Got questions?

Only a healthcare provider can order the DISCERN™ test. The DISCERN™ test is not available everywhere and we can help you find a provider in your area who offers the DISCERN™ test.

A health care provider will collect a small skin sample from your forearm using a standard collection device. Your test sample will be sent to our laboratory where the tests will be performed.

The DISCERN test usually requires 8 and 10 weeks to receive the results. Once the sample is received in the lab, the skin sample taken by your clinician is grown in the lab. Some skin samples grow slower than others and it normally takes 6 weeks for the skin sample to grow enough to run the DISCERN test. During this time, your clinician will have updates available on the status of your test. Once the DISCERN tests are run on the skin sample, a report will be sent to your clinician who will discuss the findings with you.

The DISCERN™ test is new and the full cost is covered by Medicare Fee for Service. If you have Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) or private insurance, check with your insurance company as many do not yet cover the test as Synaps Dx is currently working to establish reimbursement. Patients may be responsible for paying out-of-pocket for DISCERN if insurance does not cover it.

Synaps Dx will send a lab report with the test results to your health care provider who is best qualified to make a diagnosis. This could take 8-10 weeks from the time your skin sample was taken.

DISCERN™ is the world’s only NIH Gold Standard validated test that identifies and distinguishes Alzheimer’s disease from non-Alzheimer’s Dementia. The test requires a small skin sample, which is used to analyze three biophysical and biochemical measures to detect Alzheimer’s disease pathology. The test assesses the morphology of skin fibroblasts, Protein Kinase C, and phosphorylated extracellular regulated kinase ratios using a high sensitive single-molecule array from a single sample of skin.

It is your decision as a healthcare provider to have your patient take the DISCERN™ test. You can determine if it’s the right test for your patient based on your patient’s Dementia diagnosis and your assessment.

The DISCERN™ test may be necessary for a patient with a family history of Alzheimer’s as it will determine if they have it or not.

More than a decade of clinical research has shown 3 key proprietary biomarkers that determine the level of synaptic loss in the brain before the onset of amyloid plaques or tangles and even in the early stages of progression (between 0 to 4 years).

You or your administrative staff may also call us to discuss setting up an account. Once we receive your information and confirm information about your office, your account will be established, and a customer service representative will contact you to schedule the delivery of your test kit.

Please refer to the benefits of an early diagnosis page here.

Once a lab appointment has been scheduled for your patient, your office (or the lab facility collecting the skin sample) will receive the test kit before the day of the appointment. The test kit will include specific instructions for the biopsy collection and processing.

If your office does not offer skin punch biopsy, you’ll need to contact us, and we will do our best to locate a DISCERN™ certified doctor with the ability to provide that service.

We will send an official lab report directly to you.

DISCERN™ test results are highly accurate both detecting Alzheimer’s disease and differentiating it from other types of Dementia. This test is backed by more than a decade of research.

The Resources page provides comprehensive information and local and national resources for individuals to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease. If your office does not have social services available to counsel your patient, you may consider referring your patient to your local Alzheimer’s Association chapter or your State’s Office of Aging.

DISCERN™ is a test to help your clinician determine if you have Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). DISCERN™ was developed by Synaps Dx and has been rigorously tested and has shown to be accurate for identifying AD in people recently diagnosed with dementia.

No. DISCERN™ has been studied only in people diagnosed with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association describes dementia as loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Your clinician can diagnose dementia through medical history, a physical exam, laboratory and cognitive tests.

DISCERN™ is a combination of three tests performed on the same skin sample in the lab. These tests evaluate different factors associated with changes in the networks of nerves and how they connect in your brain. Changes in nerve networks and how they connect have been shown to be related to the memory problems seen in AD. Additionally, DISCERN™ evaluates enzymes that regulate the formation of amyloid plaque which is usually seen in people with AD. Amyloid plaques are proteins that are incorrectly folded and form in the spaces between nerve cells. These abnormally configured proteins are thought to play a central role in Alzheimer’s disease. The amyloid plaques first develop in the areas of the brain concerned with memory and other cognitive functions.

If you are experiencing memory decline, you should talk to your health care provider.Your health care provider can determine if the DISCERN™ test is right for you.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive issues serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases. For more information and resources on Alzheimer’s Disease, please visit Alzheimer’s Association – What is Alzheimer’s or visit our Resource tab.