A major new clinical study aimed at improving dementia diagnosis through blood testing has launched in Surrey, according to a leading charity.
The initiative, spearheaded by researchers at Dementias Platform UK (DPUK), is supported by the Alzheimer’s Society, which says the trial seeks to close diagnostic gaps and improve the early identification of dementia. Known as the Blood Biomarker Challenge, the project is backed by Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK, with funding provided by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Researchers will evaluate both existing and newly developed blood tests across multiple types of dementia to determine how effectively they can detect the condition at different stages.
The study will also investigate whether test results need to be interpreted differently based on factors such as ethnicity or coexisting health issues.
Initial recruitment began in January in Oxford, and the study is now expanding nationwide, with plans to enrol over 3,100 volunteers from 28 DPUK research centres across the UK. The trial is designed to assess whether blood tests could enhance current diagnostic procedures used in NHS memory clinics.
