What this means
Some blood markers were linked to thinking scores and mood symptoms in this group. The study does not show these markers can detect Alzheimer's early, and the authors call for more long-term study.
Plain-English summary written by an AI model from the abstract. The original is below.
- Who it was tested in
- 122 Spanish-speaking Latino older adults without dementia
- Kind of research
- Early results, not yet checked by other scientists
The science
- Original title
- Alzheimers disease blood-based biomarkers in the Boston Latino Aging Study (BLAST): Associations with cognition and depressive symptoms
- Authors
- Tristao-Pereira, C., Silva, G., Lopez, K. et al.
- Journal
- medRxiv (preprint, not yet peer reviewed)
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
- Study type
- Preprint
Abstract
Background: Blood-based biomarkers (BBMs) may facilitate early detection of Alzheimers disease (AD), yet data in Latino populations remain limited. We examined associations of plasma biomarkers with cognition and depressive symptoms in Spanish-speaking Latino older adults enrolled in the Boston Latino Aging Study (BLAST). Methods: Baseline data from 122 older adults without dementia were analyzed. Plasma AB42/40, brain-derived phosphorylated tau (p-tau) 217, neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were measured using NULISA. Cognition was assessed with the Latin American Spanish version of the Preclinical Alzheimers Cognitive Composite (LAS-PACC5) and depressive symptoms with the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Regression models were adjusted for age, sex, and education. Results: Cognitively impaired participants had higher p-tau217 and GFAP than cognitively normal participants. Higher p-tau217 and GFAP were associated with poorer LAS-PACC5 performance, while higher NfL was associated with greater depressive symptoms. AB42/40 showed no significant associations. Conclusions: Distinct biomarker associations with cognitive and emotional functioning support further longitudinal evaluation of BBMs for risk characterization in Latino older adults and potential disease monitoring applications.
Tristao-Pereira, C., Silva, G., Lopez, K. et al. Alzheimers disease blood-based biomarkers in the Boston Latino Aging Study (BLAST): Associations with cognition and depressive symptoms. medRxiv. 2026. doi:10.64898/2026.10.13.26365304. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.13.26365304