Study links blood protein levels to later cognitive decline risk

Researchers are exploring blood biomarkers, brain scans and multimodal artificial intelligence to identify Alzheimer’s disease before noticeable cognitive decline. A study of blood p-tau217 found that higher levels in cognitively healthy adults were associated with greater risk of later impairment and faster decline, while a separate study reported that an AI analysis of resting-state brain scans could distinguish Alzheimer’s patients from “super-agers” and flag risk years before symptoms. Reviews suggest AI systems can perform well at separating established Alzheimer’s from healthy controls, but are less reliable at distinguishing intermediate cognitive stages or predicting who will worsen. Blood-based amyloid and tau measures may offer a more accessible way to assess disease-related changes, though they provide complementary information and do not eliminate diagnostic uncertainty. Experts stress that early assessment and risk management may be valuable, but one research team cautions that asymptomatic people should not undergo routine biomarker screening until effective preventive treatments are available.