The FDA recently greenlit AIRAscore, a promising brain volumetry software from German medical tech company AIRAmed. Designed to assist clinicians in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as well as to help differentiate other dementias and neurological conditions, AIRAscore uses deep learning and artificial intelligence to analyze MRI scans in just five minutes. It offers precise measurements of different brain areas and structures, comparing them to a vast reference population, and even correcting for factors like age and sex. The result? Data that are as easy to digest as your typical lab report. After being used in Europe for four years, AIRAscore is expected to appear in the US early this year.

Parallel to AIRAmed’s strides in brain imaging, LabCorp is enhancing blood biomarker diagnostics for AD through its ATN Profile. This diagnostic tool identifies amyloid plaques, tau tangles, and neurodegeneration, helping clinicians detect and interpret these biomarkers. A positive result on ATN Profile would require further confirmation via CSF biomarkers or PET scan, but patients with a negative finding could be spared these invasive procedures.

Although we are hopeful that these tools will positively change the management of AD, we would like more research to suggest that they improve patient outcomes. Keep in mind the indirect harms of positive screening results, including additional workup, stigma, and patient and caregiver anxiety.