Diagnosing Dementia - Now and in the Future

Whilst everyone may experience dementia and its symptoms differently, the pathway to diagnosis is very similar for most people, but could all that be about to change? This week Adam Smith, speaks to a Psychiatrist, a Neurologist and a Scientist. They discuss the current diagnosis pathway, the tests involved, and how that could change as with the development of blood based biomarkers. Exploring the science behind the new tests, their development, and how these new tests could be used in frontline services to improve accuracy, support clinical trials and to improve care – and is the NHS ready? This week’s guests are: Dr Elizabeth Coulthard, Consultant Neurologist and Associate Professor at University of Bristol and North Bristol NHS Trust. Dr Josie Jenkinson, Consultant Psychiatrist for Older People and Clinical Academic at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Trust. Dr Amanda Heslegrave, Senior Research Fellow focussed on Biomarkers in Neurodegeneration at the UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London. Emerging blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer disease are an exciting new development. They could provide an accessible, easy to delivery and inexpensive screening tool. Looking to the future, when disease-modifying or prevention treatments will be available, investigators are focused on how to detect the earliest biological signals of Alzheimer disease, perhaps even years or decades before clinical symptoms appear – and that’s when these tests could really become essential. However, how could they be used now? Could they improve accuracy of diagnosis? Replace the need for other more expensive tests? Ensure we no longer have to send people home, telling them they have Mild Cognitive Impairment? Reduce misdiagnosis? Patients and their families want to know, Is this Alzheimer disease, or something that can be reversed? Can we answer that question now? And Could this new biomarker help? All will be discussed in this weeks show. _________________________ You can find out more about our panellists, and their work on our website: https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk A transcript of this podcast is also available here https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/podcast-diagnosing-dementia-now-and-in-the-future _________________________ This podcast is brought to you in association with Alzheimer's Research UK and Alzheimer's Society, who we thank for their ongoing support.