A revolutionary new blood test could help detect dementia even before symptoms appear, paving the way for earlier and potentially more effective treatment interventions.
Tl;dr
- Dementia affects more than 55 million people worldwide.
- UCLA researchers have identified a potential biomarker for early detection of dementia.
- Placental growth factor (PlGF) could be used as a cost-effective screening tool.
A global scourge: dementia
Dementia is a disease that affects more than 55 million people worldwide. Every year, nearly 10 million new cases are diagnosed. The severity of dementia can range from mild to severe, requiring full assistance with daily activities. It is a progressive neurological disease, particularly common in people over 65 years old.
Dementia: limited understanding
Dementia is a general term for a group of symptoms that affect a person's ability to think, remember, and reason. This syndrome causes a decline in cognitive abilities that interferes with daily life. It is a loss of brain function that can be caused by a number of diseases that damage nerve cells. It is essential to note that dementia is not a normal part of aging.
Hope for early detection
However, a glimmer of hope is emerging from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Researchers have identified placental growth factor (PlGF) as a potential blood biomarker for the early detection of cognitive disorders and dementia. Elevated PlGF levels are associated with increased vascular permeability, suggesting its role in the development of cerebral small artery disease. This finding could enable earlier identification and intervention for those at risk compared to current MRI-based diagnostics.
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The potential of PlGF as a biomarker
Additionally, PlGF could be used as a cost-effective screening tool to identify patients at risk for vascular brain injury before the insidious onset of cognitive decline. As Dr. Kyle Kern, a vascular neurologist at UCLA Health and researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, explains, “ As a biomarker for cerebral small artery disease and vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID), PlGF could be used as a cost-effective screening tool to identify patients at risk for vascular brain injury before the insidious onset of cognitive decline. »
In short, although dementia is a global scourge, research is making strides, offering hope for early detection and effective intervention.
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