THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 28, 1996 TAG: 9603280398
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: SAN FRANCISCO LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
A biotech company has unveiled what it calls the first effective test for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, saying it gives conclusive results in 60 percent of older patients with dementia.
The test involves drawing blood and performing a spinal tap. It examines the patient's blood for a genetic tendency toward Alzheimer's, and analyzes spinal fluid for plaque and tangles in the brain. High levels of plaque and tangles cause dementia.
The Alzheimer's Association and other outside experts welcomed the announcement but urged caution, saying neurologists have yet to determine the test's effectiveness.
Doctors now diagnose Alzheimer's by giving patients a battery of tests that often have to be repeated over months or years to monitor changes. These include blood, spinal fluid and memory tests. Autopsies have been the only way doctors can diagnose the disease with certainty.
Athena Neurosciences Inc. of South San Francisco introduced the test at Wednesday's meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in San Francisco.
The test is part of an outpouring of research that over the last three years has brought doctors much closer to understanding Alzheimer's disease.
The New England Journal of Medicine on March 21 published a study in which doctors used brain images, or PET scans, to capture signs of approaching Alzheimer's in people whose thinking and memory were still vigorous.
The Athena test differs because it is a diagnostic tool, said Alzheimer's Association spokesman Niles Frantz. The PET scans, which look for areas of low metabolic activity in the brain, are used only for research, he said.
Alzheimer's is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 4 million Americans have Alzheimer's, and 100,000 die of its effects every year.
Alzheimer's symptoms - memory loss, personality change and impaired judgment, speech and orientation - are caused by a buildup of plaque and tangles in the brain. by CNB