Alzheimer's Blood Test Could 'revolutionise' Diagnosis

More than 1,000 group crossed nan UK pinch suspected dementia are to beryllium offered a humor trial for Alzheimer's illness which it is hoped could revolutionise test of nan disease.

The humor trial tin observe biomarkers for rogue proteins which accumulate successful nan brains of patients pinch nan information and will beryllium utilized successful summation to pen and insubstantial cognitive tests, which often misdiagnose it successful its early stages.

Scientists starring nan proceedings astatine University College London judge nan humor trial will amended nan accuracy of test from 70% to much than 90% and want to spot really that helps patients and clinicians.

Patients will beryllium recruited astatine 20 representation clinics arsenic portion of nan study, which intends to spot really good nan trial useful wrong nan NHS.

Alzheimer's illness is nan most communal shape of dementia and is associated pinch nan build-up successful nan encephalon of 2 rogue proteins - amyloid and tau - which tin accumulate for up to 20 years earlier symptoms emerge.

The caller humor test, which costs astir £100, measures a biomarker called p-tau217, which reflects nan beingness of some proteins.

Previously, nan only measurement to corroborate Alzheimer's was by master PET encephalon scans and lumbar punctures to extract cerebrospinal fluid.

However, these "gold standard" tests are not portion of regular Alzheimer's test and only 2% of patients ever person them.

Professor Fiona Carragher, main argumentation and investigation serviceman astatine nan Alzheimer's Society, said: "Our caller Lived Experience Survey revealed that only a 3rd of group pinch dementia felt their acquisition of nan test process was positive, while galore reported being acrophobic of receiving a diagnosis.

"As a result, excessively often, dementia is diagnosed late, limiting entree to support, curen and opportunities to scheme ahead."

Now, nan Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis and Plasma p-tau217 (ADAPT) proceedings has begun recruitment astatine a representation session successful Essex, pinch 19 further master NHS centres planned to beryllium progressive crossed nan UK.

The study is being led by scientists astatine University College London, and is supported by Alzheimer's Research UK, nan Alzheimer's Society, pinch backing from nan People's Postcode Lottery.

Jonathan Schott, professor of neurology astatine University College London and main aesculapian serviceman astatine Alzheimer's Research UK said he was "thrilled" to invited participants onto nan ADAPT trial.

He described nan proceedings arsenic "a captious portion of nan Blood Biomarker Challenge, which we dream will return america a measurement guardant successful revolutionising nan measurement we diagnose dementia."

Half nan participants successful nan study will person their humor tests results wrong 3 months while nan others will beryllium told aft 12 months.

The study squad will found whether providing results earlier helps velocity up diagnosis, guides decisions astir further investigations, and influences really some patients and doctors construe and respond to nan results.

The effect of humor trial results connected value of life will besides beryllium measured.

If nan proceedings is deemed successful, nan humor trial could go a modular portion of Alzheimer's diagnosis. This will beryllium important successful years to travel arsenic a raft of caller narcotics to combat early-stage illness are successful nan last stages of objective trials.

Steven Pidwell, 71, from northbound London, says an accurate, accelerated humor trial for Alzheimer's, mixed pinch caller treatments, would beryllium a "gamechanger" for families affected by nan condition.

His partner of much than 50 years, Rachel Hawley, was diagnosed pinch Alzheimer's illness almost a decade ago.

Steven told nan BBC: "I deliberation it would mean everybody's thought of Alzheimer's would change. We would dainty Alzheimer's much for illustration having a disability, alternatively than benignant of a curse, and thing we can't talk about."

A test of Alzheimer's tin beryllium devastating but nan mates opportunity they garbage to fto nan illness spoil their clip together.

Rachel, 72, said: "I deliberation I still person a very happy life, and americium very fortunate successful each sorts of ways."

The mates were portion of a group of patients pinch lived acquisition of Alzheimer's, who helped researchers astatine UCL creation nan proceedings and nan feedback to imaginable volunteers.

The squad astatine UCL expect to person results successful astir 3 years.