'Groundbreaking' dementia trial starts in Surrey

A "groundbreaking" trial exploring the potential of blood tests to diagnose dementia is under way in Surrey, a charity says.

Alzheimer's Society said the initiative, led by a research team at Dementias Platform UK (DPUK), hoped to address gaps in diagnosis and enhance early detection of dementia.

The trial is part of the Blood Biomarker Challenge, which aims to see if a panel of blood tests can complement existing diagnostic pathways in NHS memory clinics.

Alzheimer's Society said: "This research will provide vital evidence needed to integrate blood tests into routine clinical practice in the NHS, ultimately improving diagnosis speed and accuracy."

The Blood Biomarker Challenge is a multimillion-pound programme led by Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer's Research UK, supported with funds raised by players of People's Postcode Lottery.

New and existing blood tests will be assessed to look at a range of dementia types to see if the tests can help to detect the disease at various stages.

The project, which Alzheimer's Society described as "groundbreaking", will also look at whether results need to be interpreted differently in people from different ethnic backgrounds or with other health conditions.

The first participants joined the study in Oxford in January, marking the start of a nationwide drive to recruit more than 3,100 participants from 28 DPUK sites across the UK.

Prof Ramin Nilforooshan, consultant psychiatrist at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We're in an incredibly exciting time for dementia research right now, with new disease modifying treatments that are licensed by the MHRA [Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency]."

He added: "It will be nothing short of disastrous if people are unable to get a diagnosis early enough to benefit from the new drugs, once they do become available."

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