Scientists get closer to blood test for Alzheimer's disease

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE AP Chief Medical Writer

New study results are boosting hopes that there soon may be a simple, reliable way to help family doctors diagnose the most common form of dementia. Researchers say an experimental blood test was able to distinguish people with Alzheimer's disease from those without it in several studies. The accuracy ranged from 89% to 98%, though the test still needs more validation. Several companies are developing these tests, which measure a protein that damages the brains of people with the disease. The results were discussed at a Alzheimer's conference Tuesday and some were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.