Scientists can now detect early signs of Alzheimer’s through the nose

Scientists can now detect early signs of Alzheimer’s through the nose

A thin brush reaches deep into the upper nose, where smell begins. The motion takes only minutes. What it collects may carry early signs of a disease that usually hides for years. At Duke Health, researchers have tested a nasal swab that captures living nerve and immune cells, then reads their genetic activity for clues tied to Alzheimer’s disease. The approach points to a different kind of diagnostic window, one that opens before memory loss be…