BREATHE-AD: Breath-Based Diagnostics for Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease

Project leads:

University of Warwick: Professor James Covington from the School of Engineering
Monash University: Associate Professor Yen Ying Lim from the School of Psychological Sciences

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia worldwide, and detecting it before symptoms become severe is critical for effective treatment and care planning. Current diagnostic methods, such as brain scans and lumbar punctures, are expensive, invasive, and often inaccessible in community or primary care settings. This project explores a simpler, non-invasive alternative: a breath test.

Previous research at the University of Warwick demonstrated that biomarkers contained in breath could distinguish between healthy individuals, those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and those with AD. However, those earlier studies were limited by small sample sizes and relied upon symptom reports to classify disease status.

This new study takes the research to the next level of evidence by collecting breath samples from participants at Monash University’s Healthy Brain Hub, which provides advanced assessments including digital tests, brain imaging and blood biomarkers. Samples will be analysed at Warwick using state-of-the-art facilities to identify breath biomarker patterns linked to AD at its earliest stages.

The research will answer three key questions:

Can breath profiles accurately detect AD before symptoms begin, or just after?
How do these profiles relate to cognitive performance?
Which biomarkers are most suitable for a future point-of-care breath test?

Why does this matter for communities?

This project could potentially pave the way to revolutionise early AD detection, by making it more accessible, affordable, and non-invasive. A breath test could be used in GP clinics, aged care facilities, and rural settings, all places where advanced imaging is often unavailable. Early detection means patients can access emerging treatments sooner, plan care effectively, and maintain quality of life for longer. For families and communities, this reduces the emotional and financial burden of late-stage dementia.