What is DementiaDX?
The Solution- DementiaDX
An accurate test for identifying causes of dementia, earlier
Leading from more than a decade of experience in Raman spectroscopy in neurodegenerative diseases, Brainalyze have developed a unique label free solution that is quick, accurate, cost-effective and effective even at the pre-manifest stages.
Initially used to distinguish between different types of bacteria, Brainalyze has devised a multi-laser method known as MX-Raman that creates an 'optical fingerprint' from a liquid biopsy sample. This fingerprint can be used to distinguish between different forms of dementia, encompassing the information in the same as a whole rather than a single protein or biomarker. Data from pre-clinical trials on patient samples have found this method to be accurate in 93% of cases for identifying Alzheimer’s, with similar results for other neurodegenerative diseases and for tracking Huntington’s disease.
As prevalance increases and costs spiral there is need for a simple, cost-effective solution that supports earlier detection and identification of multiple dementias. Brainalyze aim to address this need, providing a point of care test to address the significant worldwide spend on dementia both in diagnosis and in ongoing care.
The global dementia burden is growing rapidly, while healthcare systems face increasing pressure from limited specialist capacity, long waiting times, and rising demand for earlier diagnosis.
Our vision is to work with pharmaceutical companies, clinical researchers, diagnostic laboratories, and healthcare providers to expand the role of DementiaDX across:
Patient triage into AD and non-AD diagnostic and treatment pathways
Patient identification and stratification for clinical trials in pharma
Differential diagnosis in the clinic
Monitoring treatment efficacy
Population-scale screening approaches
As new Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative therapies emerge, there is increasing need for scalable tools capable of identifying appropriate patients earlier and more efficiently-
Our goal is to help bridge the gap between scientific advances in neurodegenerative treatment and the real-world diagnostic infrastructure required to deliver them at scale.
The Future of Dementia Diagnostics
Trialling faster detection for dementia patients
Brainalyze refined their solution through work with the NHS. With access to a cohort of 141 patients already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, some of whom had waited 2 years for a diagnosis, Brainalyze were able to recreate these detections faster and with a high degree of accuracy.
Successful and progressing patent applications
Brainalyze’s diagnostic aid is different to the antibody-based blood tests already in use in some markets. These tests can only detect Alzheimer’s disease but also require specialised labs and kits whereas Brainalyze’s simple test is holistic, works across dementia types, and is rapid. To secure the future of their solution and further progress, a patent application protecting the method and device technology has already been awarded in the US and is pending elsewhere.
Winning grant funding to continue research and development
The team have secured Alzheimer’s Research UK Fellowship funding to continue their research, as well as a £1.2 million UKRI Cross-Council grant as part of the interdisciplinary HOpE project for further technology validation.
Demonstrating early detection and differential diagnosis
The team have analysed 100s of patient blood samples, with further validation on-going. The results clearly establish early detection capabilities of Brainalyze's blood test.
Progress
Brainalyze's advancements towards improving outcomes for the 10 million people diagnosed with dementia every year.
Publications
Devitt, G., Michopoulou, S., Kadalayil, L., Hanrahan, N., Prosser, A., Ghosh, B., Mudher, A., Kipps, C. and Mahajan, S., 2025.
Classification of Alzheimer’s disease in a mixed clinical cohort using biofluid Raman spectroscopy. medRxiv, pp.2025-02.
Devitt, G., Hanrahan, N., Moreno, M.R., Mudher, A. and Mahajan, S., 2024.
A Novel Spectral Barcoding and Classification Approach for Complex Biological Samples using Multi-excitation Raman Spectroscopy (MX-Raman).
Huefner, A., Kuan, W.L., Mason, S.L., Mahajan, S. and Barker, R.A., 2019.
Serum Raman spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool in patients with Huntington's disease.
United States Patent Application 20250052683
MULTI-EXCITATION RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY METHOD AND APPARATUS
Devitt, G., Michopoulou, S., Kadalayil, L., Hanrahan, N., Prosser, A., Ghosh, B., Mudher, A., Kipps, C. and Mahajan, S., 2025.
Classification of Alzheimer’s disease in a mixed clinical cohort using biofluid Raman spectroscopy. medRxiv, pp.2025-02.
Devitt, G., Hanrahan, N., Moreno, M.R., Mudher, A. and Mahajan, S., 2024.
A Novel Spectral Barcoding and Classification Approach for Complex Biological Samples using Multi-excitation Raman Spectroscopy (MX-Raman).
Huefner, A., Kuan, W.L., Mason, S.L., Mahajan, S. and Barker, R.A., 2019.
Serum Raman spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool in patients with Huntington's disease.
United States Patent Application 20250052683
MULTI-EXCITATION RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY METHOD AND APPARATUS