Australia is poised to implement a new blood test capable of identifying precursors to Alzheimer's disease years before symptoms manifest. The Therapeutic Goods Administration-approved test, which detects the proteins amyloid and tau known to accumulate in the brain, is set to undergo further clinical trials at the new Asia-Pacific Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis in Sydney.
This center is a joint initiative between Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and healthcare company Roche. The development marks a significant shift from previous diagnostic methods, which relied on lumbar punctures or costly brain scans that are not widely accessible.
For individuals in the early stages of Alzheimer's, the new non-invasive test offers a pathway to anticipate future needs and potentially begin preventative therapies. Associate Professor Emma Devenney, a neurologist at NeuRA who will oversee the center, emphasized the importance of early diagnosis for planning. "Earlier is definitely better for people who have symptoms," Devenney told AAP. "It's really important for people to plan while they still can, to give them time to do the things that they want to do."
Initially, the test will be available through specialist referral across Australia by the end of the year, with the possibility of future access through Medicare. However, its initial rollout will be limited to individuals already exhibiting symptoms.
This cautious approach stems from the test's current limitations. While it can detect the abnormal proteins associated with Alzheimer's, it cannot yet provide a definitive timeline for symptom onset or guarantee that symptoms will appear at all. "It doesn't tell you that you have the disease; it tells you that you have the changes in your brain - the abnormal proteins - that are associated with the disease," Professor Devenney explained. For example, a 60-year-old testing positive might not develop symptoms for decades, if ever.
"So I think we have to be really responsible in how these tests are rolled out into the community at the moment," she added. Researchers hope that future advancements will enable the test to offer greater certainty regarding symptom onset, potentially making it as routine as checking cholesterol levels. "And hopefully by that stage we will have preventive treatments," Devenney said.
