NIHR-Funded Study Represents the Largest of its Kind Conducted to Date in Alzheimer’s Dementia.
Cumulus Neuroscience today announced the enrollment of the first patient in a major research collaboration with the Universities of Bath and Bristol set to improve the early detection of Alzheimer’s dementia. Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the study will evaluate AccelADx™, the company’s proprietary 3-minute, non-invasive screening tool as a new functional biomarker of cognitive impairment. AccelADx™ combines EEG (electroencephalography) with a passive tablet-based neurological assessment during which performance is not impacted by education level or language.
“AccelADx™ is a promising diagnostic test that enables the direct measurement of memory function in the brain, without requiring specific language skills or education, and enables the collection of key patient data in any medical practice, clinic or lab.”
Brian Murphy, Ph.D.
CSO, Cumulus Neuroscience
“Earlier detection of neurological decline is essential to our ability to treat Alzheimer’s disease – and while even the best experts can’t discern the earliest, subtle changes of memory function in brain signals, AI algorithms can,” said Brian Murphy, PhD, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Cumulus. “AccelADx™ is a promising diagnostic test that enables the direct measurement of memory function in the brain, without requiring specific language skills or education, and enables the collection of key patient data in any medical practice, clinic or lab. We are excited to enroll our first patient in this critical study, and hope it represents a significant step toward achieving earlier detection of Alzheimer’s dementia.”
The NIHR-funded study will continue to enroll a diverse group of more than 1,000 patients, representing the largest study of its kind conducted to date in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study will include next-generation blood-based biomarkers of pathology that, together with evidence of memory and cognitive impairment captured by AccelADx™, satisfy the full criteria for a definitive diagnosis of AD. The study is being conducted at The Cognitive Disorders Clinic at The Brain Centre, Southmead Hospital, Bristol.
AccelADx™ is built on the biopharma-proven Cumulus Neuroassessment Platform, comprised of a comfortable, easy-to-use EEG headset synchronized with tablet-based assessments across multiple domains of brain function which can be used in-clinic or unsupervised at-home to collect clinical-grade objective data.
“Using AI-powered analytics to quickly identify the early signs of memory impairment is an essential tool that doctors have not been able to access to-date. Our research using AccelADx™ allows for patient screening before symptoms appear, representing a major breakthrough in both testing and care standards.”
Dr. Elizabeth Coulthard
Professor of Cognitive Neurology, University of Bristol
“Using AI-powered analytics to quickly identify the early signs of memory impairment is an essential tool that doctors have not been able to access to-date. Our research using AccelADx™ allows for patient screening before symptoms appear, representing a major breakthrough in both testing and care standards,” said study principal investigator Dr. Elizabeth Coulthard, Professor of Cognitive Neurology at the University of Bristol and neurologist at North Bristol National Health Service (NHS) Trust. “We are excited to partner with the team at Cumulus Neuroscience to leverage their sophisticated technology as part of our shared mission to improve the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s equitably with a platform that can be easily integrated into existing clinical workflows in the future.”
“Using Cumulus’ technology, we will be able to use easy and non-invasive direct measurements of brain function to offer physicians a faster and more complete cognitive picture of patients.”
Dr. George Stothart
Department of Psychology, University of Bath
“Finding ways to diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s using state-of-the-art technology can provide us with essential new clinical tools, which our ageing population desperately needs,” said Dr. George Stothart, Department of Psychology, University of Bath. “Many patients living with Alzheimer’s dementia today may wait up to 20 years to receive a definitive diagnosis, because the standard testing methods rely on paper and pen-based assessments which lack the objective physiological data that EEG can provide. Using Cumulus’ technology, we will be able to use easy and non-invasive direct measurements of brain function to offer physicians a faster and more complete cognitive picture of patients.”
Both Cumulus Neuroscience and the Universities of Bristol and Bath are dedicated to conducting the study in accordance with the strictest ethical and regulatory standards. The collaboration symbolizes the company’s shared vision for advancing medical testing to provide exceptional care for all patients. It promises significant insights to help advance the discovery and development of new therapies for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions.
About Alzheimer’s DiseaseAlzheimer’s is a progressive disease that affects brain function, memory, and other cognitive abilities. It is the most common cause of dementia, affecting millions of people worldwide. Symptoms usually develop slowly and worsen over time, including memory loss, confusion, mood swings, changes in behavior and personality, and difficulty with language and communication. Currently, there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s. Today, earlier diagnosis can enable patients to make lifestyle changes, including exercising and decreasing alcohol consumption, both of which have been shown to slow disease progression. In the future, having the ability to diagnose patients earlier may expedite enrollment in clinical studies and the identification of new treatments.
About Cumulus NeuroscienceWith a mission to generate the data and insights required to accelerate diagnosis and management of central nervous system (CNS) disorders for millions of patients and caregivers around the world, Cumulus Neuroscience is advancing an AI-based, multi-domain digital biomarker platform to enable better, faster decision making in neurology and neuropsychiatry clinical trials and patient care. Designed for and with 10 of the world’s leading pharma companies, and used in partnership with leading universities, the platform enables in-clinic work as well as remote/at-home data collection.
Designed to provide an industry-wide standard for real-world measurement of disease progression, Cumulus combines patented technology, in-house expertise and key industry partnerships to capture large amounts of real-world, clinical data repeated over time, across multiple behavioral and physiological domains in the patient’s home – all with a US FDA 510(k) cleared and UKCA marked EEG Headset synced to a novel, tablet-based neuro-assessment platform. Together with machine learning (ML) analytics and the world’s largest database of annotated, longitudinal, neurofunctional data, Cumulus simplifies and improves the robustness of neuroscience clinical trials to provide the best and most cost-effective assessment of CNS treatment outcomes.
The Company is supported by highly experienced specialized investors, DDF/SV Health Investors, LifeArc and Future Fund, and a world-class Scientific and Technical Advisory Board.
About the National Institute for Health and Care ResearchThe mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:
- Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;
- Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;
- Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;
- Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;
- Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;
- Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.
NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK Aid from the UK government.