New test distinguishes between prion disease and other causes of rapidly progressive dementia

In May of 2024, Mayo Clinic launched a new prion test, RT-QuIC Prion, CSF, which can distinguish prion disease from other causes of rapidly progressive dementia — particularly autoimmune forms of dementia and rapidly progressive forms of Alzheimer’s disease. “Rapidly progressive dementias are forms of dementia where the patient goes from the first symptom onset to loss of functional independence, usually in less than two years,” says John Mills, Ph.D., co-director of Mayo Clinic’s Clinical…