A new laser test can spot dementia in seconds.
A laser test promises to revolutionise dementia diagnostics
Researchers at the University of Southampton have developed the test using a new technology called Multi-excitation Raman spectroscopy (MX-Raman) and initial trials have shown that it can detect Alzheimer's disease with an average accuracy of over 93 per cent.
The test involves the use of laser beams to study a single drop of bodily fluid - such as blood or mucus - and allows boffins to examine changes in the body's proteins and other biomolecules.
The team is hoping to see their groundbreaking test rolled out in doctors' surgeries to enable the general population to discover if they are at risk of the illness years before symptoms begin to show.
Professor Sumeet Mahajan, an expert in molecular biophotonics and imaging at the University of Southampton, said: "Our integrated approach has the potential to revolutionise dementia diagnostics.
"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."