Long-Term Care

Tests may detect early stages of Alzheimer's disease

Contemporary Long-Term Care Weekly, December 13, 2006

For the past two years, scientists have been developing a test to detect the earliest stage of Alzheimer's disease, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Scientists are making progress and can now identify a series of proteins in blood or spinal fluid that may indicate if a patient has Alzheimer's disease. So far researchers have identified 23 proteins, referred to as biomarkers. They will use their findings in a clinical trial of 100 patients. The results must be duplicated in larger trials before they become the foundation for more reliable tests, reported the Post-Gazette.

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