We work at the forefront of technology and spearhead new initiatives to ensure an earlier and more accurate diagnosis for everyone living with dementia.
Diagnose
We know that the diseases that cause dementia can begin to up to 20 years before symptoms show. This is a crucial window of time where diagnosis and access to treatments can have the biggest positive impact. Early diagnosis needs to be a focus so that people can then access treatments sooner, take part in research and plan for the future.
Early Detection of Neurodegenerative diseases (EDoN) is the largest initiative in the world that will collect, share and analyse clinical and digital health data to detect diseases like Alzheimer’s. Ultimately, this approach would be used by doctors to give an earlier and much more accurate diagnosis of the diseases that cause dementia.
Current projects and initiatives
Investigating how mutations affect brain inflammation in frontotemporal dementia
Researchers at King’s College London are unpicking how mutations in specific proteins affect brain inflammation in frontotemporal dementia.
Can boosting chemical messaging in the brain help people with early-stage dementia with Lewy bodies?
Researchers at Newcastle University will study how a drug affects people in early stages of dementia with Lewy bodies.
Understanding the role of metal particles in Alzheimer’s and their potential for diagnosis and treatment
Researchers at Keele University will develop ways to ‘see’ iron in the brain and explore how metals could be used as treatment targets and indicators of Alzheimer’s disease.
How does dementia with Lewy bodies affect sleeping patterns?
Researchers from Northumbria University are using a non-invasive technique to compare sleep patterns of people with and without dementia with Lewy bodies
Investigating the brain immune cells through scans
Researchers at the University of Southampton are looking at whether we can improve our understanding of the brain’s immune cells by using the brain scans.
Using data from brain donations to investigate the impact of multiple underlying causes of dementia
Use information from the Brains for Dementia Research Programme to find out which disease combinations lead to a more rapid decline of memory and thinking skills.
Just below the surface of the brain
Researchers at University College London seek to identify changes just under the surface of the brain that could indicate the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease
Can our genetics predict our risk of Alzheimer’s disease?
Researchers in Edinburgh are looking into how our genetics predicts our risk of Alzheimer’s disease
