READ-OUT study now on Join Dementia Research

A UK-wide study into using blood tests to diagnose dementia quicker than brain scans is now recruiting through the Join Dementia Research platform.

The READ-OUT (REAl World Dementia OUTcomes) study assesses blood tests to detect different types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. Eligible volunteers are now being invited to take part through Join Dementia Research. 

More than 3,100 participants without a diagnosis are being recruited at 37 UK sites to understand which biomarkers perform best in diagnosing Alzheimer’s and non-Alzheimer’s dementias.

The READ-OUT study is being led by the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge and started recruiting in January 2025. 

READ-OUT was awarded £4.5 million by the Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK and the National Institute for Health and Care Research and Gates Ventures, along with £5 million raised by the Postcode Lottery players.

The study will assist the NHS by researching how biomarker testing can be implemented sustainably and at scale, as well as considering the cost-saving benefits of large volume biomarker testing. 

Clinicians and the NHS will be able to understand the best type of biomarker assessment having studied approaches with volunteers. This will include use of postal blood tests.

For the first 3 years, the READ-OUT team is taking blood tests at around 28 UK sites.

In the final 2 years, the team will run a clinical trial with 880 people. This will explore how having a blood test for dementia affects:

• diagnosis and quality of life

• patients and carers

• impact on care 

• how the results should be communicated to patients

It will also examine how well these tests work across different ethnic groups and people with other health conditions.

Stephanie Everill, 67 from Abingdon in Oxfordshire, was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. Causing memory and thinking problems, it can be an early sign of dementia.

One of the study’s first participants, Stephanie said: “My mum had Alzheimer’s, so it’s something I’ve seen first hand. The scans I had showed my condition is leaning towards Alzheimer’s disease, but I haven’t had that diagnosed.

“I’m getting quite forgetful, and I hope taking part might mean a faster diagnosis and access to treatments for myself and others in the future.”

Professor Vanessa Raymont, Senior Clinical Researcher at the University of Oxford, said: “We’re in an incredibly exciting time for dementia research, with new drugs that can slow early Alzheimer’s disease. 

“Although these are not yet approved for use in the NHS, we urgently need to revolutionise the way we diagnose people.

“Blood biomarker tests could be the answer and the technology already exists. What we’re missing is the proof they really work in a real-world setting.”

Log in to your Join Dementia Research account to see if you have been invited to join a study. Or, if you are not already registered, sign up today.