Dementia Current Research

A groundbreaking research study exploring the potential of blood tests to diagnose dementia is underway at North Bristol NHS Trust, marking a significant step toward improving the UK’s dementia diagnosis rate.

This initiative, led by the READ-OUT (REAl World Dementia OUTcomes) research team at Dementias Platform UK (DPUK), seeks to address gaps in diagnosis and enhance early detection of dementia, ultimately improving outcomes for people living with the condition.

The study is part of the Blood Biomarker Challenge – a multi-million-pound programme led by Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK, supported with funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. It aims to explore whether a panel of blood tests can complement existing diagnostic pathways in NHS memory clinics, helping clinicians provide faster and more accurate diagnoses for people living with dementia.

The team will assess multiple new and existing blood tests, looking at a range of dementia types including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. The researchers will also look at whether the blood tests can help detect these diseases at various stages and if the results need to be interpreted differently in people from different ethnic backgrounds or with other health conditions such as kidney disease.

The first participants joined the study in Oxford in January 2025, marking the start of a nationwide drive to recruit over 3,100 participants from currently 31 DPUK sites across the UK. These sites, located in NHS memory clinics and community buses, aim to recruit participants from a diverse range of communities, ensuring the research is inclusive and reflects the wider population.

This research will provide vital evidence needed to integrate blood tests into routine clinical practice in the NHS, ultimately improving diagnosis speed and accuracy, and ensuring that more people in Bristol and across the UK receive timely treatments and support.

For more information on READ-OUT or to register interest in taking part in the study, visit the READ-OUT study site.

PI: Professor Elizabeth Coulthard

Planned end date: 31/10/2029

Local Ref: R&D 5727

COmBining memantine and cholinesterase inhibitors in Lewy body dementia Treatment trial

The COBALT Trial aims to find out if adding Memantine to AChEI treatment improves overall health and functioning for people with Lewy Body Dementia (DLB) or Parkinson's Disease Dementia (PDD).
A 150 patients with DLB and 150 patients with PDD, from across the UK will  take part in this trial. Participation will consist of a few visits over 52 weeks to the site for cognitive assessments, telephone follow ups and monitored use of either the placebo or Memantine. 

PI Dr Elizabeth Coulthard

Recruitment end date:01 April 2025

Local Ref: R&D 5195

Our research group and others have found links between Alzheimer’s and gum disease. Gum disease occurs when certain bacteria thrive under the gum line causing inflammation and bleeding. There is good evidence these bacteria pass into the bloodstream and speed up, or cause development of other diseases (such as diabetes and heart disease). This study monitors Alzheimer’s patients treated for gum disease for 12 months to see if this also slows their rate of memory loss. We're looking for 50 participants. 

PI: Dr Elizabeth Coulthard

Planned end Date: May 2025

Local Ref: R&D 5319