20 February 2025

Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease: New Biomarker Identified

The presence of neurofibrillary tangles in the brain is a key hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, with these abnormal protein clumps closely linked to the progression of the disease. Researchers have now developed a method to detect the earliest stages of their formation, which could lead to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment.

Though the accumulation of specific proteins in the brain is associated with Alzheimer's, by the time these proteins are visible in brain scans, the disease has already progressed, reducing the effectiveness of medications.

A recent study published in Nature Medicine has uncovered a potential biomarker that could enable doctors to detect the early signs of protein buildup before significant damage occurs.

"Detecting Alzheimer’s disease before irreversible neurodegeneration could improve the efficacy of available treatments," stated Jennifer Bramen, PhD, a senior research scientist and director of neuroimaging at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, who was not involved in the study.