Analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid can detect whether a person has Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy have studied biomarkers that offer more reliable diagnosis and, in the longer term, the possibility of effective new treatments.

In Alzheimer’s disease, a protein fragment called beta-amyloid forms clumps between the nerve cells of the brain, causing the disease’s characteristic effects on memory and function. The nerve fibres also become tangled, causing certain proteins to be released into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Leading Alzheimer´s expert
Led by Kaj Blennow, one of the world’s leading Alzheimer’s experts, researchers at the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy have developed a way of measuring these proteins and protein fragments in the CSF so that they can be used as biomarkers – substances that reflect biological processes in the body and allow more reliable diagnoses in people with cognitive disorders.

International programme
To promote wider use of these new biomarkers, the researchers in Gothenburg have established an international quality control programme for these measurements. Besides facilitating diagnosis, the biomarkers could also be used when new drugs for Alzheimer’s are tested.

The thesis “CSF biomarkers reflecting beta-amyloid and axonal pathology in Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions” was defended on 9 December. Link to thesis: http://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/27811

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