Advanced Testing for Dementia

We have two currently available tests to personalize the risk of dementia:

The Apo E genotype test is one test we can use (mostly Alzheimer’s, but also other types). While your specific Apo E result can determine if your risk for dementia is higher or lower than the average person, none of these genes are fully predictive of what will happen in the future. 

Many people want to know their genotype so they can better understand their overall risk and work hard to offset any existing increase in risk. But if knowing or worrying about your genotype will only increase your anxiety about dementia risk, you should skip this test.

The other test is pTau217, which appears in the blood decades before the onset of cognitive dysfunction. It can be helpful for patients with mild cognitive impairment but it can also be used to determine one’s risk of future dementia and tailor lifestyle interventions to more aggressively reduce risk now, rather than waiting until symptoms begin.