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First Proven Diagnostic Test For Alzheimer's

Posted by kdawson on from the peace-of-mind-or-otherwise dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A test that can confirm or rule out Alzheimer's disease at an early stage has been shown effective by US pathologists. 'With this test, we can reliably detect and track the progression of Alzheimer's disease,' said lead researcher Leslie Shaw with the University of Pennsylvania's Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative in Philadelphia. ... The new test is detailed in the journal Annals of Neurology. It measures the cerebral-spinal fluid concentration of two biochemicals associated with the disease — amyloid beta42 peptide and tau protein."

9 of 66 comments (clear)

  1. spinal tap? by Dr_Banzai · · Score: 5, Funny

    This Alzheimer's test goes to 11.

    1. Re:spinal tap? by kylemonger · · Score: 3, Interesting

      No joke. I think most people when faced with a lumbar puncture would choose to not to know, or to just start taking Aricept blind. A needle in the arm or the ass is bad enough, a needle in the spine is a whole other level of terror.

  2. Guess where I'm taking mom to-morrow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    After that, the court order...

    1. Re:Guess where I'm taking mom to-morrow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      then we'll see who"s living in the basement, mother!

  3. I may have Alzheimer's by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    But at least I don't have Alzheimer's.

  4. Original article by aibob · · Score: 4, Informative

    You can read the abstract of the article in the Annals of Neurology at http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122266379/abstract

  5. Fine, we can detect it by sacremon · · Score: 3, Informative

    We still don't have a cure for it, so you are just telling the person at present 'Hey, you have Alzheimer's! Good luck with that!". I know, there might be treatments that can take advantage of early detection some time in the future, but at present it would just be pretty depressing.

    --
    If you can't beat them, embrace and extend them.
    1. Re:Fine, we can detect it by Mr2001 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      A diagnostic test is useful for finding a cure, though. When doing research, it helps to know who actually has the disease and be able to measure whether it's getting better or worse.

      --
      Visual IRC: Fast. Powerful. Free.
    2. Re:Fine, we can detect it by kaaona · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If only we could find a way to bring my dear mother back to her husband and family today. She's living in the world of her teens and 20s, and always angry that no one else thinks it's 1940. She doesn't recognize her two sons, and we miss her terribly. Alzheimer's is the cruelest of diseases.