The project aims to identify people at risk of dementia before symptoms appear.
More than 7 million people are living with dementia in the EU. This number is projected to double, reaching 14 million by 2050.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Although the search for potential treatments is showing promise, it is anticipated that these medications will be most effective in the early stages of the disease.
The recently launched AI screening platform, PREDICTOM aims to identify individuals at risk of developing dementia, even before symptoms manifest.
The cognitive and biomarker screening platform has this week announced it will be backed by €21 million in funding, with €8 million from the EU, €9 million from industry and €4 million from UKRI.
A consortium of 30 partners from academia, business, civil society and hospitals is steering the project. The Consortium includes partners from 15 countries across Europe, Asia and America and is led by Stavanger University Hospital.
Dag Aarsland, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry at King’s College London and research lead at Stavanger University Hospital, is the leading the project.
“Detecting early signs of dementia is key to slowing its progression. Unfortunately, a majority of those at risk are not identified in time. Our platform seeks to change this by enabling early discovery, allowing timely intervention and preventative treatment,” Aarsland said.
A crucial aspect of PREDICTOM is that much of the screening can be performed by the patients themselves in the comfort of their homes.
By initiating the process at home, the project aims to reduce strain on healthcare services and associated costs. Biomarkers, including saliva, stool, digital markers and blood via prick-tests, will be collected at participants’ homes or GP offices, streamlining a process traditionally carried out in hospitals or specialised clinics.
More than 4000 participants will partake in PREDICTOM’s trial project. The samples will be based on a pool of people from previous initiatives like PROTECT UK, PROTECT Norway and Radar-AD, as well as people from the catchment area of other participating centres in Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Spain.
“If our project succeeds, there will be significant savings in both cost and time,” Aarsland said
After the home collection, samples will be sent to PREDICTOM, where their platform will process the participant data, integrating blood, cerebrospinal fluid, imaging, electrophysiological and digital biomarkers.
AI algorithms will generate risk assessments, early diagnoses and prognoses, laying the foundation for early intervention and treatment.
This project is part of the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), a public-private partnership (PPP) between the European Union and the European life science industries.
“We are very pleased to have such a robust team with top notch expertise spanning diverse fields, including IT, AI, medicine, ageing research and professionals from both small and large businesses,” Aarsland added.
The project runs from 1st November 2023 to 31st October 2027.
