Overview

• UCL’s Adapt trial is enrolling about 1,100 people with cognitive symptoms across roughly 20 NHS memory clinics, with the first site in Essex already recruiting.
• Participants are randomised to receive plasma p‑tau217 results at three or 12 months so researchers can measure effects on diagnosis timing, further investigations and treatment decisions.
• Backers cite comparable performance to PET or lumbar puncture at far lower cost (about £100 versus roughly £1,500), noting only around 2% of patients currently access gold‑standard confirmatory tests.
• The trial is part of the UK Blood Biomarker Challenge and is designed for real‑world use in diverse populations, with results expected to inform NICE considerations in coming years.
• A complementary UC San Diego study in 5,712 Hispanic/Latino adults tied higher NfL and GFAP to subjective cognitive decline, while experts stress blood tests should be used for symptomatic patients within clinics as other rapid tools such as a three‑minute Fastball EEG remain preliminary.