Participants with higher pTau217 levels showed faster Alzheimer’s-related changes, even before clear signs appeared on brain scans. (Photo credit: FreePik) A simple blood test may soon change how early Alzheimer’s disease is detected. In a new study from Mass General Brigham, published in Nature Communications, researchers found that measuring a protein called plasma phosphorylated tau 217 (pTau217) can reveal early disease-related changes, sometimes even before they show up on conventional brain scans, opening a window to identify risk years in advance. The study tracked 317 cognitively healthy adults aged 50 to 90 over an average of eight years, analysing their blood markers, brain scans, and cognitive changes. It found that individuals with higher pTau217 levels were more likely to show faster progression of Alzheimer’s-related changes, in some cases even before clear abnormalities appeared on brain scans.…