New UCLA-led research “could lead to a cost-effective blood test to identify changes occurring near the top of the chain, potentially identifying at-risk patients at an earlier stage.”
According to a release from UCLA, the study participants were “55 or older and had undergone brain MRI and blood tests for PlGF levels.”
Additionally, “the researchers studied possible associations involving several factors: plasma levels of PlGF, a highly sensitive research MRI measure of fluid accumulation in the brain called white matter free water (FW), white matter hyperintensities, and patients’ scores on cognitive assessments. Results were consistent with models suggesting that elevated PlGF increases vascular permeability, leading to accumulation of fluid in the brain’s white matter, development of white matter hyperintensities and subsequent cognitive impairment.”
The authors call for additional studies.
