Dementia breakthrough: Blood test could predict disease in sleep disorder patients 4 years before symptoms appear
A new study from McGill University has revealed that a blood test originally developed for Alzheimer’s disease could predict dementia in people with a specific sleep disorder.
The test can identify which patients are likely to develop dementia four years before symptoms appear.
The sleep disorder in question is idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD), which causes people to physically act out their dreams whilst sleeping.
Prior research has shown iRBD is strongly linked to Parkinson’s disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies, a form of dementia causing memory loss, hallucinations and movement difficulties.
The blood test analyses two proteins that serve as biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers followed 150 iRBD patients, testing their blood and tracking their health annually.
The test predicted dementia in almost 90 per cent of patients who later developed the disease.
“Detecting dementia risk early could have significant implications for how doctors guide patients, helping them plan for the future and potentially allowing for more personalised, effective treatments,” said Dr Ronald Postuma, a Professor at McGill’s Department of Neurology.
The study was published in the journal Brain and suggests unexpected connections between neurological conditions.
“Our findings suggest that Alzheimer’s treatments could also be tested in patients with this sleep disorder,” said Dr Aline Delva, who was a research fellow at The Neuro during the study.
“Perhaps, if treatments start early enough, Dementia with Lewy Bodies can be prevented.”
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The research team now plans to expand their study to confirm the test’s effectiveness in other populations.
They will investigate how well it can predict dementia risk in patients already diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
The researchers will also examine its predictive value in other groups at risk for Dementia with Lewy Bodies.
This expansion could further validate the blood test as an early detection tool.