A nationwide trial aiming to develop the first dementia blood test for the NHS is currently enrolling participants. University College London is conducting the trial, offering a novel blood test to 1,100 individuals recruited from 20 NHS memory clinics to identify early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. This initiative is part of the £10 million ‘Blood Biomarker Challenge’ project, supported by the People’s Postcode Lottery, with the potential to enable widespread dementia screening in the future.
Professor Jonathan Schott, a leading expert in dementia, emphasized the importance of accurate diagnosis, stating that distinguishing between memory issues caused by Alzheimer’s disease and those resulting from other factors like depression is crucial. Currently, approximately one million people in the UK have dementia, with a significant portion remaining undiagnosed. Professor Schott highlighted that the new blood test could play a key role in identifying individuals with Alzheimer’s disease at an early stage.
The trial, named ADAPT (Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis and Plasma pTau217), will utilize the innovative blood test alongside cognitive assessments to detect the disease much earlier. Researchers suggest that incorporating the blood test into standard diagnostic procedures could significantly enhance accuracy rates from 70% to 90%. This advancement is particularly important as new treatments emerge that could potentially slow down dementia progression if administered in the early stages.
The introduction of blood tests for dementia diagnosis is seen as a promising development by experts like Professor Fiona Carragher, the chief research officer at the Alzheimer’s Society. Access to timely and accurate diagnosis can facilitate better care planning and treatment options for individuals with dementia. By offering a faster and more accessible route to diagnosis, blood tests have the potential to address the challenges associated with late diagnosis of dementia. Participants in the trial will be recruited from designated NHS memory centers and will undergo assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of the new blood test in guiding diagnosis and treatment decisions.