Alzheimer's Risk can be detected in Infancy

A recent study suggests that babies with a genetic risk for alzheimer’s have a different brain makeup than other babies.

The APOE-E4 gene variant, associated with alzheimer’s, can be detected via a blood test. According to the researchers, about 60 percent of people who end up with Alzheimer’s have the variant, though it’s unclear if the brain development difference in babies with the gene variant leads to Alzheimer’s.

This study demonstrates some of the earliest brain changes associated with the genetic predisposition to (Alzheimer’s disease). The research raises new questions about the role of APOE in normal human brain development, the extent to which these processes are related to subsequent AD pathology, and whether they could be targeted by AD prevention therapies. Despite the results, researchers emphasized that having the APOE-E4 gene doesn’t mean you will absolutely develop Alzheimer’s.

The study was published in journal JAMA Neurology.

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