There may be a new way to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in its early development.

Scientists today announced a test that involves analyzing a skin sample.

Doctor Daniel Alkon is scientific director of the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, which developed the test.

He says currently, there isn’t a definite way to identify Alzheimer’s until after death.

“The gold standard of making the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is having memory loss or dementia in life and having at autopsy certain hallmarks that can be recognized at autopsy,” Alkon says. “Without those two you really can’t definitively make a diagnosis today.”

A spokesperson for the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Illinois says the study is a good preliminary step in diagnosing Alzheimer’s.

But she says it’s still in the early stages of development and could take years before it’s ready for practical use.