(CNN)A simple blood test to diagnose Alzheimer's disease -- on the wish list of many doctors, researchers and patients -- may be closer to becoming a reality, according to the results of studies presented virtually this week during the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2020.
In a study presented Tuesday at the conference and published in JAMA, a blood test to detect the tau protein, one of the hallmark signs of Alzheimer's, was as accurate as a spinal tap or a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, which are the current gold standards of diagnosis while a person is living.
The test could also differentiate between different types of cognitive dementia and even flag early signs of Alzheimer's. While more research is required and such a test is likely still years away from being available, experts say the results are encouraging.
"This research represents an exciting step towards developing a blood test that could help identify Alzheimer's disease by focusing on specific sub-types of tau, one of the key proteins that becomes abnormal as part of the Alzheimer's disease changes in the brain," said Clive Ballard, professor of age-related disease at the University of Exeter Medical School, in the UK, who was not involved in the study.
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