New blood test spots Alzheimer's changes years before symptoms appear
Researchers tracking Swedish families with genetic Alzheimer's found that a simple blood marker—plasma GFAP—rises years before cognitive decline sets in. The discovery suggests a potential screening tool for at-risk individuals and could reshape how drug developers design trials targeting presymptomatic populations.
Originaltitel: Early functional changes and plasma GFAP in Swedish families with Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer's disease mutations
<p>We aimed to understand longitudinal associations between Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers in Autosomal Dominant AD (ADAD) across estimated years to symptom onset (EYO). Forty-five individuals (19 mutation carriers [EYO = -7.9 +/- 11.7 years, APP N = 11; PSEN1 N = 8]) from Swedish ADAD families participated. All received baseline 18F-Flurodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET and cognitive testing, and a subset (N = 26) plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) measurement. Follow-up data collection (including 106 FDG scans) was performed over 7.4 +/- 6.4 years (visits ranged from 1-5, EYO = -25.8 to +10.3 years in mutation carriers). Mixed effects models were applied to determine longitudinal associations. APP and PSEN1 mutation carriers showed different FDG uptake profiles from EYO = -20 to -10 years, with a hypermetabolism before hypometabolism in PSEN1 mutation carriers. Early increases in plasma GFAP were primarily related to subcortical FDG decreases and cognitive changes in APP mutation carriers compared to non-carriers. We provide evidence for gene-dependent biomarker trajectories in ADAD.</p>