Detecting Dementia Earlier using Spatial & Episodic Memory tests.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Detecting Dementia earlier: using Spatial & Episodic Memory tests to more accurately predict progression from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer’s disease.
IRAS ID
207985
Contact name
Julie Rowbotham
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Early detection of dementia gives individuals and families the best possible chance of taking control of their own well being. Therefore, the need to develop tests that reliably diagnose dementia in its earliest stages increases the likelihood that therapeutic agents (e.g. newly-developed drugs) and interventions (e.g. changes in diet and exercise) can prolong the period of high-quality, independent living and reduce the impact of care on patients, families and care providers. This project has focussed predominantly on Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) as this is the most common form of dementia. An ideal test would have the sensitivity to detect everyone who has early-stage AD, while simultaneously not giving a ‘false alarm’ to anyone who shows some age-related impairments in cognition but who does not have early-stage AD. Secondly, an ideal test should be free and simple to administer on a national scale, without requiring extensive training on the part of the testers to set up, run, and interpret the test. Unfortunately, currently used tests do not allow us to approach these ideals. Accordingly, we propose to examine if the use of spatial and episodic memory tests, whether singly, together, or in combination with other tests, can approach this ideal. Are there current tests which are already available which approach these ideals? Unfortunately, this is not the case. Neuropsychological testing has been shown to be a highly effective tool for identifying the early symptoms of AD, using a battery of tests along with clinician interviews and observations, all of which are non-invasive. However, this process tends to be lengthy, which some find aversive.
There are some other good biomarker-based tests for early stages of AD, but they are costly, highly invasive and in effect impossible to use for national screening purposes. A non-invasive but still expensive technique, involving MRI imaging of brain regions affected early in AD, diagnoses early AD no better than neuropsychological testing in identifying early symptoms of AD.
The project has two stages. In stage 1, we will administer recently-developed spatial and episodic memory tests (along with more established neuropsychological tests) to patients who have recently been diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). At stage 2, clinical follow up (c.15-30 months after MCI diagnosis) will establish those patients who have, and have not, progressed to AD. Analysis will then determine which tests at stage 1 best predicted progression-to-AD at stage 2.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NE/0336
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jan 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion