▲ Research results have shown that the onset of Alzheimer’s disease can be predicted early through a simple test. (Photo = DB)
[메디컬투데이=한지혁 기자] Research results have shown that the onset of Alzheimer’s disease can be predicted early through a simple test.
Research results showing that substances present in cerebrospinal fluid and blood can be used as biomarkers for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease were published in the academic journal ‘New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).’
According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, approximately 55 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with dementia, and the number is rapidly increasing.
Accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain is observed in more than 60% of Alzheimer’s dementia patients, and many experts explain that these proteins appear to interfere with the function of nerve cells in the brain, causing the characteristic cognitive symptoms of dementia.
Most of the existing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease help manage symptoms, but do not stop the progression of dementia. Therefore, early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and timely intervention are the most essential parts of the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Recently, a Chinese research team observed changes in biomarkers in Alzheimer’s disease patients and more than 1,200 normal participants over 20 years and reported the results.
Researchers recruited participants aged 45 to 65 between January and June 2000, excluding those with cognitive impairment, family history of Alzheimer’s disease, hearing or vision impairment, and severe underlying medical conditions at the start of the study. done.
Participants underwent follow-up examinations every two to three years until 2020, which included the patients’ overall health status, cerebrospinal fluid and blood test data, and neuroimaging tests. Ultimately, the researchers matched 648 participants diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease one-to-one with 648 participants without, based on demographic criteria, and compared the data from the two groups.
As a result, biomarkers such as ‘beta amyloid-42’, ‘beta amyloid-40’, ‘phosphorylated tau 181’, and ‘total tau concentration’ showed a statistically significant correlation.
A key finding of the study was that the participants’ levels of beta-amyloid-42 began to decline 18 years before they were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The ratio of beta-amyloid-42 and beta-amyloid-30 in cerebrospinal fluid has changed since 14 years ago. Phosphorylated tau 181 began to change 11 years before diagnosis, and total tau was also observed to increase 10 years before diagnosis.
In addition, the level of ‘neural filament (NfL)’ also increased 9 years before diagnosis, which appears to reflect damage and degeneration of nerve axons due to Alzheimer’s disease. It was confirmed that the decline in the volume of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory, began eight years before diagnosis.
The researchers argued that time factors must be considered in changes in biomarkers related to Alzheimer’s disease, and that the findings of this study should be appropriately integrated into clinical diagnosis and treatment processes.
Medical Today Reporter Han Ji-hyuk ([email protected])
[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]
2024-03-01 04:02:02
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