SABRE
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Spatial Biomakers for early Alzheimer's disease
IRAS ID
342522
Contact name
Dennis Chan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
We will address one of the greatest unmet needs in global healthcare, namely the ability to detect Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in its very earliest stages. In identifying AD at outset we will maximise the ability of future treatments to delaying or preventing progression to dementia. Current tests do not meet this need. The pen-and-paper tests used currently in memory clinics are unable to diagnose early AD with accuracy, while the more accurate tests based around lumbar puncture and PET brain scanning are expensive, invasive and limited in availability to a few specialist centres.
Our spatial SABRE tests will provide a solution to this problem. They do so by targeting the functions of the brain regions affected at the very beginning of AD, namely the entorhinal cortex (EC) and hippocampus which reside in the brain’s temporal lobe. These regions provide the equivalent of the brain’s GPS, allowing us to navigate around places, and in our past work we have already shown that spatial tests can identify changes in brain function in people at risk of dementia, better than current cognitive tests.
Our aim is to translate the superior diagnostic capability of spatial tests into routine clinical practice for use in ageing populations worldwide. To do this, we will redesign our tests for the use on smartphones/tablets and lightweight augmented reality (AR) devices can be easily used at home or GP surgeries. To ensure these tests are easy to use both patient-public and GP perspectives, we will work design engineers as well as public-patient focus groups and GPs.
If this study is successful, the SABRE spatial tests have the ability to transform diagnoses of early AD.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/LO/0471
Date of REC Opinion
22 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion