Raman Spectroscopy Tests Biomarkers for Rapid Dementia Diagnosis

Dementia is difficult to diagnose during the initial stages of the disease. Using current testing methods, it can take over two years for patients to receive a diagnosis. Many patients are not diagnosed until the disease has progressed to a point where treatment options are less likely to be effective. The type of treatment that is most appropriate for a patient depends on the type of dementia the patient has, but distinguishing between closely related dementia types can be challenging.

Researchers at the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton are developing a laser-based test to rapidly detect dementia. If the test is successful, it will help doctors quickly diagnose the condition and specific form of dementia, enabling them to prescribe the most appropriate therapies for patients still in the early stages of the disease, when treatment has the most benefit.

Professor Sumeet Mahajan (middle) and research fellow Niall Hanrahan (left) and professor Chris Kipps (right) are collaborating on the development of a laser-based test that uses spectroscopy to detect the presence and form of dementia in a patient. Courtesy of University Hospital Southampton.

The test is based on multi-excitation Raman spectroscopy (MX-Raman), an advanced spectroscopic technique that analyzes the composition of bodily fluids like blood, spinal fluid, and mucus to pinpoint changes in proteins, lipids, sugars, and other biomolecules. A laser induces vibrations in the molecules, and MX-Raman probes the vibrations and creates a profile representing the unique biomolecular composition of the sample.

The profile provides doctors with a biochemical fingerprint of the individual’s health and disease status, which the physician can use to accurately diagnose the presence of disease and the type of dementia.

The test delivers results in seconds and is less costly than other currently available diagnostic tests. It could be made available for direct use by practitioners in clinical settings.

“The slow progression of dementia, with a long presymptomatic phase, presents a formidable challenge in early diagnosis,” professor Chris Kipps, consultant neurologist at University Hospital Southampton, said. “This laser-based technique could change the way we approach dementia diagnosis and may significantly improve affordability and efficiency of current biomarker analysis.”

Initial results indicate that the test can detect the presence of Alzheimer's disease with about 93% accuracy.

“Our integrated approach has the potential to revolutionize dementia diagnostics,” University of Southampton professor Sumeet Mahajan said. “There is an urgent, unmet clinical need for more discriminatory, efficient, and cost-effective solutions. Our holistic MX-Raman technique is uniquely equipped to address these challenges, and we want to see this technology lead to vastly improved patient outcomes.”

The researchers will test the biochemical fingerprints generated by MX-Raman in groups of patients with different types of dementia to assess how patients can gain the most benefit from emerging therapies that work for certain types of dementia only. The researchers also aim to create a portable prototype device to test different bodily fluids and demonstrate the ability of the test to identify specific dementia types.

The project is called Holistic Optical Biomarkers to Transform Dementia Diagnosis (HOpE) and is one of the first initiatives to be funded by a new award from UK Research and Innovation. HOpE is one of 36 projects to receive funding from the new award, out of almost 900 applications submitted by research teams across the UK. The project HOpE will receive £32.4 million ($42.2 million) from the first round of the UKRI funding.

The use of Raman spectroscopy to test for dementia could represent a breakthrough in medical technology, according to Kipps. “This innovation is not just a leap in healthcare quality,” he said. “It's a paradigm shift, redefining our approach to neurodegenerative disease in the clinic,” he said.

There are over 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, and this number is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040. The disease, which presents in many different forms, including Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, worsens over time. Primary symptoms include memory loss, difficulty concentrating, confusion, mood changes, and language and problem-solving skills.

“Research and innovation will be key to us addressing the most important health and care issues facing society,” Paul Grundy, chief medical officer at University Hospital Southampton, said. “We are proud to have partnered with the University of Southampton for over 50 years, and this latest project is another example of when our experts come together from different disciplines.”