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Are Blood tests the Future of Dementia Diagnosis?
16/07/2024 @ 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
Blood tests could revolutionise how dementia is diagnosed, making diagnosis earlier, more accessible and accurate.
Scientists have been looking for simpler and more reliable ways to find out when someone’s brain is changing due to dementia. They have searched for biomarkers – biological clues that we can find outside the brain (like in blood) that tells us the brain is changing.
At this Alzheimer’s Research UK event, we will hear from researchers working to improve how dementia is diagnosed. Dr Maura Malpetti and Dr Ashvini Keshavan will discuss the progress they are making, and the improvements their research could bring for people affected by dementia. Chairing the discussion will be Dr Katy Bray, Involvement & Engagement Manager at Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions, both ahead of the event and during it.
The event will take place online on Zoom, and it is free to attend.
We will be recording the event so you can watch it back on demand if you can’t make it live on the day.
Speakers
Dr Maura Malpetti is a Race Against Dementia Alzheimer’s Research UK Fellow and a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge.
Maura’s research focuses on using brain scans and blood tests to measure early brain changes linked with dementia. She is interested in changes in inflammation and the build-up of junk proteins, and how these link with symptoms in people with different forms of dementia. Her work aims to identify biological fingerprints that can detect dementia earlier, and lead to more accurate prognosis and effective treatments in people living with these conditions.
Dr Ashvini Keshavan is an honorary consultant neurologist based at the Dementia Research Centre at UCL. Alongside her clinical work, she researches biological fingerprints of Alzheimer’s that can be detected in blood and spinal fluid.
Ashvini is working on a pivotal 5-year study in people attending memory clinics across the UK, which includes a trial of a new blood test for Alzheimer’s disease. The hope is that the research will show that the blood tests will increase Alzheimer’s diagnosis rates and provide value for money if added to current standard practice.
