The funding by Innovate UK, as part of the Government’s Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme, builds on over £5 million invested by the People’s Postcode Lottery into two studies of dementia blood tests through the Blood Biomarker Challenge*.
The new funding announced today is for a quick and easy digital test of patients’ cognitive functions, taking only 10 minutes, which could lead to more accurate diagnoses when administered with blood biomarker tests for Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia. It will be delivered by the Dementia Platform UK’s (DPUK) READ-OUT (REAl World Dementia OUTcomes) study team
The team is looking to identify the best blood tests (as well as the most economically effective) ways for accurate memory disorder diagnosis. It is hoped this crucial work will lead to people accessing vital care and support sooner and more quickly. This is imperative if new treatments are introduced in the NHS as these work best for people in the earliest stage of their disease.
The DPUK project is led from Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London. Its, researchers are recruiting over 3,000 volunteers, at 28 UK-wide memory clinic sites from DPUK’s Trials Delivery Framework (TDF).. Some of the first participants attended the Warneford Hospital in Oxford at the end of last year.
READ-OUT is testing multiple existing and novel blood tests that can help identify a range of causes of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. The tests have the potential to offer a fast, cheap, and non-invasive way of spotting the early signs of dementia sooner, by testing how effective these are in NHS memory clinics
Speaking at the World Dementia Council Summit in London, Science Minister Lord Vallance said:
“Dementia is an incredibly cruel disease, affecting nearly every family in some way.
“As a life sciences world leader, the UK is uniquely placed to bring innovative technologies to the frontline of the fight against dementia and grow our economy so we can deliver on our Plan for Change. New ways of testing for dementia earlier could help patients get the right treatment, sooner – ultimately meaning more quality time with their loved ones.”
Professor Vanessa Raymont, of Dementias Platform UK, who is co-lead of the READ-OUT team said:
“This add-on initiative to the READ-OUT study is a tremendous opportunity to assess the benefit of using a quick digital cognitive test alongside the panel of blood biomarkers we are identifying for diagnosing Alzheimer’s and other diseases that can cause dementia. This is especially exciting given READ-OUT is keen to recruit people via Dementias Platform UK's nationwide network that have other health problems and from ethnic groups that we haven't been able to involve in research before. This approach will allow us to understand if such a combination of tests could be helpful and cost effective to roll out across NHS memory clinics and beyond.”
The digital cognitive tests will also be part of the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative Healthcare System Preparedness Project in the UK.
Currently a third of those currently living with dementia are thought to be undiagnosed – which means they are not getting the treatments and support that would improve their quality of life, and potentially even slow the progress of the disease.
Find out more about READ-OUT here.
*READ-OUT is supported by Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Gates Ventures and players of People’s Postcode Lottery who are all funding the Blood Biomarker Challenge.
The new digital cognitive assessment bolt-on to the READ-OUT study - Early Detection Demonstration project – is supported by the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative in this £2 million Dementia Goals programme public-private collaboration.
Comments from funders of the READ-OUT programme:
Dr Rich Oakley, Associate Director of Research & Innovation at Alzheimer’s Society, said:
“Early diagnosis is crucial to help people manage symptoms and avoid ending up in crisis, so we are pleased that the government is investing in cutting-edge digital technology that will aid in the diagnosis of dementia.
“We are especially proud that this digital cognitive test will be deployed alongside blood tests in the READ-OUT study as part of the Blood Biomarker Challenge – a game-changing collaboration between Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK made possible thanks to £5 million raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
“For years, Alzheimer’s Society has been calling for dementia to be made a priority and while there is a lot more to do, these are important steps that show willing. By working together, we will progress further, faster. And we owe that to the one million people living with dementia in the UK today.”
Dr Susan Kohlhaas, Executive Director of Research & Partnerships at Alzheimer’s Research UK:
“On average it can take a year or even longer for someone to get a diagnosis once they come forward with concerns about their memory and thinking. This is simply not good enough.
“That’s why we need to develop, test and roll out innovative ways of diagnosing dementia within the NHS to make the process quicker and more seamless for people.
“It’s fantastic to see studies like READ-OUT that are already identifying blood tests now including additional digital cognitive assessments to see if these are an effective way to spot early symptoms of dementia.
“Digital tests have the potential to give doctors much more information compared to traditional pen and paper assessments. For example, they can tell us how someone is approaching the test rather than just looking at how quickly and accurately someone completes the test.
“Evidence from this study will give researchers insight into how digital tests can be used in clinical practice with a view to implementing these new innovations into the NHS. A priority for this Government must be to keep up the momentum we’ve seen in dementia research to ensure people in the UK see the benefits of progress that’s being made.”