlled storage of the blood samples, which limits who can use them.
Nicholas Ashton led the study. Pic: University of Gothenburg
In the new study, scientists found that by using a few drops of blood from the fingertip and drying it on a card, they could see proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other brain changes in 337 people.
The results from the blood tests showed a strong correlation with more traditional tests, and the trial participants were able to get the blood samples themselves without help from the researchers.
The study was led by Nicholas Ashton who works at the Banner Health Institute in Arizona and for the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy.
He said: “This breakthrough could fundamentally change how we conduct Alzheimer’s research by proving that the same biomarkers doctors use to detect Alzheimer’s pathology can be measured from a simple finger prick collected at home or in more remote community settings.”
The researcher added: “While we’re still years away from clinical use, we’re opening doors to research that was previously impossible – studying diverse populations, conducting large-scale screening studies, and including communities that have been historically underrepresented in Alzheimer’s studies.”
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The new self-sampling method, which is done at home and the dry sample sent by post, could make Alzheimer’s testing much more accessible.
“What excites me most is that this work makes this type of research far more accessible,” said Anne Corbett, professor in dementia research at the University of Exeter, which also contributed to the research.
She added: “We’re moving toward a future where anyone, anywhere, can contribute to advancing our understanding of brain diseases. This isn’t just a technical advancement – it’s a paradigm shift in how we conduct neuroscience research.”
Co-author Clive Ballard, professor of age-related diseases at the University of Exeter Medical School, explained: “Our ongoing work will determine whether this could also be a valuable way of identifying people in the community who would benefit from more detailed diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease.”
