A national trial is currently underway to potentially introduce the first NHS blood test for detecting dementia. University College London is conducting the trial, offering a new blood test to 1,100 individuals recruited from 20 NHS memory clinics. The aim is to identify early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, a significant breakthrough eagerly awaited by dementia researchers.
This trial is part of the £10 million ‘Blood Biomarker Challenge’ project, supported by the People’s Postcode Lottery. The ultimate goal is to establish routine population screening for dementia in the future. Leading the trial is renowned dementia expert Professor Jonathan Schott, emphasizing the importance of accurate diagnosis, distinguishing between memory issues caused by Alzheimer’s disease and other factors like depression or sleep problems.
Approximately a million people in the UK have dementia, but a considerable number remain undiagnosed. Professor Schott frequently encounters individuals at his clinic with mild cognitive impairment, emphasizing the need for early detection. The new blood test, known as p-tau217, can identify the presence of key proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease in the brain, providing comparable information to existing diagnostic methods like PET scans and lumbar punctures but in a more accessible and cost-effective manner.
The ADAPT (Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis and Plasma pTau217) trial will combine the new blood test with cognitive assessments to detect the disease at an earlier stage. Early diagnosis is crucial for accessing current treatments and planning care, especially with the emergence of new therapies that can potentially slow down the progression of dementia. The trial aims to improve the accuracy of Alzheimer’s diagnosis, which is currently at 70%, by integrating the new blood test, potentially increasing accuracy to 90%.
Professor Fiona Carragher from the Alzheimer’s Society highlights the challenges of late dementia diagnosis and the importance of collaboration to address this issue. The launch of the ADAPT trial represents a significant step forward in achieving faster and more accessible diagnostic methods for dementia. The effectiveness of the new blood test in guiding diagnosis and treatment is currently under evaluation through the trial.
Individuals interested in participating in the trial must be enrolled through participating NHS memory centers and meet specific eligibility criteria. Further details about the ADAPT trial can be found by following the provided links for more information.