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Mayo Clinic Laboratories > Neurology > Dementia

Dementia

Diagnose with confidence

With federally approved treatments now available for Alzheimer’s disease and some types of autoimmune dementia, accurate, fast diagnosis is more important than ever.

Our comprehensive dementia testing menu features the most accurate, clinically relevant assays available. Including plasma and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker evaluations for Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune antibody panels, prion disease testing for rapidly progressive cases, and an innovative combination assay, our expert-developed menu drives precision answers that enhance patient care.

Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease

Our Alzheimer's disease evaluations use cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers to achieve a high concordance with amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scans and have been optimized to reduce pre-clinical variability, these clinically validated tests deliver fast, accurate answers that can improve access to Alzheimer’s disease treatments.

Autoimmune dementia Autoimmune dementia
Autoimmune dementia

Our autoimmune dementia panel uses a reflexive, algorithmic approach and multiple methodologies, including indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), cell-binding assay, immunoblot, radioimmunoassay, and Western blot to detect for nearly 20 neural antibodies associated with autoimmune dementia.

Hereditary Alzheimer’s disease and dementia Hereditary Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
Hereditary Alzheimer’s disease and dementia

We offer genetic testing for several conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, and cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL). Testing can lead to a diagnosis, guide care, and inform treatment decisions.

Rapidly progressive dementia Rapidly progressive dementia
Rapidly progressive dementia

Our first-in-class rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) assay that combines traditional Alzheimer’s disease biomarker testing with prion protein testing. Designed to streamline diagnosis and eliminate the need to multiple tests, our RT-QuIC assay quickly provides precision answers to confirm diagnosis.

Dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson’s, and multiple system atrophy Dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson’s, and multiple system atrophy
Dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson’s, and multiple system atrophy

Unique to the market and first in its class, SAAmplify™–αSYN is a seed amplification assay that detects for misfolded α-synuclein protein in cerebrospinal fluid to aid in the diagnosis of synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer's disease with Lewy body pathology, and multiple system atrophy.

Advancing understanding of a debilitating disease

Due to overlapping symptoms, distinguishing the correct cause of dementia can be challenging, often requiring multiple laboratory tests and extended time to diagnosis. Our dementia testing streamlines diagnosis, providing faster answers to guide patient care. In addition to supporting access to medications that can potentially slow cognitive decline, early diagnosis can help providers, patients, and families better manage symptoms, set expectations, and plan for the future.

Mayo Clinic neurology testing experts are available to assist with test ordering and to answer questions on results.

“We are part of the clinical care team — we are not just a service. We are clinicians working with other clinicians to help care for our patients.”

Bobbi Pritt, M.D., Chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology

News and updates

The latest

Join us on Oct. 29 for a SAAmplify-αSYN testing webinar featured image
Join us on Oct. 29 for a SAAmplify-αSYN testing webinar

Join us for a webinar exploring the revolutionary way SAAmplify™–αSYN testing, which is offered by Mayo Clinic Laboratories in collaboration with Amprion, is improving diagnostic accuracy for patients with neurodegenerative disorders.

Learn more
Noninvasive plasma biomarker testing provides faster answers: Alicia Algeciras-Schimnich, Ph.D. 

Alicia Algeciras-Schimnich, Ph.D., discusses Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ new noninvasive plasma biomarker assay for Alzheimer’s disease, an accessible, highly accurate testing option for individuals age 50 and above who are experiencing mild cognitive impairment or early dementia. Positive test results can confirm amyloid beta pathology and facilitate access to disease-modifying therapies.

Neurofilament light chain: Bjorn Oskarsson, M.D.

In this test-specific episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, and Bjorn Oskarsson, M.D., a neurologist at Mayo Clinic’s Florida campus, discuss how the neurofilament light chain test available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories helps physicians diagnose neurological disease and assess neuronal damage.

FDA-approved test expands options for Alzheimer’s disease

Joshua Bornhorst, Ph.D., describes the new, FDA-approved Alzheimer's disease (AD) test and how it differs from Mayo Clinic Laboratories' existing AD evaluation. The laboratory will offer both tests, to ensure flexibility and options for managing clinical care.

The Role of CSF in Alzheimer’s Disease

This "Specialty Testing" webinar will discuss Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which has been used in research on Alzheimer's disease for decades. Only recently, have platforms been developed to standardize measurements across laboratories.

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