NEW BREAKTHROUGHS IN DEMENTIA RESEARCH Hall & Prior are a passionate supporter of new research into medical conditions that affect the elderly. We are excited to share recent advancements in Alzheimer’s research, conducted by Professor Ralph Martins AO. He is Professor of Neurobiology at Macquarie University, New South Wales, and Foundation Chair in Ageing and Alzheimer’s Disease at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia.
in a predictable way.
Professor Martins has recently completed a promising clinical trial in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. This was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and has promising results for future research in the field.
In special circumstances, such as rapidly progressive dementia or very young onset dementia, a cerebrospinal fluid examination may be performed. A cerebrospinal fluid examination tests for an indicator, or biomarker, that betaamyloid proteins are present in the brain.
Traditionally, Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia is diagnosed using a combination of physical assessments, mental status tests, and brain imagining. Tests are used to either rule out other conditions, or specifically diagnose Alzheimer’s disease.
Tests for Alzheimer’s disease typically assess for these plagues and tangles. Brain imagining using a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan involves the injection of a small amount of radioactive material into a vein, and scanning brain emissions to identify changes in brain activity patterns.
Both PET scans and cerebrospinal fluid examinations are costly and invasive. Professor Martins has been conducting research into testing beta-amyloid protein biomarkers in a minimally invasive and cost-effective way.
A brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease has areas of cell death and tissue loss. Cell death and tissue loss are observed as “plaques” and “tangles” in the brain. Plaques are clumps of a protein called beta-amyloid that build up between the brain cells. The small clumps block cell-to-cell signalling, and brain function. Tangles are twisted fibres of a protein called tau that build up within the brain cells. The tangles block the transports of nutrients to brain cells, causing cell death.
The clinical trial investigated whether a simple blood test, measuring beta-amyloid protein biomarkers, could predict whether beta-amyloid proteins were present in the brain. Testing during the earliest and mildest stages of the disease, before symptoms begin to show can allow for early intervention and improved outcomes. This is an exciting prospect for the aged care sector as a whole, as we prepare to provide care for Australia’s rapidly ageing population.
Though most people develop some plaques and tangles as they age, those with Alzheimer’s tend to develop far more. The plaques and tangles tend to begin forming in areas important in learning and memory, before spreading to other regions, affecting the brain and one’s behaviour
The clinical trials results show highly significant differences in the presence of specific betaamyloid protein biomarkers for those with Alzheimer’s disease, compared to those without, comparable in accuracy to conducting the more invasive cerebrospinal fluid examination.