Finger-Prick Blood Test Could Offer Easier Way to Detect Alzheimer’s, Researchers Say

A finger-prick blood test that can be mailed to a lab may offer a simpler way to detect the brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study.

Researchers tested whether tiny samples of blood dried onto paper cards — similar to those used in newborn heel-prick screening for rare, but serious inherited conditions — could reliably measure biomarkers linked to the memory-robbing disease. The approach avoids needles, centrifuges and refrigerated transport, all of which complicate current testing and limit its use outside specialist clinics.