Weekly InSight: Alzheimer's Disease and a Blood Test

A study published in the journal Nature Medicine flooded mainstream media and Facebook feeds this week with headlines and stories claiming that a blood test may be able to detect Alzheimer’s disease (AD) more than a decade before symptoms appear.

One caveat overlooked or downplayed by many outlets, though: The study population involved individuals with a rare gene mutation that made them highly likely to develop AD.

“They are also generally significantly younger when they do,” PMC Co-Director David Wolk, MD, explained. “Such patients make up less than 1 percent of AD. So it remains to be seen how well this test will work in older individuals with more typical AD, but it is certainly promising as a marker of brain injury over time.” This injury could be due to Alzheimer’s disease but also many other brain diseases, added PMC Co-Director Jason Karlawish, MD.

In short: No, there is not yet a blood test able to predict Alzheimer’s.

For a more in-depth, but simplified, breakdown of the research, its results, and conclusions, refer to this article from the British Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). To learn more about biomarkers currently being used in AD care and research, visit the National Institute on Aging.

Job Opportunity

The Penn Memory Center is seeking a Clinical Research Coordinator B to join our multi-disciplinary team of health professionals. For more information about the full-time position and to apply, click here.

Upcoming Events

The next Memory Café will be held on Friday, February 1 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Christ Church Neighborhood House in Old City. Beacon Theatre Productions will be presenting the play “Letters to Aunt Hattie.” Memory Café is exclusively for people with memory problems, including Alzheimer’s disease, and their partners/families. The program is free. Please RSVP to Alison Lynn at 215-360-0257 or alison.lynn@uphs.upenn.edu. All 2019 dates are posted here.

Our “Empowering Caregivers” spring series will kick off in February. It will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday February 7, March 14, April 18, May 16, and June 20 at 241 Ralston House. Caregivers will have access to area experts who will present on a variety of intensive topics from in-home activities to end of life care. Each talk is free and capped at 30 guests. More details about the series are here. To RSVP, contact Felicia Greenfield at felicia.greenfield@uphs.upenn.edu or 215-662-4523 and note which workshop(s) you’d like to attend.

Creative Expression Through Music, a collaboration between PMC and the Curtis Institute of Music, is a new, free program for PMC patients experiencing memory change or those with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage dementia. It’s intended to provide participants with a greater understanding of music, fun new tools for interacting through sound, and creative musical experience that flex their imaginations. Beginners are welcome. Session One will engage participants in collaborative, creative musical experiences and will assess their impact on participants’ mood and well-being. Session Two will focus on creating new music and building the skills and activities of Session One. Registration for Session One is now closed, but Session Two is still enrolling.

Session Two will meet from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. on March 19, 26, April 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30. All sessions are held at The Curtis Institute of Music in Lenfest Hall, Room LH314. If you’d like to register or have questions, contact Matthew Volpe at matthew.volpe@uphs.upenn.edu.

Sincerely,

The PMC Communications Team

Terrence Casey, Joyce Lee, Janissa Delzo, Linnea Langkammer, and Sharnita Midgett

Return to the Latest News Page

Subscribe To Our Email Newsletter

Weekly InSight: Alzheimer’s Disease and a Blood Test