Scientists aim for Alzheimer's screening AUSTRALIAN scientists are making progress on a blood test that could lead to routine screening for Alzheimer's disease. They have identified blood-based signs of plaque in the brain that could alert doctors to the disease long before symptoms appear and irreversible brain damage has occurred. Early detection is critical. It gives people a much better chance of receiving treatment before it's too late," says researcher Dr Samantha Burnham from CSIRO's Preventative Health Flagship. Alzheimer's is the leading cause of dementia and affects 250,000 Australians. Dr Burnham hopes the breakthrough will lead to routine age-based testing in five to 10 years. This is exciting because it gives us a long window where we can make a difference. It is likely that any drugs that are developed will need to be given very early on," Dr Burnham said. Early diagnosis would also allow people to develop a care plan to reduce the burden on the patient and their family, she says. "A blood test would be the ideal first stage to help identify people at risk before a diagnosis is confirmed with cognitive tests and brain scans," she said. The research report has been published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.