Finger Prick Blood Test to Enable Early Alzheimer’s Detection

A new approach using a quick finger prick and a few drops of blood on a card that can be sent in regular mail could make Alzheimer’s testing much more accessible worldwide. The new test involves collecting one or two drops of blood from a finger prick onto a special card that immediately separates the blood cells from the plasma. After about 15 minutes, once the card has dried, it is mailed to a laboratory where high-sensitivity techniques are used for analysis. The biomarkers used in this test have been developed over a long period and have demonstrated strong performance, first in cerebrospinal fluid, then in venous blood samples, and now in blood taken from superficial vessels in the finger.

The European study, led by researchers at the University of Gothenburg (Gothenburg, Sweden), included capillary blood samples from 203 participants who took the finger prick test at one of five memory clinics across Europe. The test kits were then mailed to the neurochemistry department at the University of Gothenburg, where biomarkers for Alzheimer’s, such as pTau217, were analyzed. This test could be available for use within a few years. Another European study is already in progress to assess whether the test can be self-administered, allowing individuals to perform the finger prick and send the sample to the lab without the need for healthcare personnel.

This development comes at a time when Alzheimer’s treatments are advancing, with the drug lecanemab already approved in several countries outside the EU. Early detection is crucial for the effectiveness of these treatments. The test may also open up new opportunities for research into Alzheimer’s disease, including its genetic profile and global prevalence. However, researchers stress that this test is not intended for widespread population screening. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently advises against general screening for Alzheimer’s disease, as treatment options have traditionally been limited, making such screenings ethically questionable.

“The simple capillary blood test works almost as well as venous samples, but unlike traditional blood tests, this new test does not require transport on dry ice,” said Hanna Huber, one of the study’s authors. “This could significantly increase accessibility to Alzheimer’s testing in countries and regions lacking the infrastructure needed for high-sensitivity analyses.”

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