A blood biomarker test for Alzheimers disease might be available to the public within the next three years.

There is currently no blood-based test available to detect the progressive neurological disorder, which is the most common cause of dementia. There is no cure.

Dr. Aimee Pierce, a professor at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and the director of clinical care and therapeutics in the OHSU Layton Aging and Alzheimers Disease Center, said she thinks a blood biomarker test will be available in the next three years.

Sara Kofman, public policy director with Alzheimers Association Oregon & SW Washington Chapter, said the test will help modernize the diagnosis for Alzheimers and dementia.

Alzheimers is currently diagnosed after tests including imaging and a lumbar puncture, or spinal tap. Both of those procedures can be expensive, some areas dont have nearby imaging technology, and a spinal tap can be invasive. A blood biomarker test will be more affordable and accessible for people, Kofman said.

We need to find a way to administer a less invasive and more accessible technology to detect the disease, Kofman said.

OHSUs Layton Aging and Alzheimers Disease Center is one of 32 National Institutes of Health Alzheimers Disease Centers across the country. Pierce said theres an intense focus in the Alzheimers research world to discover a blood biomarker test. The test would detect an abnormal buildup of amyloid protein in the bloodstream, forming plaques.

High levels of protein plaques can be predictive of an Alzheimers diagnosis, as the protein is the building block of one of the hallmark brain lesions of Alzheimers disease, according to the Alzheimers Association.

Pierce said that buildup can occur 10 to 15 years before memory loss occurs, which means a blood test could lead to earlier detection of the disease and help the patient and their family prepare.

It might be very helpful for early detection, Pierce said.

The blood test might also be key to finding a cure for Alzheimers. If there are earlier detections of Alzheimers, then there can be more participants to help study the buildups, and possibly reverse the buildups or find other ways to stop Alzheimers from manifesting.

Its really important because it provides us with a window into the brain, Pierce said.

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Alzheimer's blood test could surface in near future - The Columbian