A new study suggests a simple finger prick blood test combined with online brain testing, all done at home, could help identify people at risk of developing dementia.
The study, which has been published in Nature Communications, was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s (NIHR) Exeter Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and supported by the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Brain Health and NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South West.
Led by the University of Exeter, the researchers found that proteins linked to dementia in blood samples were associated with performance on cognitive tests. This approach could help identify people at risk sooner, ensuring they get the right care quickly, while also reassuring those at lower risk.
The research draws on the PROTECT study, in which more than 30,000 UK participants aged over 40 take regular cognitive tests online to measure memory, attention and executive function, or decision-making skills.
A total of 174 PROTECT participants were sent at-home blood tests, which they administered themselves before posting back to the team. The researchers used these blood tests to measure two proteins: p-tau217, which is linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and Gfap, which is linked to broader brain decline. They found that performance on the brain tests correlated with the presence of the proteins. This enabled the team to categorise people at low, medium and high risk.
Professor Anne Corbett of the University of Exeter Medical School, who led the research, said: “Our previous research has shown that a finger-prick blood test can effectively be taken at home and posted to laboratories, and that we can identify the biomarkers in blood linked to dementia. This new study builds on that to show that we can link these biomarkers with performance on brain tests, giving us a potential way to predict risk of dementia. This work raises the potential for screening people for their risk without the need for clinic visits or complex clinical assessments. It would ensure the people at highest risk could be prioritised for monitoring and diagnosis, unlocking the best support and treatment for those that need it most.”
Professor Marian Knight, NIHR Scientific Director for NIHR Infrastructure, added: "The potential of this combination of cognitive and blood tests - both of which can be done at home - is really exciting. Not only could it reduce the burden on the NHS by screening people in their own homes rather than in hospitals or clinics, but it also might mean we can identify people with dementia earlier, tailor treatments more effectively, and improve outcomes for patients. This is a fantastic example of research teams in NIHR infrastructure working together to deliver real change for the public and the NHS, in line with government priorities.”
This study recruited participants through Join Dementia Research, a service that enables people to register their interest in national dementia research. Join Dementia Research is run by the NIHR in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland, Alzheimer's Research UK and Alzheimer's Society.
- Corbett A, Sander-Long M, Ashton NJ, et al. Alzheimer's Disease blood biomarkers measured through remote capillary sampling correlate with cognition in older adults. Nat Commun. 2026;17(1):3699. doi:10.1038/s41467-026-71448-2