Ten Alzheimer’s Diagnostic Candidates

University of Rochester researchers have found a group of metabolites whose relative (relatively) low concentrations can be a meaningful predictor of Alzheimer’s disease. Interestingly, the metabolites in question are members of the phospholipid bilayer making up cell membranes; it may turn out that Alzheimer’s proceeds by mechanisms we haven’t guessed yet.

525 seniors got a comprehensive cognitive assessment and gave a yearly blood sample for a five-year period.  The blood was examined for these lipids.

These ten specific lipids could predict with more than 90 percent accuracy whether they would either develop Alzheimer’s or a precursor condition known as amnestic mild cognitive impairment.  This early prediction can enable tracking of preventative therapies and development of new treatments…currently, autopsy is the best way to tell if someone had Alzheimer’s; usually, this is considered drastic.

 

More homework:

“Plasma phospholipids identify antecedent memory impairment in older adults.” Mark Mapstone, Amrita K Cheema, Massimo S Fiandaca, Xiaogang Zhong, Timothy R Mhyre, Linda H MacArthur, William J Hall, Susan G Fisher, Derick R Peterson, James M Haley, Michael D Nazar, Steven A Rich, Dan J Berlau, Carrie B Peltz, Ming T Tan, Claudia H Kawas & Howard J Federoff