False Positives in Alzheimer’s Diagnosis Can Be Devastating: Here’s How to Avoid Them
A false positive Alzheimer’s diagnosis isn’t just a data error. It’s a deeply personal misstep that can derail lives, create emotional turmoil, and lead to serious medical and financial consequences.
Yet, this risk is rising. As more blood-based biomarker tests enter the market, physicians and patients are left to navigate results that are probabilistic at best and dangerously misleading at worst.
What Exactly Is a False Positive?
A false positive means a test suggests someone has Alzheimer’s when they actually don’t. This might be due to overlapping pathology from another condition, like Lewy body dementia or frontotemporal degeneration, or simply from natural aging processes that raise amyloid or tau levels.
These biomarkers are not exclusive to Alzheimer’s, and elevated levels can be seen in:
- Older adults without cognitive symptoms
- Patients with non-Alzheimer’s neurodegenerative diseases
- Even healthy individuals, as confirmed in studies of cognitively normal centenarians
The Real-World Impact of Misdiagnosis
When a person is incorrectly told they have Alzheimer’s:
- They may be prescribed high-risk anti-amyloid therapies, which can cause brain bleeding (ARIA)
- They may prematurely quit work, sell assets, or enter long-term care
- Families may grieve unnecessarily or alter caregiving plans
- Treatable causes like vitamin deficiency or medication interaction may be missed
The financial cost is also high. Studies estimate misdiagnosed patients generate $400,000 or more in unnecessary care.
How DISCERN™ Helps Avoid False Positives
DISCERN™ is different. Instead of relying on indirect blood markers, it measures neuronal and synaptic changes from a skin biopsy, validated against autopsy-confirmed Alzheimer’s cases. This ensures exceptional accuracy: over 95% sensitivity and specificity and eliminates guesswork.
Because DISCERN™ compares results against real Alzheimer’s and non-Alzheimer’s dementia patients, it delivers binary clarity instead of risk probabilities.
Final Thoughts
Misdiagnosing Alzheimer’s can result in years of emotional strain, lost opportunities, and dangerous treatments. Tools like DISCERN™ help ensure that diagnosis leads to the right care, not just any care.
When the stakes are this high, clarity is care.