Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is taking part in a major UK-wide clinical trial exploring whether a simple blood test could speed up and improve the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
The ADAPT trial, led by University College London, is investigating whether the test can diagnose Alzheimer’s earlier and more accurately than current methods.
Researchers hope the blood test could provide a faster and less invasive alternative to existing diagnostic techniques, which can include brain scans and lumbar punctures.
More than 1,100 people are expected to take part across 20 NHS centres nationwide, including patients referred to NHS memory clinics for the first time with memory concerns.
Participants will continue to receive standard diagnostic assessments, with some receiving blood test results earlier in the process to determine whether this helps speed up diagnosis and treatment decisions.
The test measures p-tau217, a marker linked to the build-up of Alzheimer’s-related proteins in the brain.
Dr Ashvini Keshavan, Senior Clinical Research Fellow at UCL and co-lead of the ADAPT trial, has said:
“We’re proud that Hampshire and Isle of Wight memory clinics will be part of this important national trial.
Article continues below this advertisement “After decades of research, we now have a blood test for Alzheimer’s that provides comparable information to gold-standard diagnostic tests but is far more accessible and cost-effective.”
The ADAPT trial forms part of the Blood Biomarker Challenge, backed by Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Gates Ventures and players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Researchers hope the findings could help bring blood-based dementia testing into the NHS by 2029.
