Spinal Proteins May Predict Alzheimer’s

Proteins in spinal fluid can predict Alzheimer’s disease in people at high risk, a study has found. The study included 750 people with mild cognitive impairment. This is a problem with thinking and memory. It can lead to Alzheimer’s. Researchers measured one form of amyloid and two forms of tau in spinal fluid. In people with Alzheimer’s disease, these proteins are found in the brain. People in the study who later developed Alzheimer’s had less amyloid and more tau than those who did not develop it. Taken together, the three proteins correctly identified 8 out of 10 people who eventually were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. They also identified 7 out of 10 who did not develop the disease. Reuters Health and HealthDay news services wrote about the study July 21. It appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.