A Japanese analytical device maker and a university are launching a joint study on the use of a blood test to catch Alzheimer's disease early.

Shimadzu Corporation and Oita University will kick off the study in January to see if technology to analyze proteins in blood can be used for early detection.

Alzheimer's is the most prevailing type of dementia. A protein that is thought to cause Alzheimer's starts accumulating in the brain around 20 years before the onset of the disease. Early diagnosis is deemed crucial in treating the disease.

Researchers are looking at technology to analyze an extremely small amount of protein in blood. It was developed by Japanese Nobel laureate Tanaka Koichi.

For six months starting in January, a cohort study will be conducted on 100 residents of a city in Oita Prefecture who are in the early stages of Alzheimer's.

Researchers will study whether blood tests alone can detect abnormalities and examine psychological impacts of test results on patients.

Tests currently in use for diagnosing Alzheimer's are costly and put physical stress on patients. These problems could be solved if blood tests are proven to be effective in detecting Alzheimer's.

Shimadzu officials say they hope an enhanced ability to detect the disease early will lead to proper treatment.

A team of international researchers including those from Japanese drug maker Eisai has recently announced that their final clinical trials confirmed the efficacy of a drug they developed in slowing the progress of Alzheimer's.