Detecting the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease may one day be as easy as swabbing the inside of your nose.
An experimental swab, patented by Duke Health, picked up early changes in nerve and immune cells even before thinking and memory problems had emerged.
“If we can diagnose people early enough, we might be able to start therapies that prevent them from ever developing clinical Alzheimer’s,” said researcher Dr. Bradley Goldstein, a professor at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.
His team recently published findings from a small and encouraging study of the nasal swab in Nature Communications.
The aim, he said, is to one day be able to “confirm Alzheimer’s very early, before damage has a chance to build up in the brain.”
For the study, researchers obtained nasal samples from 22 participants.
First, they applied a numbing spray, then they guided a tiny brush into the upper part of the nose, where nerve cells that detect smells reside.
From those samples, they looked at which genes were active, an indicator of activity inside the brain.
The swabs allowed them to measure the activity of thousands of genes across hundreds of thousands of individual cells, amounting to millions of data points — picking up early shifts in nerve and immune cells, even in people who had lab-based signs of Alzheimer’s but no symptoms.
The upshot: The swab test correctly distinguished early and clinical Alzheimer’s from healthy controls about 81 percent of the time.
Alzheimer’s blood tests now in use detect markers that appear only later in the disease process, researchers said in background notes.
The nasal swab, however, captures living nerve and immune activity, which may provide a more direct look at disease-related changes and pave the way for earlier intervention.
“Much of what we know about Alzheimer’s comes from autopsy tissue,” said first author Vincent D’Anniballe, a student in Duke’s medical scientist training program. “Now we can study living neural tissue, opening new possibilities for diagnosis and treatment.”
Mary Umstead volunteered for the study in honor of her sister, Mariah Umstead, who died with young-onset Alzheimer’s. Mariah was just 57 when she was diagnosed, though the family had noticed signs of the disease long before.
“When the opportunity came along to be part of a research study, I just jumped at it because I would never want any family to have to go through that kind of loss that we went through with Mariah,” she said. “I would never want any patient to go through what we went through either.”
In collaboration with the Duke & UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the Duke team is expanding its research to larger groups and aims to learn whether the swab could help track treatment progress over time.
The National Institutes of Health funded the study.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, irreversible brain disorder that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. Over time, symptoms can become severe enough to interfere with the ability to complete daily tasks. It is the most common form of dementia.
Catching Alzheimer’s early is critical. It allows time for interventions that may help slow cognitive decline, gives individuals and families time to plan for future care, and addresses safety and legal considerations.
Early detection may also support greater independence, improve quality of life, and reduce long-term medical costs.
Early signs of Alzheimer’s include:
RELATED: Caring for Someone With Early Alzheimer’s? Here’s How to Keep Memories Alive
So, why does this matter for our community?
Older Black Americans are about twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as older white Americans. This increased risk is driven by several factors, including a higher rate of cardiovascular conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as systemic inequities, differences in access to quality healthcare, and social determinants of health — the nonmedical, environmental conditions where you’re born, live, learn, work, and age.
Earlier, less invasive testing — such as the nasal swab — could help close diagnostic gaps, especially if it becomes widely available and accessible.
Current approaches for detecting Alzheimer’s disease include:
While these tools can be helpful, some are expensive, not widely available, invasive, or better at detecting changes later in the disease process.
The nasal swab offers a different approach. It is minimally invasive, examines living nerve and immune cells linked to the brain, and may detect changes much earlier.
Just think of it like checking smoke before there’s a fire — the earlier you can detect a problem, the more options you may have.
Here’s a look at what the process may be for the nasal swab test:
The procedure typically lasts just a few minutes. The collected cells are then analyzed to measure the activity of thousands of genes and identify early changes in nerve and immune cells that may signal Alzheimer’s disease.
RELATED: Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical Trials: What You Need to Know
While this nasal swab test is still in the early stages of research, it has promising potential. Earlier detection could help change outcomes — especially in communities like ours, that are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
If you or a loved one is getting older or noticing changes in memory or thinking, it can be helpful to keep tabs on the latest developments in Alzheimer’s research. You may also consider participating in clinical trials, which play a key role in advancing new tools and treatments. You can check out BlackDoctor’s Clinical Trials Resource Center to find open trials seeking participants.
More information
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center an online test for cognitive, memory or thinking problems.
SOURCE: Duke Health, news release, March 18, 2026
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