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Alzheimer's disease can be predicted 20 years before it develops
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Researchers from the Banner Institute in Arizona, USA, have found that biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease can be detected twenty years before the disease develops and the first symptoms appear. Experts say that biomarkers of the disease are present in the brain of people predisposed to early dementia.
The authors say their findings could give scientists insight into how and why Alzheimer's progresses. They add that it could lead to earlier detection of signs of the disease and help make preventative treatment more effective.
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The scientists conducted the study on a group of young Colombians who were carriers of a genetic mutation, and the study took place in the preclinical phase of the disease.
Of the 44 participants aged 18 to 26, 20 carried the PSEN1 E280A mutation, which led to the onset of Alzheimer's disease at age 40, compared with the typical age of 75.
Using computer and magnetic resonance imaging, the functioning of the brain, the condition of the tissues, and the cognitive processes of the subjects were subjected to a thorough analysis. The experts also performed a spinal puncture.
As a result of a detailed analysis, the scientists found that both groups of subjects had almost no differences in the level of cognitive abilities, as well as in passing neuropsychological tests. The group whose participants were carriers of the mutation had significant differences in the amount of gray matter in its parietal lobe - there was less of it, and the functioning of some areas of the brain was different.
The plasma and cerebrospinal fluid of PSEN1 E280A carriers showed higher concentrations of the pathological protein beta-amyloid, which is characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. The accumulation of this protein in neurons of the brain is a condition for the development of symptoms of the disease.
Dr. Eric Rayman, one of the study's authors, notes that the findings suggest that changes in the brain begin long before clinical manifestations of dementia. This should be taken into account when searching for effective therapeutic methods.
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