Scientists have unveiled an innovative at-home test designed to predict a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.
The novel method combines a simple finger-prick blood test with an online cognitive assessment, both conveniently conducted from home, experts confirmed.
Academics, spearheaded by researchers at the University of Exeter, highlighted the urgent demand for more "scalable tools" to identify individuals experiencing early memory and cognitive issues who may not access specialist healthcare.
This home-based screening could prove crucial in pinpointing those at highest risk, allowing them to be prioritised for subsequent diagnostic tests, treatment, and essential support services.
Study lead Professor Anne Corbett, from the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “Our previous research has shown that a finger-prick blood test can effectively be taken at home and posted to labs, and that we can identify the biomarkers in blood linked to dementia.
“This new study builds on that to show that we can link these biomarkers with performance on brain tests, giving us a potential way to predict risk of dementia.
“This work raises the potential for screening people for their risk without the need for clinic visits or complex clinical assessments.
“It would ensure the people at highest risk could be prioritised for monitoring and diagnosis, unlocking the best support and treatment for those that need it most.”
The new study, published in the journal Nature Communications, saw 174 people sent an at-home test, which they administered themselves and posted back to the research team.
These finger-prick blood tests looked for blood biomarkers, p-tau217 and GFAP, which have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and broader brain decline respectively.
People involved in the study also took part in online brain tests.
The research team found that the blood test can be used with computerised cognitive testing to identify a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s.
They said that the tests could be used to “triage” people with varying risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Professor Clive Ballard, of the University of Exeter Medical School, was involved in the research. He said: “Almost a million people in the UK are estimated to have dementia, yet at the moment, only one in 1,000 people with the earliest signs of brain decline receives a specialist evaluation.
“Our approach of combining our robust cognitive testing with measuring proteins via a postal blood test could provide a straightforward, efficient and cost-effective method to reach large numbers of people in the community who would not otherwise be prioritised for the next steps of diagnosis or support and to optimise the clinical pathway to enable early detection of those at highest risk.”
Prof Ballard urged people aged over 40 to join the online Protect study, which involves more than 30,000 UK adults who take regular cognitive tests to measure memory, attention and executive function, or decision-making skills.
Professor Marian Knight, NIHR scientific director for NIHR Infrastructure, said: “The potential of this combination of cognitive and blood tests – both of which can be done at home – is really exciting.
“Not only could it reduce the burden on the NHS by screening people in their own homes rather than in hospitals or clinics, but it also might mean we can identify people with dementia earlier, tailor treatments more effectively, and improve outcomes for patients.”
Commenting on the study, Dr Sheona Scales, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Finger prick blood tests could revolutionise dementia diagnosis – they offer a low cost, scalable way to identify people who may be at higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and who should be offered further checks.
“The results suggest the test can detect changes in a blood biomarker linked to Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive difficulties, with a high level of sensitivity.
“As an early step in the diagnostic pathway, this kind of self-administered test could give reassurance to some people, while helping others move more quickly towards follow-up tests and support.
“As the test is easy to use and can be done remotely, it has the potential to improve access to assessment for those who face practical barriers to attending specialist clinics.”
But she said larger and more diverse studies are now needed to confirm “how well this tool performs in everyday healthcare settings.”
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