Update on Blood Tests for Alzheimer’s Disease

Research in the field of fluid biomarkers is leading to new developments in Alzheimer’s disease identification, including new tests that can predict Alzheimer’s based on biomarkers in blood. Ahead of his keynote address as part of Alzheimer's Disease & Related Dementias Research Day on April 5, 2022, Dr. Thomas Karikari joins the podcast to discuss his work with these new blood tests, how accurate they are, and what research needs to be done before they are made available for clinical use. Guest: Thomas Karikari, PhD, assistant professor, University of Gothenburg, University of Pittsburgh Episode Topics 3:12 How close do you think we are to using these Alzheimer’s tests in doctor’s offices? 8:28 How accurate are the current available tests, such as spinal taps and these new blood tests, at identifying Alzheimer’s disease? 17:40 How early can these tests identify Alzheimer’s disease proteins before an individual shows symptoms? 21:41 How accurate can the risk calculators used with the blood tests be? Show Notes Learn about Dr. Thomas Karikari in his bio on the BrightFocus Foundation’s website. Register for the annual Alzheimer's Disease & Related Dementias Research Day at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s website. The April 5 event is designed to encourage collaboration and promote scientific thought among faculty, students and researchers from a wide range of disciplines across the UW–Madison campus.