RESEARCHERS are looking for volunteers from Oxford to take part in the next stage of a pioneering study using brain scans to reveal early changes that are a sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

These markers for the disease, which account for 60 per cent of dementia cases, will be used to test whether experimental treatments can delay, or even prevent, the progression of the degenerative disease.

The New Therapeutics in Alzheimer’s Disease (NTAD) study uses special scanners to measure subtle changes in the working of brain cells.

The initial study scanned 50 patients with mild memory problems and a build-up of amyloid proteins that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as 15 healthy people.

The interim findings from the study, which was supported by Dementias Platform UK (DPUK), show a significant difference of brain cell activity in people with very early Alzheimer’s disease.

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Professor James Rowe, chief investigator and lead researcher on the study, said: “It is still early days, but it looks promising that the MEG measurement of brain activity may be sensitive enough to detect early Alzheimer’s disease.

“The initial findings suggest that it may be feasible to monitor the impact of treatments on the rate of brain cell decline.”

He added: “Having a biological characteristic, known as a biomarker, sensitive to subtle changes in the working of the brain is vital if the pharmaceutical industry is to develop early treatments in a timely and cost-effective way.’

Researchers are now recruiting another 50 volunteers at the Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, based at Oxford University.

Jemma Pitt, research assistant on the study, said: “I came to Oxford because MEG scanning offers a new hope for detecting biomarkers that can be used to develop treatments for dementia.

“We desperately need to break the deadlock in finding new treatments, and by working with volunteers who contribute to research studies like NTAD we are a step closer."

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She added: “It’s a real pleasure to work with people who generously give their time to help find a treatment. All the volunteers that I meet, whether healthy or with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, are interested to learn about the research and believe that together we can speed the discovery of new drugs for the most pressing health crisis of our age – dementia."

With reliable biomarkers, DPUK’s pharmaceutical industry partners will be better able to identify the most promising treatments to use in big drug trials.

One year on, researchers are now starting follow-up scans of the first NTAD volunteers.

This will identify which biomarkers are best for detecting the progression of Alzheimer’s disease – more sensitive than traditional memory tests or MRI scans.

DPUK is looking for volunteers around the Oxford area for the NTAD study.

Volunteers will be scanned at the Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity.

For more information on the study, or to register your interest in taking part, visit dementiasplatform.uk/NTAD