Researchers at Emory Goizueta Brain Health Institute and partner institutions have found new clues in the blood that could help explain why Alzheimer’s disease develops and how it affects memory.

The study, published in Nature Aging, examined blood samples from more than 2,100 individuals across four large research cohorts. Using advanced tools, scientists measured thousands of proteins in the blood and linked them to changes in the brain and thinking ability.

Traditionally, doctors have focused on sticky amyloid plaques in the brain as a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.