Blood biomarkers and AI imaging support earlier Alzheimer’s diagnosis

On the occasion of World Alzheimer’s Day, Mahajan Imaging & Labs hosted an expert webinar on the role of advanced diagnostics in the early evaluation of Alzheimer’s disease, focusing on pTAU217/βAmyloid1-42 blood biomarker testing, AI-enabled MRI brain imaging and FDG PET as complementary tools alongside clinical assessment.

The webinar, titled “Alzheimer’s Disease: From Early Signs to Early Diagnosis – The Role of Advanced Diagnostics in Timely Intervention,” featured Dr. Vinit Suri, Senior Consultant Neurologist, Apollo Hospital; (Padma Shri) Dr. Harsh Mahajan, Founder & Chairperson, Mahajan Imaging & Labs and Mentor, FICCI Health; Dr. Shelly Mahajan, Lab Director, Mahajan Imaging & Labs; and Dr. Ritu Verma, Director – PET CT & Nuclear Medicine, Mahajan Imaging & Labs.

The discussion brought together perspectives from neurology, nuclear medicine and laboratory diagnostics, reflecting Mahajan Imaging & Labs’ capabilities across radiology, pathology, genomics and nuclear medicine.

The discussion comes as India faces a growing dementia burden, with more than 8.8 million people aged 60 years and above estimated to be living with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease accounting for the majority of cases, and the number projected to nearly double over the next decade. Early recognition is increasingly important in Alzheimer’s disease, as identifying cognitive changes and underlying pathology at an earlier stage can support timely intervention and may help slow disease progression.

Dr. Vinit Suri, Senior Consultant Neurologist, Apollo Hospital, said, “The first step is recognising when a change in memory is more than an occasional lapse. Progressive forgetfulness, difficulty managing familiar tasks or changes that affect a person’s independence warrant neurological evaluation. Once cognitive impairment is established, investigations can help determine whether Alzheimer’s pathology is contributing to the symptoms and guide subsequent clinical decisions.”

(Padma Shri) Dr. Harsh Mahajan, Founder & Chairperson, Mahajan Imaging & Labs and Mentor, FICCI Health, said, “Alzheimer’s care is entering an important phase where earlier biological understanding can influence how the disease is evaluated and managed. At Mahajan Imaging & Labs, our focus has been to bring advanced diagnostic capabilities together so that clinicians have access to meaningful evidence at different stages of the diagnostic journey. This convergence of clinical expertise, biomarkers and imaging can strengthen the way Alzheimer’s is identified and followed over time.”

Dr. Ritu Verma, Director – PET CT & Nuclear Medicine, Mahajan Imaging & Labs, added, “PET imaging provides a functional perspective that cannot be obtained from structural imaging alone. In selected patients, FDG PET can help identify patterns of altered brain metabolism associated with neurodegenerative disease. Its value is greatest when the findings are interpreted with the clinical assessment, MRI and biomarker results rather than viewed in isolation.”

MRI brain imaging can assess structural changes in memory-related regions and help identify other causes of cognitive symptoms, including stroke, tumours and pressure abnormalities. FDG PET may be used where it offers clear clinical value. Under Mahajan Imaging & Labs’ integrated pathway, positive or borderline blood biomarker results may be followed by MRI and FDG PET CT where clinically indicated, with findings interpreted alongside the clinical picture.

A key focus of the discussion was pTAU217/βAmyloid1-42 blood biomarker testing, introduced by Mahajan Imaging & Labs as part of its Dementia Diagnostic Series, which also includes cognitive health and genetic risk panels. The USFDA- and CDSCO-approved test offers a less invasive approach to assessing Alzheimer’s-related biological changes compared with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing. Performed at the Mahajan Reference Laboratory, it supports faster reporting and closer integration of laboratory findings with clinical and imaging assessment.

Dr. Shelly Mahajan, Lab Director, Mahajan Imaging & Labs, said, “The development of blood-based biomarkers is an important step in making Alzheimer’s-related biological assessment simpler and more accessible. From a laboratory perspective, the pTAU217/βAmyloid1-42 ratio provides a measurable indication of disease-associated pathology through a blood sample. When interpreted appropriately with the clinical and imaging findings, it can help bring greater clarity to the diagnostic process.”

The webinar also discussed the changing treatment landscape for Alzheimer’s disease. Established medicines such as donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine and memantine continue to be used for symptomatic management. Newer disease-modifying therapies target amyloid pathology, with lecanemab and donanemab representing newer treatment options for eligible patients with early Alzheimer’s disease. Their use requires appropriate patient selection, confirmation of Alzheimer’s pathology and specialist monitoring.

The discussion also emphasised distinguishing normal age-related forgetfulness from persistent cognitive changes, particularly in people over 50 with memory concerns, MCI or a strong family history. With Alzheimer’s treatments evolving, identifying underlying pathology is increasingly important for clinical decision-making and multidisciplinary care.

The webinar reinforced the importance of combining clinical expertise with appropriate laboratory and imaging tools to support earlier and more informed evaluation of cognitive concerns.