Brain HealthBlood Proteins Predict Dementia Progression With Up to 81% Accuracy
Researchers at AIIMS New Delhi followed over 4,600 adults for roughly 55 months, measuring five blood-based brain proteins to see which best predicted progression from mild cognitive impairment to major dementia. GFAP emerged as the strongest predictor, correctly classifying patients 81% of the time, followed by total tau at 74%, NfL at 71%, and phosphorylated tau-181 at 67%. These simple blood draws, analyzed with ultrasensitive single-molecule array technology, tracked cognitive and functional decline in tandem. The findings suggest that routine plasma testing could serve as a non-invasive, scalable tool for early dementia risk stratification, particularly relevant for large, diverse populations like India's aging demographic where PET scans and cerebrospinal fluid tests remain largely inaccessible.
