A £6.9million study to detect the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease has been launched this week.

Funded by the Medical Research Council and the National Institute of Health research, the study hopes to recognise characteristics of the disease before individuals display any clinical symptoms. 

An early identification of these biomarkers could help researchers to halt the diseases progression and potentially prevent it. 

Researchers will conduct up to 50 tests on 250 volunteers, from Dementias Platform UK cohorts, many of which have never been conducted before and will generate the largest amount of data ever produced during a dementia study.

Speaking to Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, lead researcher on the project Professor Simon Lovestone said: “We know that Alzheimer’s starts 10 years before clinical symptoms appear, so if we can conduct the trials in this period we could effectively have a prevention. 

“We’re not trying to predict future dementia, but we are trying to see if we can find a change in a pre-clinical disease state, before people exhibit any symptoms, and identify if a combination of these markers show change over time.

“If we can find a change in the pre-clinical phase this would enable the clinical trials to find a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.”

Tests conducted on volunteers during the programme will include sophisticated memory tests, retinal imaging to explore the changes in central and peripheral vision, and wearable devices that will give researchers detailed information on people’s movement and gait.

The Deep and Frequent Phenotyping study hopes to deliver results that could make a difference to and improve people’s lives. 

Previously, between 2002 and 2012, 99% of clinical trials into treatment for Alzheimer’s failed probably because, according to the Medical Research Council, the treatments were being conducted on those who have already sustained irreparable damage to the brain. 

Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, said: “Dementia can be a heart-breaking condition, but it is my mission as Health Secretary to make this country the best place in the world to get a dementia diagnosis and support, as well as being a global leader in the effort to find a cure.  This extra investment is a vital step forwards towards that goal.”

The team, lead by the University of Oxford, comprises eight UK universities and the Alzheimer’s Society. 

Speaking about the study Matt Murray, Engagement and Participation Manager at Alzheimer's Society spoke about the charity’s involvement: 'This exciting research will help transform our understanding of the earliest signs and symptoms of dementia, supporting researchers to ensure that they recruit the most appropriate people for their trials.

"With help from Alzheimer's Society, people in the early stages of dementia tried out the procedures that are involved in the study and shared their experiences to ensure the trial wouldn't be daunting for others. While people were nervous about some of the tests, this try out stage successfully made them feel more comfortable recommending the study to other people. Making sure that people affected by dementia have their voices heard when studies are being designed is an essential step and gives the trial the greatest chance of success.

"As a result, we are confident that the larger study launching today will be of the highest quality and will have a reduced risk of people dropping out."

Dr Rob Buckle, Director of Science Programmes at the MRC, said: “This is the first major clinical study based on Dementias Platform UK and the results could be game changing for dementia research. Our goal is to find treatments that can slow down or even stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. 

“Finding biomarkers for clinical trials is crucial for fast-tracking decisions as to whether a trial should stop or continue, and the faster we can find out which drugs work and which ones don’t, the faster we can benefit patients. An ability to deliver more cost-effective clinical trials would also encourage investment and increase the number of such studies in the future.”