Scientists have announced a new method for detecting rare forms of dementia and other neurological diseases through blood tests. The team from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) stated that blood markers can identify frontotemporal dementia (FTD) as well as neurological diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
FTD, ALS, and PSP form a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases with overlapping symptoms, including dementia, behavioral changes, paralysis, muscle wasting, movement impairment, and other serious issues.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, are based on measuring certain proteins in the blood, which act as biomarkers.
The study also involved the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and other research institutions in Germany and Spain.
“As yet, there is no cure for any of these diseases. And, with current methods, it is not possible to reach a conclusive diagnosis of the molecular pathology of these diseases during a patient’s lifetime, since brain tissue must be examined,” explained Professor Anja Schneider, a research group leader at DZNE.
The researchers demonstrated that PSP, the behavioral variant of FTD, and the vast majority of ALS cases, excluding a particular mutation, can be detected through blood testing, which also applies to their underlying pathology.
“Our study is the first to find pathology-specific biomarkers. Initially, application is likely to be in research and therapy development. But in the long term, I consider it realistic that these biomarkers will also be used for diagnosis in medical routine,” said Schneider, who is also affiliated with the University of Bonn.
The results were based on data and blood samples from study collectives in Germany and Spain, comprising 991 adults.