Tool could detect early signs of Alzheimer’s

Researchers in the US are testing technology that could help doctors detect Alzheimer’s disease early and slow its advance.

The project focuses on the brain’s metabolism — how it uses glucose, the sugar that fuels thought, movement and emotions.

The research is led by Travis Gibbons, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, at Northern Arizona University (NAU).

Gibbons said: “The brain is like a muscle.

“It needs fuel to do work, and its gasoline is blood glucose.

“A healthy brain is greedy; it burns through glucose fast.

“But brain metabolism is slower when you have Alzheimer’s. It can be viewed as a canary in the coal mine in the development of the disease.”

Because the brain is hard to access, studying its glucose use has long been a challenge.

In the past, researchers sampled blood from veins in the neck, an invasive method unsuitable for routine care.

Gibbons and his team are now trialling a less invasive option using kits that isolate and test microvesicles circulating in the blood.

“Some of these microvesicles originate in a neuron in your brain, and they’re like messengers carrying cargo,” Gibbons explained.

“With these test kits, we can find what kind of cargo is in a microvesicle and run tests on it.

“It’s been described as a biopsy for the brain, but much less invasive. That’s the appeal of it.”

The method, though still in development, could transform how Alzheimer’s is detected and monitored.

Gibbons noted the work requires precision and patience, but the potential is significant.

In earlier research, his team delivered insulin through the nose, allowing it to reach the brain more directly than injections.

Blood tests afterwards showed biomarkers linked to improved neuroplasticity. Now, the goal is to find the same markers in microvesicles.

The study is advancing in stages: first in healthy volunteers, then in people with mild cognitive impairment, and finally in those with Alzheimer’s, to track disease progression through changes in glucose metabolism.

“Brain function is notoriously hard to measure, but we’re getting better and better at interrogating brain function through biomarkers,” Gibbons said.

“Soon, we might be able to help people protect their brain health and prevent Alzheimer’s disease the same way we protect people from cardiovascular disease by prescribing moderate exercise and a healthy diet.

“That will help us manage the burden on ageing people and society as a whole.”