UK rolls out trial to diagnose Alzheimer’s, other forms of dementia

LONDON: Over 50 “memory clinics” in Britain are set to begin trialling blood tests for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia that could lead to earlier and faster diagnosis.

Around 5,000 volunteers will take part in the five-year research project carried out by teams at the University of Oxford and University College London. About a third of British people with dementia never receive a formal diagnosis and neuroscientists hope the trial will enable people to access medical care and support at a much earlier stage.

Rogue proteins that contribute to dementia start to accumulate in the brain up to 20 years before the emergence of symptoms and current tests - including PET scans and spinal lumbar punctures - are so expensive that only around 2% of patients receive them.