A simple finger prick can be used to diagnose Alzheimer's

A new study led by the University of Gothenburg is paving the way for a much more accessible method of Alzheimer’s testing, requiring just a quick prick of the finger and a few drops of blood that can be sent to a laboratory through the mail.

The new test involves collecting one or two drops of blood from a finger prick onto a special card, which immediately separates blood cells from the plasma. After approximately 15 minutes, once the card has dried, it is sent by regular mail to a laboratory, where modern high-sensitivity techniques are used to analyse it.

The current study, which utilised the blood collection cards Capitainer SEP10 and Telimmune, included capillary blood samples from 203 people who underwent the finger prick test at one of five memory clinics in Europe. The test kit was then mailed to the neurochemistry department at the University of Gothenburg, where established biomarkers for Alzheimer’s, such as pTau217, were analysed. These biomarkers have been developed over a long period and have shown strong performance — initially in cerebrospinal fluid, then in venous blood samples, and now in blood from superficial vessels in the finger.

“The simple capillary blood test works almost as well as venous samples, but unlike traditional blood tests, this new test does not require transport on dry ice,” said Hanna Huber, a researcher at the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy, who presented the study’s results at the CTAD (Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease) conference in Madrid last month.

“This could significantly increase accessibility to Alzheimer’s testing in countries and regions lacking the infrastructure needed for high-sensitivity analyses.”

A new study is already underway to examine whether the test can be self-administered, allowing individuals to prick their own finger and mail the sample to a lab without the need for healthcare personnel. It is believed that the test could potentially be implemented within a few years, opening up possibilities for new research breakthroughs on Alzheimer’s disease — including its genetic profile and its prevalence across global populations.

That said, the researchers have emphasised that the test is not intended for general screening of the population. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently advises against general screening for Alzheimer’s disease as treatment options have historically been limited, making such screening ethically unsubstantiated.

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