Acceptability and Feasibility of Phospho-tau181 in Memory Service V.1

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Acceptability and Feasibility of blood-based Alzheimer’s disease markers in a Memory Service

  • IRAS ID

    295715

  • Contact name

    Robert Howard

  • Contact email

    robert.howard@ucl.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Noclor

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 5 months, 30 days

  • Research summary

    The study’s purpose is to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of using the results of a blood test to help staff working in the memory service to make a diagnosis of the underlying cause of memory difficulties.
    Markers for Alzheimer’s Disease have been detectable in cerebrospinal fluid for at least 25 years. However, in the past few years, technology has advanced to enable the detection of specific markers for Alzheimer’s Disease in the blood.
    A marker called Phospho-tau181 has been shown to be an accurate and acceptable diagnostic blood marker of Alzheimer’s Disease that performs as well as Cerebrospinal fluid-based Alzheimer’s Disease markers.
    A blood test could be simple to carry out, cost-effective, made widely available and has potential to be used within NHS memory services to support the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia.
    Although these blood markers are available within some academic Neurology centres, they have not yet been incorporated into the diagnostic work-up of patients referred to specialist dementia diagnostic services within Mental Health trusts, where the majority of NHS patients will receive a diagnosis of dementia.
    We will ask you to give a blood sample for biochemical research into dementia. Patients presenting to the Camden & Islington Trust Memory Service would be eligible to participate in this study. The study will take place over a 6-month time period. We hope to gain new insights into the diagnosis of dementia and hopefully will contribute to helping others in the future.

  • REC name

    London - City & East Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    21/PR/1675

  • Date of REC Opinion

    20 Dec 2021

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion